Lok Sabha Question No. 3884 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-09
Subject: Starvation in the Country
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: JITENDRA CHAUDHURY, RAMESH BIDHURI

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3884 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH  AUGUST, 2016

## STARVATION IN THE COUNTRY

3884. SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY: SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

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 the Government has conducted any survey to assess state of starvation  and  malnutrition  in  the  country,  if  so,  the  details  and  the outcome thereof;
- (b) the  number  of  people  who  died  of  starvation  or  starvation  related causes during the last three years and the current year, State-wise; and
- (c) the corrective steps taken in this regard?

## A N S W E R

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

(a) to (c): As per Rapid Survey on Children(RSoC),      2013-14 commissioned by  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development,  there  is  a  reduction  in underweight among children 5 years of age from 42.5% in National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) to 29.4%, stunting from 48% in NFHS-3 to 38.7% and wasting from 19.8%  NFHS-3 to 15.1%  in RSoC.  As per the latest NFHS-4, 2015-16, the prevalence of malnutrition in children and adults in States/UTs is available at Annexure.

No State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administration has reported any incident of starvation deaths during each of the last three years and current year so far. However, for addressing the problem of starvation and  malnutrition  in  the  country    and  to  ensure  that  people  living  below poverty  line  get  adequate  food  grains,  the  Government  has  been  providing food  grains  at  highly  subsidized  prices  to  the  targeted  population  through State Governments/Union  Territory Administrations under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) such as Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme,  Rajiv  Gandhi  Scheme  for  Empowerment  of  Adolescent  Girls, Annapurna Scheme  etc.  National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving foodgrains at highly subsidized prices of Rs. 3, 2 & 1 per  Kg  for  rice,  wheat  &  coarse  grains  respectively  under  Targeted  Public Distribution System(TPDS), thus covering about two-third of the population. NFSA also has a special focus on nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant women & lactating mothers and children upto 14 years of age are entitled to meals, free of cost, as per nutritional standards prescribed in the Act.

During the year 2015-16, the Govt. of India allocated 611.10 lakh tons of foodgrains under TPDS/NFSA and OWS.  This includes allocation of 496.77 lakh  tons  under  TPDS,  50.01  lakh  tons  additional  APL  and  BPL  allocation, 11.70  lakh  tons  for  natural  calamities,  additional  TPDS  requirements  etc., and  allocation  of  52.62  lakh  tons  of  foodgrains  under  OWS.    During  the current year 2016-17, the Govt. of India has so far allocated 608.11 lakh tons of foodgrains under TPDS and OWS.

****

## ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (c) OF THE UNSTARRRED QUESTION NO. 3884 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 09.08.2016 IN LOK SABHA

## Prevalence of Underweight in children (under 5 years) and adults -NFHS 4 (2015-16) STATE -WISE DATA

|     |                        | Children (Under 5 years)%   | Children (Under 5 years)%   | Children (Under 5 years)%   | Adults (age 15-49 yrs)%                            | Adults (age 15-49 yrs)%                          |
|-----|------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
|     |                        | Underweight (wt- for- ht)   | Stunted (ht- for- age)      | wasted (wt-for- ht)         | Underweight Women (BMI Below normal i.e. Below 25) | Underweight Men (BMI Below normal i.e. Below 25) |
| 1   | ANDHRA PRADESH         | 31.9                        | 31.4                        | 17.2                        | 17.6                                               | 14.8                                             |
| 2   | ASSAM                  | 29.8                        | 36.4                        | 17.0                        | 25.7                                               | 20.7                                             |
| 3   | ARUNACHAL PRADESH      | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 4   | BIHAR                  | 43.9                        | 48.3                        | 20.8                        | 30.4                                               | 25.4                                             |
| 5   | CHHATTISGARH           | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 6   | DELHI                  | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 7   | GOA                    | 23.8                        | 20.1                        | 21.9                        | 14.7                                               | 27.9                                             |
| 8   | GUJARAT                | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 9   | HARYANA                | 29.4                        | 34.0                        | 21.2                        | 15.8                                               | 11.3                                             |
| 10  | HIMACHAL PRADESH       | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 11  | J&K                    | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 12  | JHARKHAND              | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 13  | KARNATAKA              | 35.2                        | 36.2                        | 26.1                        | 20.7                                               | 16.5                                             |
| 14  | KERALA                 | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 15  | MADHYAPRADESH          | 42.8                        | 42.0                        | 25.8                        | 28.3                                               | 28.4                                             |
| 16  | MAHARASHTRA            | 36.0                        | 34.4                        | 25.6                        | 23.5                                               | 19.1                                             |
| 17  | MANIPUR                | 13.8                        | 28.8                        | 6.8                         | 8.8                                                | 11.1                                             |
| 18  | MEGHALAYA              | 29.0                        | 43.8                        | 15.3                        | 12.1                                               | 11.6                                             |
| 19  | MIZORAM                | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 20  | NAGALAND               | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 21  | ORISSA                 | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 22  | PUNJAB                 | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 23  | RAJASTHAN              | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 24  | SIKKIM                 | 14.2                        | 29.6                        | 14.2                        | 6.4                                                | 2.4                                              |
| 25  | TAMILNADU              | 23.8                        | 27.1                        | 19.7                        | 14.6                                               | 12.4                                             |
| 26  | TELANGANA              | 28.5                        | 28.1                        | 18.0                        | 23.1                                               | 21.4                                             |
| 27  | TRIPURA                | 24.1                        | 24.3                        | 16.8                        | 18.9                                               | 15.7                                             |
| 28  | UTTAR PRADESH          | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
| 29  | UTTRAKHAND             | 26.6                        | 33.5                        | 19.5                        | 18.4                                               | 16.1                                             |
| 30  | WEST BENGAL            | 31.5                        | 32.5                        | 20.3                        | 21.3                                               | 19.9                                             |
| UTs | UTs                    | UTs                         | UTs                         | UTs                         | UTs                                                | UTs                                              |
|     | ANDAMAN&NICOBAR ISLAND | 21.6                        | 23.3                        | 18.9                        | 13.1                                               | 8.7                                              |
|     | PUDUCHERRY             | 22.0                        | 23.7                        | 23.6                        | 11.3                                               | 10.2                                             |
|     | LAKSHDWEEP             | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
|     | CHANDIGARH             | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
|     | DADAR &NAGARHAVELI     | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |
|     | DAMAN&DIU              | -                           | -                           | -                           | -                                                  | -                                                |