Zero hunger of india

India's Zero Hunger Issue.

Zero hunger Detailed Analysis for India

India is a country with a population of over 1.3 billion people, making it the second-most
populous country in the world. Despite being one of the world's largest food producers, India
has a significant number of people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition. In this analysis,
we will examine the issue of zero hunger in India and explore the factors contributing to this
problem.

Overview of Hunger in India According to the Global Hunger Index 2020, India has a score
of 27.2, which places it in the 'serious' category of hunger. The report further indicates that
14% of India's population is undernourished, and 37.4% of children under five years are
stunted. Additionally, 17.3% of children under five years are wasted, meaning they have low
weight for their height.

Factors Contributing to Hunger in India Several factors contribute to the high levels of
hunger and malnutrition in India. Below are some of the significant causes:

Poverty: The majority of India's population lives in poverty, and they cannot afford to buy
enough food. As a result, they suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

Poor Distribution of Food: While India produces a considerable amount of food, there is an
unequal distribution of food across the country. As a result, some regions are food-sufficient,
while others are food-deficit.

Lack of Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation: The majority of India's population
lacks access to safe drinking water and sanitation, leading to the spread of water-borne
diseases such as cholera and typhoid. These diseases, in turn, make it difficult for people to
absorb nutrients from food, leading to malnutrition.

Climate Change: Climate change is causing extreme weather events such as floods and
droughts, which affect food production and supply chains. This, in turn, leads to food
shortages and price hikes, making it difficult for the poor to access food.

Low Agricultural Productivity: Despite being one of the world's largest food producers, India
has low agricultural productivity. This is mainly due to the lack of modern farming
techniques, insufficient irrigation facilities, and the use of traditional farming methods.

Efforts to Combat Hunger in India India has taken several steps to address the issue of
hunger and malnutrition in the country. Below are some of the efforts made:

National Food Security Act (NFSA): The NFSA is a law passed in 2013 that aims to provide
subsidized food grains to two-thirds of India's population. Under this law, every person is
entitled to 5 kg of food grains per month at a subsidized rate.
 Mid-Day Meal Scheme: The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a government-funded program that
provides free lunches to children in government and government-aided schools. The aim of
the program is to increase school attendance and reduce malnutrition among children.

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): The ICDS is a government program that
aims to provide food, healthcare, and education to children under six years of age and their
mothers.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): The NREGA guarantees 100 days of
employment to every rural household in India. The program aims to provide employment
opportunities to the rural poor and improve their livelihoods.

Conclusion The issue of hunger and malnutrition in India is complex and multifaceted. It
requires a multi-pronged approach that addresses the root causes of the problem. India has
taken several steps to address the issue, but much more needs to be done to achieve the
goal of zero hunger. Ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation, increasing
agricultural productivity, and improving the distribution of food are some of the steps that
need to be taken to combat hunger in

A more holistic approach needs to be adopted for India to overcome its malnutrition
challenge.

Malnutrition affects human capital and, therefore,  calls for immediate attention.  According
to the 2021 Sustainable Development Report, India has slipped from 117 to 120 ranking
amongst 193 countries and lags in challenges concerning the goal of zero hunger, health,
and well-being, safe drinking water, and gender equality to name a few. The pandemic has
further pushed back the SDG implementation. The Sustainable Development Goals
2021 report findings indicate a rise in poverty by 7 percent, child malnutrition,  halted or
reversed progress in health, and shortened life expectancy. India is off track on three of the
global maternal, infant, and young children nutrition (MIYCN) targets to address stunting,
wasting, anemia, low birth weight, breastfeeding, and childhood obesity as per
the 2021 Global Nutrition Report.
As per the 2021 Global Hunger Index, India is ranked 101 out of 116 countries and falls into
the serious category of hunger. India has a 27.9 percent intensity and  45.9 percent
incidence of multidimensional poverty with large numbers facing overlying deficiencies in
health, nutrition, education, and living standards. Malnutrition has been prevalent for
decades in India and is the primary cause of poverty and economic fallout.

India is off track on three of the global maternal, infant, and young children nutrition (MIYCN)
targets to address stunting, wasting, anemia, low birth weight, breastfeeding, and childhood
obesity as per the 2021 Global Nutrition Report.

The figure below shows unacceptably high levels of malnutrition in children, with 35.5

percent of children stunted and 32.1 percent of underweight children in India. According
to the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5) data, there is more stunting in rural areas
(37.3 percent) as compared to urban centres (30.1 percent), owing to the poor socio-
economic situation in rural areas. It is important to address stunting through interventions
starting from conception to the first 1,000 days of life. The data available on stunting tell us
where to concentrate future programmes.

In terms of geographical regions, Meghalaya (46.5 percent), Bihar (42.9 percent), Uttar
Pradesh (39.7 per cent), and Jharkhand (39.6 percent have very high rates of stunting, while
states/UT with the lowest rates include Sikkim and Puducherry at 22.3 percent and 20
percent, respectively. A comparison of NFHS-4 with NFHS-5 findings shows that few states
(Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand) have reported dea cline in stunting by at
least 6 percentage points, and Rajasthan has recorded a decline of 7.3 percent. While
nutrition has improved across all states, inter-state variabilities remain high. The two states
that had the lowest stunting rates in children in 2015-16 (NFHS-4) but showed a substantial
rise in stunting rate as per the NFHS-5 survey are Goa (from 20.1 percent to 25.8 percent)
and Kerala (from 19.7 percent to 23.4 percent).

Timely nutritional interventions of breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary feeding,

full immunisation, and Vitamin A supplementation have proven effective in improving
outcomes in children.

India’s rate of early breastfeeding within an hour is 41.8 percent, i.e., only two out of five
women are able to begin breastfeeding within an hour of birth. Only 63.7 percent women
exclusively breastfeed their infants for six months and complementary feeding rates after six
months is 45.9 percent, with an alarmingly low 11.3 percent (one out of 10) children receive
a minimum acceptable diet. The infant and young child feeding interventions have failed to
improve over the decades in India. The 1,000 days period is a window of opportunity when
feeding practices play a significant role in addressing malnutrition. Appropriate
complementary feeding practices like the timely introduction of food at six months and giving
an adequate diet needs to be reiterated and counselled to avoid growth faltering and are
proven interventions for improving child survival, stunting, and wasting. Timely nutritional
interventions of breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary feeding, full immunisation,
and Vitamin A supplementation have proven effective in improving outcomes in children.
Evidence has shown that if nutrition-specific interventions are scaled to 90 percent coverage
along with intensification of nutrition-sensitive interventions, a 20 percent reduction in
stunting can be achieved. and sensitive interventions. Social protection and social safety
nets enable families to meet basic needs to achieve health and nutrition. “Social safety
nets can empower women by enabling them to have control over assets and participate in
household decision-making and social activities”. India’s public distribution
system and maternal cash transfer programmes help provide subsidised food and cater to
the nutritional needs of those below the poverty line and vulnerable populations.
India continues to struggle with high rates of malnutrition, despite the four-decade-
old Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, the mid-day meal
scheme since 1995, and the more recent POSHAN Abhiyaan in 2018. The biggest challenge
of addressing undernutrition calls for a holistic approach and an inter-sectoral strategy. It is
imperative to push for convergence of health and nutrition programmes until the child is five
years of age. There is a need for effective monitoring and implementation of programmes to
address malnutrition.
The views expressed above belong to the author(s).