Public Canteens in India
Public canteens that provide subsidised meals have emerged as a critical food security measure in urban India. A survey of over 700 guests in Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu finds that public canteens guarantee food security for vulnerable people, such as the elderly and destitute, as well as those without cooking facilities (single working men, students). One-fourth of the respondents consumed both meals daily at canteens and saved a third of their reported monthly earnings. Canteens have also created decent jobs, especially for women, reduced domestic work and fostered a sense of oneness and well-being in otherwise alienating urban environments.
The author thanks all the volunteers in the three survey states. Astha Sansthan Udaipur, Alternative Law Forum Bengaluru and Madras Institute of Development Studies provided invaluable logistical support during the surveys. Taha Ibrahim, Md Asjad, Shabnam, Sookthi K, Aishwarya N and Karuna M contributed to the pre- and post-survey work, as well as the data collection. The author is grateful to Krishnapriya Choragudi, Md Asjad, Aishwarya N, Karuna M and Jean Drèze for the feedback and to Md Asjad and Safia Siddiqui for the research assistance.
Unbeknownst to most, public canteens have quietly become a part of the web of social policy interventions in many Indian states. These canteens provide subsidised cooked meals at popular urban locations. They are quite widespread (Map 1, p 42); yet, barring sporadic media reports, they have attracted little scholarly attention. This paper, based on a 2023 survey of over 700 guests at 174 canteens in 12 cities across three Indian states, attempts to remedy this gap.
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