Lok Sabha Question No. 1047 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-22
Subject: India's Position in Global Hunger Index
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: GAURAV GOGOI, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SANTOSH AHLAWAT, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, Shrirang Appa Barne, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, BHEEMRAO BASWANTHRAO PATIL, DHARMENDRA YADAV, SAKUNTALA LAGURI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1047

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  NOVEMBER, 2016

INDIA'S POSITION IN GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX

1047. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT:

SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI BHEEMRAO B. PATIL:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRIMATI SAKUNTALA LAGURI:

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

- (a) whether any ranking list of the countries in the Global Hunger Index has  been  released  recently  by  the  International  Food  Policy  Research Institute, if so,  the details and the criteria thereof along with the ranking accorded to India in the said list, vis-a-vis 2015 list and the reasons for decline in India's ranking;
- (b) whether 15 per cent of Indians do not get two square meals a day as on date and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard during the last three years and the steps being proposed for the upcoming period to  protect  the  citizens  from  hunger  trap  and  to  improve  the  ranking  in Global Hunger Index;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to lay down any policy to deal with the problems of hunger, starvation and undernourishment in the country, if so, the details thereof along with the time by which final decision is likely to be taken in this regard; and

- (e) whether India is facing such problems of hunger and starvation while thousands of tonnes of foodgrain stored in the open are rotting and despite producing  surplus  foodgrains  and  having  a  strong  economy,  if  so,  the response of the Government thereto along with the corrective action taken thereon?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  :  As  per  information  available  in  the  public  domain,  Global  Hunger  Index (GHI)  report  2016  brought  out  by  the  International  Food  Policy  Research Institute (IFPRI), India's  rank has been calculated as 97 out of 118 countries. In  2015,  India's  GHI  rank  was  80  out  of  104  countries.  The  Global  Hunger index Score  for India has reduced to 28.5 in 2016, which is an improvement over 29.0 in 2015.  In 2016 16 countries with low GHI Scores were also added to the GHI Rank list and given a collective rank from 1 to 16.
- (b) : The Global Hungr Index report provides the following undernourishment and malnutrition related statistics on India
- -15.2% of the population is undernourished
- -15.1 % of children under 5 years are wasted
- -38.7 of children under the age of five are stunted and
- -Under five mortality rate is quoted as 4.8%
- (c) and (d): The Government of India has accorded high priority to the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the country and is implementing several schemes/programmes through State Governments/UT Administrations to improve food security situation in the country.  These include Targeted Public Distribution  System(TPDS),  Wheat  Based  Nutrition  Programme  (WBNP)  for providing  Supplementary  Nutrition,  Integrated  Child  Development  Services (ICDS)  Scheme  for  pre-school  children  and  pregnant  and  lactating  mothers through the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Mid-Day-Meal Scheme (MDM)  for  primary  and  upper  primary  children  through  Ministry  of  Human Resource Development, Annapurna Scheme for the senior citizens, Nutritional Programme for Adolescent Girls, Emergency Feeding Programme, etc.

The  Government  is  also  implementing  the  National  Food  Security  Act (NFSA), 2013 to provide food security to the population.  The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population to receive highly subsidized foodgrains under TPDS.    The Act also contains provisions for  nutritional  support  to pregnant  women and lactating mothers or children below 14 years of age.

Foodgrains  at  highly  subsidized  prices  are  provided  to  the  targeted population through State Governments/UT Administrations under the Targeted Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS),  National  Food  Security  Act  (NFSA)  and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS).  During the year 2015-16, Government of India has allocated 611.10 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under TPDS, NFSA and OWS. During 2016-17, Government of India has so far allocated 627.99 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under TPDS, NFSA and OWS.

(e): Foodgrains conforming to prescribed norms are procured for central pool and stored in scientific manner in covered and CAP (Cover and Plinth) storage. All precautionary measures are taken for safe storage of foodgrains to avoid damage.  Inspite  of  all  precautions,  some  quantity  may  get  damaged/  nonissuable  due  to  various  reasons  such  as  storage  pest  attack,  leakages  in godowns, procurement of poor quality stocks, spillage during movement and handling  of  stocks,  exposure  to  rains,  floods,  negligence  on  the  part  of concerned persons in taking precautionary measures etc.

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