Pariksha SaathiArmy Introduces 'Bharat Rice' for Troops, Signs MoU to Use FCI Warehouses in Operational Contingencies
Soldiers will now get a better grade of rice under 'Bharat Rice', which the Indian Army launched in New Delhi on 12 October 2026 in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi. Processed to defence specifications and sourced through NAFED during 2026-27, the rice will be taken directly to the Army's supply depots, even in Ladakh and the North East, so depots no longer need to pick up stocks from nearby FCI centres. The 10 kg and 30 kg bags should be easier to carry to remote posts. The Army's Directorate General of Supplies and Transport took up the idea acting on troops' repeated feedback about ration quality, and it followed roughly a year and a half of joint planning by the Army, FCI, NAFED and the Food Department. The Army also signed an agreement with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), valid for five years and extendable, under which it can draw on selected FCI godowns, workers and cargo-handling equipment if an operational emergency arises. Singh tied this to lessons from Operation Sindoor, arguing that supply chains matter as much as weapons and future wars may give little warning.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The Food Corporation of India is a statutory body set up under the Food Corporations Act, 1964, and functions under the Department of Food and Public Distribution. Its core roles are procuring foodgrains from farmers at minimum support prices, storing them, moving them across the country, and supplying them for the public distribution system and other government schemes, while maintaining buffer stocks for food security.
Reference: Food Corporation of India's official website
Check yourself: was FCI created as a company under the Companies Act, or by a specific law of Parliament?
By a specific law: FCI is a statutory corporation established under the Food Corporations Act, 1964, not a company registered under the Companies Act.
Revision task: separate the two outcomes of this event (the Bharat Rice supply arrangement and the Army–FCI MoU) and note who supplies the rice versus whose warehouses the Army can use.
Test yourself
Through which agency is the Army's 'Bharat Rice' for troops being sourced during 2026-27?
Show the answer
Answer: NAFED
The rice, processed to defence specifications, is sourced through NAFED in 2026-27 and taken directly to Army depots; the Army also signed a five-year MoU with FCI to use selected FCI godowns in operational emergencies.
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