Lok Sabha Question No. 2462 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-02
Subject: India’s Ranking in Global Hunger Index
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, P.R. SUNDARAM, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2462

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02 nd  JANUARY8

## INDIA'S RANKING IN GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX

2462.  SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the country's ranking in the Global Hunger Index report during the last three years;
- (b) the  ranking  accorded  to  the  country  in  the  Global  Hunger  Index Report 2017 prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute;
- (c) whether a substantial proportion of the country's population continue to  suffer  from  lack  of  food  according  to  the  said  report,  if  so,  the  details thereof and the measures taken to look into all the aspects of the problem;
- (d) whether  the  country's Global Hunger  Index  score  is lower as compared to those of developing countries, if so, the details thereof and the
- reasons therefor;
- (e) the  other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  its  ranking  in Global Hunger Index; and
- (f)  whether  it  is  true  that  in  many  States  the  bodies  responsible  for implementation of NFSA had not been set up and the budget expenditure and actual expenditure on NFSA during 2016-17 are having wide gap, if so, the facts and details thereof and the steps the Union Government proposes to take to bring a comprehensive solution to eliminate hunger and effectively implement NFSA?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a)  &  (b):  As  per  information  available  in  the  public  domain,  the  India's ranking  in  the  Global  Hunger  Index  (GHI)  reports  brought  out  by  the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) during last three years and in 2017 are as under:-

out of 104 countries

| GHI 2014   | 55 th out of 76 countries   |
|------------|-----------------------------|
| GHI 2015   | 80 th out of 104 countries  |
| GHI 2016   | 97 th out of 118 countries  |
| GHI 2017   | 100 th out of 119 countries |

- (c):      As  per  the  GHI  Report  2017,  the  composite GHI scores of India  have improved from 46.2 in 1992 to 38.2 in 2000 and further to 35.6 in 2008 and 31.4 in 2017. Thus the country has shown consistent improvement over the years. However, Government is implementing the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) which provides for coverage of 75% of the rural population and upto  50%  of  the  urban  population  for  receiving  foodgrains  (rice,  wheat  & coarsegrains) at highly subsidized rates. The Act is being implemented in all States/UTs  and  80.72  crore  persons  are  being  covered  for  receiving  highly subsidized  foodgrains.  The  Act  also  has  focus  on  institutional  support  to women  and  children  through  schemes  implemented  by  the  concerned Ministries.
- (d):  There is no universally agreed upon criteria for assigning the country as developing.  However, India's ranking in GHI 2017 is 100 out of 119 countries. Year  on  year  comparison  of  country's  ranks,  scores  or  indicators  are  not accurate  due  to  continuous  revision  and  improvement  of  current  and historical data by concerned United Nations agencies.  Moreover due to nonavailability of data different countries are included in GHI ranking each year and the methodology of calculation of GHI has also changed in 2015.
- (e): Recently, National Nutrition Mission has been  approved  by  the Government for addressing malnutrition status of the country in a comprehensive manner.
- (f):  National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) is implemented under the joint responsibility  of  Central  and  State  Governments.  Central  Government  is responsible for allocation of foodgrains to States/UTs as per the entitlement of  eligible  households  and  coverage determined for the State/UT under the Act, and its delivery upto the designated depots of Food Corporation of India for  each  State/UT.  Further  responsibility  for  its  distribution  to  the  eligible households lies with State Governments/UT Administration. Implementation of the scheme by States/UTs is regularly monitored at various levels.

As  regards  budget  allocation  and  expenditure,  during  2016-17,  the budget estimate for the scheme Central assistance to States/UTs for meeting expenditure  on  intra-State  movement,  handling  of  foodgrains  and  FPS dealers'  margin  under  NFSA  was  Rs.  2500  cr.  which  was  entirely  utilized. Similarly, during 2016-17, the budget estimate for the scheme Assistance to States/UTs for non-building assets for State Food Commissions was Rs. 1.00 crore out of which Rs. 0.56 crore was released.

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