Lok Sabha Question No. 3569 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-10
Subject: Global Hunger Index
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MtNtsTRy oF coNsuMER AFFAIRS, FOOD &  puBl.tc  DtsTRtBUTtON DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLTG DTSTRIBUTION

## , LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3569 TO BE ANSWERED  ON tOrH AUGUST,2O2t

## GLOBAL HUilGER !NDEX

## 3569. DR. KALAiIIDHI  VEERASWAMY:

Will the Minister  of  GONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND  pUBLtc

DISTRTBUTTON  Scsrtfdr erri, urc.r sitr {rffifi,  Ffd{ur  {,+ be pteased  to state:

- (a)  the details of the countqls ranking in the Gtobal Hunger lndex report
- during the last three years and the current year, year-wisel
- (b)  whether the country is traiting year by year,  if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the manner in which the Government wi  achieve the target of zero hunger with this rankingl and
- (d)  the manner in which the Government proposes to come out of this?

## AI{SWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MTNISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND coNsuMER AFFAIRS,  FOOD &  puBltc  DtsTRtBUTtOil (sADHVl NTRANJAN JYOTT)

(a)  & (b)  As  per  information avaitable  in  the  public domain ://www lhu erl dow d/all.htm lndia's ranking in the Global Hunger lndex (GHl) 2017,2O1O,2O{9 and 2O2O brought out by Goncern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe was {OO, 1Og, 1O2 and 94 respeetively.  As per GHI Reports, the composite GHI scores of lndia have improved from 38.9 in 2OOO to 27.2 in 2O2O. Thus, the country has shown consistent improvement  over the yearc.

(c)  & (d): The covemment  of tndia accords  high pfority  to the issue of hunger and has been providing  foodgrarns  at hrghry  subsidized prices  to the targeted population  through  state Govemments/Union  Territory Administrations  under National  Food security Act (NFSA),  2o{3 and other werfare  schemes (ows). Govemment of rndia enacted Nationat Food security  act, 2o{3 which provides  for coverage of upto 750/o  of the rurar popuration  and upto 500/o  or the urban population  for receiving highly subsidized  foodgrains  under Targeted  public Distribution  system (TpDs), whach at Gensus  2oll is at a maximum timit of sr.35 cror6 pensons.  ldentification  of beneficiaries  under the Act is under two categories' househords  covered  under Antyodaya Anna  yojana  (AAy) and  priority Households  (PHH).  priorityr  Househords are entifled  to receive  5 Kg per person per month and AAY househords  are entifled  to receive 35 Kg of foodlrains per household per month @ Rs 1t2rg per kg for coarsegrains/wheaurice  respectivery. At present,  the Act is being imptemented in art the states/urs. The coverage under the Act as substantia[y  high to ensure  that all the vutnerabte  and needy sections  of the society get its benefit.

The Act arso contains provisions  for nutritionar support  to pregnant  women and laetating mothers and chirdren upto 14 yearc of age. one oi the guraing principles  of the Act is its rife cycre approach  wherein  speciat  provision-s  have been made for pregnant women and ractating  mothers and chitdren  in the age group of 6 months to l4 years, by entitting them to receive nutrltious  meal free of cost through a widespread  network of rntegrated  Ghird Devetopment  servrces (IGDS) centres' carred Anganwadi  centres under IcDs scheme  and arso through schools under Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.

During  the yeat 2o2o'21, the Govemment  artocated a quantity  of 94g.3r lakh mr of foodgrains  to the states/UTs  under NFSA, other werfare schemes (ows), allocations  due to natural calamities  and festivals,  pradhan  Mantri Garib Kalyaan  Anna Yojana and Atmanirbhar Bharat. During the current year  a.e.2o2r22, lhe Govemment  of tndia has so far allocated  g6o.63  lakh irlr of foodgrains under NFSA, ows and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyaan Anna  yoiana  and other additlonal allocations. The scheme of End.to-End Gomputerlzation  of the  pD$  has ensured rightful targetang of the beneficlaries  al! over the country.

The implementation of NFsa through  the  pubric  Distribution  system (pDs) is a  ioint  responsibitity of the Gentral  and state Govemments/UT  Administrations. The State Govemments/UT Administrations are responsible  for the identification of beneficiaries and distribution of foodgrains  to them. Government of lndia has issued advisories  to all states/UTs  to review their tists of beneficiaries  under NFSA, launch special drives to identify and cover the weakest sections  of the society  up to thelr respective NFSA coverage limits.