Lok Sabha Question No. 320 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Global Hunger Index
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Uttam Kumar Nalamada Reddy, Malook Nagar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MtNrsTRy oF coNsuMER AFFAIRS, FOOD &  pUBLtc  DISTRIBUTTON DEPARTMEI{T  OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED OUESTIOI{  NO. 32O TO BE ANSWERED  O  lgth NOVEMBER,2Ol9

## GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX

32O. SHRI T.R. BAALU:

SHRI UTTAM KUMAR REDDY I{ALAMADA: SHRI MALOOK NAGAR:

Will the Minister of GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD At{D  pUBLtC

DISTRIBUTIOII  sffffr  err*, urc-a gt{  Ttrfff,r ffi{ur d+ be pteased  to state:

- whether lndia is laggang behind even its neighbouring  countries like Pakistan,  Eangladesh and l{epal in starvation and malnutrition index and
- (a) if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether it is a fact that there is overflowing of foodgrain stocks in Food Gorporation of lndia (FGI) warehouses  and the Ministry of Gonsumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution  had said that {{5O metric tonnes of foodgrains  are still stored in the godowns  in the country  and 73,6 million tonnes of foodgrains in FGlts central pool are still stored in the godowns in the country and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government  for achieving Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunge4
- (c)  whether {9 crore people in the country are still sleeping every day without a morsel for food and if so, the reasons therefo4 and
- (d) whether any measures are being taken to rectifyr the problem of persisting hunger/starvation despite overflowing foodgrain stock and make foodgrains more accessible in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

IUIINISTER  OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF GONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD &

PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (sHRr DAilVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a):  As per information available in the public  domain (https:/iwww.concern.net/ansa hts/qlobal.hunqer-index-2O{ 9 )' ! ndiats ranking in the Global Hunger Index (GHl) brought out by Concem  UUorld Wide is {O2. Pakistan is ranked 94, Bangladesh is ranked 88 and Nepal is ranked 73. As per GHI Report 2Ol9 of Concern  World Wide, the composite GHI scores of lndia have improved from 38.8 in 2OOO to 3O.3 in 2O{9. Thus, the country has shown consistent  improvement  over the years.

(b) to (d): The actual stock of foodgrain in Central Pool has grown substantially high vis-i-vis the Foodgrain  Stocking l{orms. As on, 01.11.2019, the total foodgrain  stock was GO4.82 lakh MT (231.05 lakh

MT of rice and 373.77 lakh MT of wheat) in the Gentral Pool against the stocking norms of 3O7.7O lakh MT of foodgrain (as on {d October).

The Government of lndia accords high priority to the issue of hunger and has been providing foodgrains at highly subsidized prices to the targeted population through State  Governments/Union  Teritory Administrations under National Food Security  Act (ilFSA), 2O{3 and Other

Ivelfare Schemes (OWS).

NFSA provides  for coverage  of upto 75o/o ol the rural population and upto 5O% of the urban population  for receiving foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the population of the country for receiving foodgrains  @ Rs 11213 per kg tot nutri-cereals/wheaUrice  respectavely.  ldentification  of beneficiaries under the Act is under two categories-  households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yoiana (AAY) and Priority Households  (PHH), withan the coverage determined for the State/UT. While Priority Households are entatled  to receive 5 kg per person per month, AAY househotds, which constitute the poorest of the poor, continue to receive 35 Kg of foodgrains per household per month. At present,  the Act is being implemented in all the States/UTs covering  about 80 crore persons to get highly subsidized foodgrains. The coverage  under the Act is substantially  high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the socaety get ats benefit. The Act also has a specaal focus on the nutritional support to women and children.  Pregnant women, lactating mothers and children upto 14 year€ of age are entitled to nutritious meals, free of cost, as per the prescribed nutritional standards.  ln case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals, the beneficiaries will receive food security allowance. The Act also contains provisions for setting up of grievance redressal mechanism at the District and State levels. The implementation  of NFSA through the Pubtic Distribution System (PDS) is a  ioint  responsibility of the Gentral and  State  Governments/UT Administrations,  and the State Governments/UT Administrations  are responsible  for the identification of beneficiaries under the ilFSA.

........3/-

During the year 20{8-19, the Government allocated a quantity of 612.1a lakh MT of foodgrains to the States/UTs under NFSA, Other Welfare Schemes and allocations  due to  natural calamities and festivals.  During the current year i.e. 2O19-2O, the Government of lndia has so far allocated 603.88 lakh MT of foodgrains  under NFSA, OWS and additional  allocations.  State Governments/UT  Administrations have also been requested to  indicate their additional annual requirement of foodgrains (rice and wheat) in addition to the present allocation under NFSA and OWS. The scheme of  End.to-End Gomputerization  of the PDS has ensured rightfu! targeting of the beneficiaries all over the country.

Further, Government of  lndia has issued advisories  to  all

States/UTs to identifSr  and cover the weakest sections of the society under PDS and launch special drives to issue ration cards to them. Advisories have  been  issued to all State/UTs that no beneficiary/household shall be deleted from the list  of  eligible beneficiaries/households  only on the grounds of  not possessing Aadhaar and shall also not be denled subsidized foodgrains  or cash transfer of food subsidy under NFSA due to non-availability of Aadhaar or failure of biometric  authentication.

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