Lok Sabha Question No. 1383 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-11
Subject: India’s Position in Global Hunger Index
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shardaben Anilbhai Patel

## GOVERNIUIEilT  OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF GONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD &  pUBLtC  DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTIOI{

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED OUESTION T{O. {383 TO BE ANSWERED  ON 1{th FEBRUARY, 2O2O

## INDIA'S POSITION I]I GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX

## t{383.  SHRIMATI SHARDABEN AI{ILBHA!  pATEL:

Will the Minister of  GOI{SUMER AFFAIRS,  FOOD Al{D PUBLIC DISTRIBUTIOITI sqtfrdr  q't{*r  sr{q  gk  Trfdfro  futrtq ri* Ue pleased to state:

- (a)  the position  of India among the {17 nations of the world in Global Hunger lndex as per the latest report related to hunger along with the position of lndia in the Global Hunger lndex as per the study conducted of {{9 nations in the year 2O18i
- (b)  the reduction registered in the hunger/ malnutrition in lndia during the last decade and the percentage of population  still deprived of two square mealsl and
- (c) the details of the malnourished  children  in the country during the last three yeans and the number of children died due to malnutrition during the said period?

## ANSWER

i,llNISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF COilSUMER AFFAIRS,  FOOD &

PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (sHRr DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

- (a):  As per information available in the public domain (https/luwvw.concern.net/insights/global-hunger-index-2o{ 9}, !ndiats ranking in the Global Hunger Index (GHl) 2lD19 brought out by Goncern World Wide is {O2. lndia's ranking in the Global Hunger lndex (Gl{l) 2O1E was {O3. As per GHI Report 2O19 of Goncern World Wide, the composite GHI scores of lndia have improved from 38,8 in 2OOO to 3O,3 in 2O'19. Thus, the country has shown consistent  improvement  over the yearc.
- (b)& (c):  The Government of India 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  Territory Administrations  under ilational Food Security  Act (NFSA), 2O{3 and Other Welfare  Schemes (OWS).

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NFSA provides for coverage of upto 75o/o of the rural population  and upto 5oo/o ol 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 for nutri-cereals/wheat/rice  respectively. ldentification of beneficiaries under the Act is under two categories- households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yolana (AAY) and Priority Househotds (PHH), wlthin the coyerage determined for the State/UT. While Priority Households  are entitled to receive 5 kg per penson per month, AAY households,  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 EO 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 society get its benefit. The Act also has a special focus on the nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant women, lactating motherc and children upto {4 years 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 Public Distribution  System (PDS) is a joint responsibility of the Gentral and State Governments/UT Administrations, and  the State  Governments/UT Administrations are responsible  for the identification of beneficiaries under the NFSA.

During the year 20{8-19, the Government allocated a quantity of 612.18 lakh MT of foodgrains to the States/UTs under ilFSA, 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 603.95 lakh MT of foodgrains under NFSA, OWS and additional allocations. The scheme of End-to-End Gomputerization  of the PDS has ensured rightful targeting of the beneficiaries all oyer the country.

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. To sustain the reforms introduced by End-to-End Gomputerization scheme, another scheme namely-  rlntegrated  Management of  Public Distribution System (lM-PDS)t is also being implemented by the Government of lndia in associatlon  with States/UTs. The main obiective of the scheme is to implement nationwide portability  of ration card holderc through  sOne Nation One Ration Gard' which enables the  mlgratory ration card holders/beneficiaries in the country to lift their entitled foodgrains  from any Fair Price $hop (FPS) of their choice anynarhere in the country by using their existing/same ration card  issued in  their  home $tate/UT after biometric/Aadhaar  authentication on electronic Point of $ale (ePoS) device installed  at the FPSs. This initiative aims to ensure food security of beneficiaries  eyen in the case of their migration outside their native State/District.

Fuilher, Government  of lndia has issued advisories to all States/UTs to ldentify and coyer the weakest sections of the society under PDS and launch special drives to issue rations cards to them. Advisories have been issued to all States/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 denied subsidlzed foodgrains or cash transfer of food subsidy under NFSA due to non-availability of Aadhaar or iailure of blometric  authentication.

Under  nRashtriya  Bal Swasthya  KaryakaramD  (RB$K), children of O-'lE years of age are screened for selected health conditions classified  ito 4Ds  Diseases, Deficiencies, Defects and Developmental  delays including screening for Severe Acute Mal-nutrition and provides free referral and treatment facilities  for identified children.

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