Lok Sabha Question No. 1658 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-08
Subject: Global Hunger Index
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: SANGANNA AMARAPPA KARADI, PASHUPATI NATH SINGH, (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1658 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 TH  MARCH, 2016

## GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX

1658.

SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA: SHRI PASHUPATI NATH SINGH: ADV. JOICE GEORGE:

Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the  ranking  accorded  to  the  country  in  the  Global  Hunger  Index Report, 2015 prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute and the steps taken by the Government to improve this position;
- (b) whether a significant proportion of the population continue to suffer from lack of food according to the said report;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the measures taken to look into all the aspects of the problem;
- (d) whether  Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  and  National  Food Security  Act  have  been  successful  to  control  the  issues  of  hunger  and malnutrition  in  the  country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether the India State Hunger Index has also been prepared, if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto indicating the number of starvation, deaths in each State/UT during each of the last three years and the current year?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAM  VILAS PASWAN)

- (a) to (d): As per information available in the public domain, Global Hunger Index report 2015 brought out by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in its latest publication released in October, 2015, India's rank has been calculated as 80.

The report provides the following undernourishment and malnutrition related statistics on India

- -15.2% of the population are undernourished and suffer from lack of food.
- -38.8 of children under the age of five are stunted.
- -15.0 % of children under 5 years are wasted and
- -Under five mortality rate is quoted as 5.3%

The  Government  of  India  has  accorded  high  priority  to  the  issue  of hunger  and  malnutrition  in  the  country  and  is  implementing  several schemes/programmes  through  State  Governments/UT  Administrations  to improve  food  security  situation  in  the  country.    These  include  Targeted Public Distribution  System(TPDS),  Wheat  Based  Nutrition  Programme (WBNP) for providing Supplementary Nutrition, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme for pre-school children and pregnant and lactating mothers through the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Mid-Day-Meal Scheme (MDM) for primary and upper primary children  through  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development,  Annapurna Scheme for the senior citizens, Nutritional Programme for Adolescent Girls, Emergency Feeding Programme, etc.

The Government is also implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 to provide food security to the population.  The Act  provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population to receive highly subsidized foodgrains under TPDS.    The Act also contains provisions  for  nutritional  support  to  Pregnant  Women  and  Lactating

Mothers or children below 14 years of age.

Foodgrains  at  highly  subsidized  prices  are  provided  to  the  targeted population through State Governments/UT  Administrations under the Targeted  Public  Distribution  System  (TPDS),  National  Food  Security  Act (NFSA)  and  Other  Welfare  Schemes  (OWS).    During  the  year  2014-15, Government of India has allocated 614.54 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under TPDS,  NFSA  and  OWS.    During  2015-16,  Government  of  India  has  so  far allocated 610.39 lakh tonnes of foodgrains under TPDS, NFSA and OWS.

- (e):    International  Food  Policy  Research  Institute  (IFPRI)  published  the 'India State Hunger Index' report in February, 2009 .  No further state-level reports  have  been  published  after  this.    No  death  due  to  starvation  has been reported during the last three years and current year.  As indicated above,  the  schemes  of  TPDS,  NFSA  and  OWS  are  being  implemented  to address the issue of starvation in the country.

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