The Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), NLSIU successfully concluded the first batch of a 6-month course titled ‘Understanding and Advancing Food and Nutrition Security’ held from August 12–16 2026 at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar School of Economics University, Bengaluru. The course brought together civil society representatives, lawyers, academicians, and researchers from nine states for four days of dialogue on the pressing challenges of food security in India, with a particular focus on ground-level realities. It was inaugurated with an induction session by Dr. Neetu Sharma, who thanked participants for their diligence and the state-specific insights they brought to the discussions.

Day 1 opened with a recap of preceding modules and participant reflections, followed by a session on budget transparency led by Mr. Nesar Ahmed, covering budget allocation across different schemes.

Day 2 focused on Advocacy and the State Rules and implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), identifying gaps across states and discussing advocacy through executive and delegated legislation to strengthen transparency and accountability, facilitated by Dr Neetu Sharma.

Day 3 centred on media advocacy, with Dr. Rehman Pasha discussing the media’s role in strengthening the right to food movement.

Day 4, the valedictory session, featured a panel on discourses and emerging debates in the right to food, with Mr. Nesar Ahmed, Dr. Swati Narayan, Dr. Tara, Dr. Neetu Sharma, Dr. Veena, and Mrs. Sudha. Dr. Narayan spoke on universalising the PDS, touching on hunger, ration card access, and outdated census data. Mr. Ahmed discussed how technology — Aadhaar, mobile linking, biometric authentication — can strengthen the PDS while reducing leakage. Dr. Tara stressed the need for government investment in both food security and food safety, and Dr. Veena flagged the persisting severity of anaemia. Dr. Sharma invited deliberation on cash transfers versus physical food distribution, and Mrs. Sudha discussed food sovereignty and its role in food security.

The course concluded with the distribution of certificates and a memento reflecting the ideals of the Preamble to participants from Nagaland, Odisha, West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh. Fifteen participants from nine states received certificates of completion for the Certificate Course on Understanding and Advancing Food and Nutrition Security at a valedictory session held on August 16, 2026.