Lok Sabha Question No. 597 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-04
Subject: Global Hunger Index
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: S. Jagathrakshakan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 597

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2022

## GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX

## 597.     SHRI S. JAGATHRAKSHAKAN:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India's Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking continues to plummet as the other nations have made more substantial progress in improving nutritional levels that has caused a further fall in India's global standing;  and
- (b) if so, the steps taken/being taken by the Government to accelerate improvement in the nutritional intake of the people in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) and (b) As per Global Hunger lndex 2021 report prepared by 'Welthungerhilfe' and 'Concern Worldwide', India's score is 27.5 and it has ranked 101 among 116 countries. Global Hunger Index is based on four indicators  - Undernourishment, Child Stunting, Child Wasting and Child Mortality.

Global Hunger Index (GHI) does not reflect India's true picture as it is a flawed measure of  'Hunger'.  It  should  not  be  taken  at  face  value  as  it  is  neither  appropriate  nor representative  of  hunger  prevalent  in  a  country.  Out  of  its  four  indicators,  only  one indicator,  i.e.,  undernourishment,  is  directly  related  to  hunger.  The  two  indicators, namely, Stunting and Wasting are outcomes of complex interactions of various other factors  like  sanitation,  genetics,  environment  and  utilisation  of  food  intake  apart  from hunger which is taken as the causative/outcome factor for stunting and wasting in the GHI. Also, there is hardly any evidence that the fourth indicator, namely, child mortality is an outcome of hunger.

Data  used  in  the  GHI  report  are  sourced  from  international  agencies  which  are  not updated  as  per  the  latest data  available in the  country.  Food  and  Agriculture Organisation  (FAO)  of  the  United  Nations,  the  data  source  agency  for  the  indicator 'Prevalence of Undernourishment', has relied on the opinion poll conducted telephonically, which has completely disregarded Government's economic response to Covid-19 of providing free foodgrains to 80 crore National Food  Security Act beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna, and given an unacceptable estimate for India for the  triennium  period  2018-2020.  The  4  questions asked in the poll have no links to availability of food or dietary energy. FAO's estimates on 'Prevalence of Undernourishment' in India for the triennium periods 2015-17, 20016-

18, 2017-19 are 14.8%, 14.5% and 14.0% respectively, which clearly show a declining trend. India has not faced any major challenges on the food production and supply part in  the  recent  past  which  would  adversely  affect  the  'Prevalence  of  Undernourished' score. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, have improved on this indicator during  the  triennium  period  2018-20,  signifying  that  these  countries  have  not  been affected  at  all  by  Covid-19  pandemic  induced  loss  of  job/business  and  reduction  in income levels. These are counterintuitive in view of higher mortality rates due to Covid19 in 2 countries during 2020. Thus, the assessment made by FAO does not reflect the ground reality and is not worthy of consideration.

The Government is implementing several schemes and programs under the Umbrella Integrated  Child  Development  Services  Scheme  as  direct  targeted  interventions  to address the problem of malnutrition in the country. All these schemes address one or other aspects related to nutrition and have the potential to improve nutritional outcomes in  the  country.  For  alleviation  of  malnutrition,  Government  has  approved Mission Poshan  2.0 to  strengthen  nutritional  content,  delivery,  outreach  and  outcomes  with focus  on  developing  practices  that  nurture  health,  wellness  and  immunity  to  disease and malnutrition.  Steps  have  been  taken  to  improve  nutritional  quality  and  testing  in accredited labs, strengthen delivery and leverage technology to improve governance. Government  has  advised  States/UTs  to  ensure  that  the  quality  of  supplementary nutrition  conforms  to  prescribed  standards  laid  down  under  the  Food  Safety  and Standards Act, 2006 and regulations made there under.

States/UTs  have  been  advised  to  promote  use  of  AYUSH  systems  for  prevention  of malnutrition  and  related  diseases.  A  programme  to  support  development  of  Poshan Vatikas  at  Anganwadi  centres  to  meet  dietary  diversity  gap  leveraging  traditional knowledge in nutritional practices has also been taken up.

In  order  to  achieve  zero  hunger  target,  Government  has  implemented  National  Food Security  Act  (NFSA)  2013,  which  provides  for  coverage  of  upto  75%  of  the  rural population  and  upto  50%  of  the  urban  population  for  receiving  highly  subsidized foodgrains  under  Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS),  which  as  per  census 2011  comes  to  a  maximum  of  81.35  crore.  Eligible  households,  which  comprises Antyodaya  Anna  Yojna  (AAY)  households  and  priority  households,  are  entitled  to receive  food  grains  at  Rs  1/2/3  per  kg  for  coarse-grains/wheat/rice.  While  priority households are entitled to receive 5 kg per person per month, AAY households, which constitute  the  poorest  of  the  poor,  are  entitled  to  receive  35  kg  of  foodgrains  per household per month. At present, the Act is being implemented in all the States/UTs. The coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit.

The Government of India approved Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on "Fortification of Rice & its Distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS)" for a period of 3 years beginning in 2019-20 with total outlay of Rs 174.64 Cr. The Pilot Scheme is intended to focus  on  15  Districts,  preferably  1  District  per  State.  Department  of  Food  and  Public Distribution  in  association  with  this  Ministry  and  Department  of  School  Education  & Literacy  have  started  distribution  of  Fortified  Rice  under  ICDS  and  PM  POSHAN (erstwhile Mid Day Meal) Schemes across the country during this year in an effort to scale up the distribution of fortified rice in the country.

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