Advantages -

It has helped in stabilising food prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices.

It has helped in avoiding hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus regions of the country to deficient regions.

The system of minimum support price and procurement has contributed to increase in foodgrain production.

Disadvantages -

Instances of hunger occur despite granaries being full. This points to certain lacunae or inefficiency in the system.

High level of buffer stocks often leads to wastage of foodgrains and deterioration in quality.

The storage of foodgrains inculcates high carrying costs on the government.

The provision of minimum support price has encouraged farmers to divert land from production of coarse grains that are consumed by poor, to rice and wheat.

Advantages and Disadvantages of PDS System

Advantages:

1. Food Security: The PDS system assures the availability of food grains for the poor and vulnerable sections of society at affordable prices.

2. Reduced Poverty: The PDS system helps in reducing poverty by providing access to food grains at subsidized rates.

3. Price Stability: The PDS system helps in stabilizing food prices by ensuring that food grains are available in the market at a reasonable price.

4. Reduced Hoarding: The PDS system reduces hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities.

5. Employment Opportunities: The PDS system generates employment opportunities for people involved in the distribution chain.

6. Improved Nutrition: The PDS system provides access to nutritious food for people who cannot afford it.

Disadvantages:

1. Leakages: The PDS system suffers from leakages, leading to the diversion of food grains to the black market.

2. Corruption: Corruption is prevalent in the PDS system, leading to the exclusion of genuine beneficiaries and inclusion of fake ones.

3. Inefficient Supply Chain: The PDS system suffers from an inefficient supply chain, leading to delays in the distribution of food grains.

4. Inadequate Coverage: The PDS system does not cover all the vulnerable sections of society, leaving many people without access to affordable food grains.

5. Quality Issues: The quality of food grains distributed through the PDS system is often inferior, leading to health issues among beneficiaries.

6. Dependency: The PDS system creates a dependency among beneficiaries, leading to a lack of motivation to work.

In conclusion, the PDS system has several advantages, including food security, reduced poverty, and price stability. However, it also suffers from several disadvantages, including leakages, corruption, and an inefficient supply chain. It is important to address these issues to ensure that the PDS system fulfills its objective of providing affordable food grains to the poor and vulnerable sections of society.