70^th BPSC Mains

Approach In the introduction define GHI. Mention key indicators—undernourishment, stunting, wasting, and child mortality. Discuss India’s performance, initiatives taken and challenges. Conclude suitably.

Introduction

The Global Hunger Index (GHI), published annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, assesses hunger levels worldwide using undernutrition and child health indicators. Scored on a 100-point scale (0 = no hunger, 100 = extreme hunger), it tracks progress toward SDG 2 – Zero Hunger.

Body

Key Parameters of the Global Hunger Index (GHI)

• The GHI score is based on four key indicators:
  • Undernourishment:
    • Measures the percentage of the population that consumes insufficient calories for a healthy life.
    • It reflects food insecurity and inadequate nutrition levels.
  • Child Stunting:
    • Represents the percentage of children under five with low height-for-age, indicating chronic malnutrition.
    • It is caused by long-term inadequate nutrition and poor maternal health.
  • Child Wasting:
    • Measures the percentage of children under five with low weight-for-height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
    • India has consistently had one of the highest child wasting rates globally.
  • Child Mortality (Under-5 Mortality Rate):
    • Measures the percentage of children who die before reaching the age of five.
    • This indicator reflects the fatal consequences of malnutrition, poor healthcare, and unhygienic living conditions.

India’s Performance in the Global Hunger Index

• India’s GHI Score and Ranking (Recent Years):
  • 2024: GHI Score – 27.3, Rank – 105/127 (Serious Hunger)
  • 2023: GHI Score – 28.7, Rank – 111/125 (Serious Hunger)
• India's Performance in GHI Indicators (2024):
  • Undernourishment: 13.7% of India’s population lacks sufficient food intake (Improved from 16.6% in 2023).
  • Child Stunting: 35.5% of children suffer from long-term malnutrition (No change from 2023).
  • Child Wasting: 18.7% (highest in the world), showing severe malnutrition (No improvement).
  • Child Mortality: 2.9%, reflecting a slight improvement from 3.1% in 2023.

Challenges Contributing to India's Poor GHI Performance

• Inefficiencies in the Public Distribution System (PDS):
  • Despite covering 67% of the population, PDS suffers from leakages, corruption, and exclusion errors.
  • Over 90 million eligible people remain excluded from food entitlements.
• Economic Inequality and Food Affordability:
  • Income disparities limit access to nutritious food, particularly among marginalized communities.
  • High food inflation makes it difficult for low-income groups to afford essential commodities.
• Nutritional Deficiencies and Dietary Imbalance:
  • Government food programs focus on calorie sufficiency rather than nutrient adequacy.
  • Heavy reliance on staple grains (rice and wheat) results in deficiencies in iron, vitamin A, and zinc.
• Urbanization and Changing Food Systems:
  • A 2022 Tata-Cornell Institute study found that 51% of urban slum households in Delhi experience food insecurity.
  • Increasing consumption of processed foods is reducing the overall nutritional value of diets.
• Gender-Based Malnutrition:
  • Women and girls often receive smaller portions or lower-quality food, leading to higher rates of anemia and malnutrition.
  • Maternal malnutrition results in low birth weight and intergenerational malnutrition.

Government Initiatives to Address Hunger and Malnutrition

• POSHAN Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission): Reducing malnutrition among women, children, and adolescents.
• PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Providing free food grains to 80 crore people.
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme (PM Poshan): Ensuring nutritious meals for school-going children.
• National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: Subsidized food grains for 67% of the population.
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): Providing nutrition, healthcare, and pre-school education for children.
• Mission Indradhanush: Child immunization to reduce infant mortality.

Initiatives by the Bihar Government to Combat Hunger

• Mid-Day Meal Scheme:
  • Provides cooked meals to school students to improve their nutritional intake.
  • Aims to increase school attendance and reduce malnutrition.
• State-Level Public Distribution System (PDS) Strengthening:
  • Ensures efficient distribution of subsidized food grains to ration card holders.
  • Bihar has implemented digital ration cards to reduce leakages and corruption.
• Bihar SHG-led Nutrition Programs:
  • Self-help groups (SHGs) like JEEVIKA play a crucial role in spreading awareness about malnutrition and nutritional diversity.
  • Women-led SHGs work on food fortification, kitchen gardening, and sustainable nutrition practices.

Way Forward:

• Strengthening the Public Distribution System (PDS):
  • Improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility to ensure food reaches all beneficiaries.
• Promoting Nutritional Diversity:
  • Shift focus from calorie sufficiency to balanced diets rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
• Investing in Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems:
  • Promote nutri-cereals (millets), pulses, and diversified crops.
  • Improve cold storage and post-harvest infrastructure to reduce food wastage.
• Improving Health and Sanitation:
  • Strengthen clean water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities to prevent infection-related malnutrition.
• Addressing Gender Disparities in Nutrition:
  • Ensure equal food distribution within households, particularly for women and children.

Conclusion

India’s GHI score has improved slightly, but child malnutrition remains critical, demanding urgent action. Various initiatives and PDS reforms have helped, but sustainable hunger reduction requires a multi-sectoral approach integrating agriculture, nutrition, healthcare, and economic policies, aligning with SDG-2 (Zero Hunger).