Skip to main content

India's world hunger ranking slips by three points, worse among BRICS countries, all neighbours except Pakistan

By A Representative
India has slipped in Global Hunger Index (GHI) by three points ranks – from 97th position to 100th among the 119 countries surveyed. Worked out by Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), what should be of particular concern for the country’s policy makers is, it ranks worse among its competing countries.
Thus, among the BRICS countries, Brazil ranks 18th, Russia 22nd, China 29th and South Africa 55th.
Even among immediate neighbours, while Pakistan lags behind India with a 106th ranking, the other important neighbours rank much better than India -- Bangladesh 88th, Sri Lanka 84th, Myanmar 77th, Nepal 72nd.
The report says, “Given that three-quarters of South Asia’s population resides in India, the situation in that country strongly influences South Asia’s regional score. At 31.4 (on a scale of 100), India’s 2017 GHI score is at the high end of the serious category.”
It adds, “According to 2015–2016 survey data, more than a fifth (21 percent) of children in India suffer from wasting. Only three other countries in this year’s GHI -- Djibouti, Sri Lanka, and South Sudan -- have data or estimates showing child wasting above 20 percent in the latest period (2012-16).” 
“Further”, the report states, “India’s child wasting rate has not substantially improved over the past 25 years”, adding, however, “The country has made progress in other areas: Its child stunting rate, while still relatively high at 38.4 percent, has decreased in each of the reference periods in this report, down from 61.9 percent in 1992.” 
The report says, “India has implemented a ‘massive scale-up’ of two national programmes that address nutrition – the Integrated Child Development Services and the National Health Mission – but these have yet to achieve adequate coverage.” 
Identifying “areas of concern”, the report says, these include: 
  1. the timely introduction of complementary foods for young children (that is, the transition away from exclusive breastfeeding), which declined from 52.7 percent to 42.7 percent between 2006 and 2016; 
  2. the share of children between 6 and 23 months old who receive an adequate diet—a mere 9.6 percent for the country; and 
  3. household access to improved sanitation facilities -- a likely factor in child health and nutrition-- which stood at 48.4 percent as of 2016.
India’s poor score, a slip by three ranks, has come about despite the fact the proportion of undernourished in the population in 1991-93 was 21.7%, and has been steadily going down – in 1999-2001 it was 17.2%, in 2007-09 it was 17.2%, and in 2014-16 it is 14.5.
Among other three parameters used for identifying GHI, the report finds that in the prevalence of stunting in children under five years, there is a sharp decline in India from 1990-94, which it was 61.9%, to 38.4% in 2012-16.
Even in the under-five mortality rate, there is a decline from 11.9% in 1992 to 4.8% in 2015.
However, as for the prevalence of wasting in children under five years, there is, however, no improvement. In fact, the percentage of wasting children has gone up from 20.0% in 1990-94 to 21.0% in 2012-16.

Comments

TRENDING

Land under siege: A silent crisis, desertification is threatening India’s future

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  Desertification is emerging as one of the gravest environmental challenges of our time. Marked annually on June 17, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought reminds us that the fate of our planet’s land—and the billions who depend on it—is hanging in the balance.

Hyderabad protest demands end to Operation Kagar as senior Maoist leaders killed in encounter

By Harsh Thakor*  A protest was held on June 17 at Indira Park in Hyderabad by the Shanti Charchala Committee, calling for an end to Operation Kagar and the start of peace talks with Maoist groups. The event brought together representatives from several political parties and civil society organizations. Among those who addressed the gathering were CPI (ML) New Democracy Central Committee member Vemulapalli Venkatramayya, along with leaders from the Congress, BRS, CPI, CPM, Telangana Janasamithi, MCPI, SUCI, CPI ML, RSP, and VCK. The programme also featured performances by cultural groups such as CLC, HRF, TVV, Arunodaya, Praja Kala Mandali, and Praja Natya Mandali. Public figures including actors Narayana Murthy and Tudundebba Upendar and academics like Professor Anver Khan and Professor Vinayaka Reddy participated as speakers.

Madhya Pradesh village's inspiring example of how small budget effort conserves water amidst heat wave

By Bharat Dogra  Heat waves have been intensifying over vast areas of India in recent days and there are also many reports of water scarcity making the conditions worse for people. However the situation can differ significantly in various villages depending on whether or not significant water conservation efforts have been made. In recent years I have visited several villages of good water conservation efforts where I noticed that even at the time of adverse weather conditions, people of these villages as well as farm and other animals feel important relief in terms of access to adequate water. Due to water and moisture conservation, conditions of farms and pastures is also much better. What is more, with the participation and involvement of people, even quite low budgets have been utilized well to achieve very useful and durable results.     

Central London discussion to spotlight LGBTQ+ ex-Muslim rights and persecution

By A Representative   On June 13, 2025, the Dissident Club in Central London will host a public discussion to mark the 18th anniversary of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) and to commemorate World Refugee Day. The event, scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, will feature speakers Ali Malik, Maryam Namazie, and Taha Siddiqui, who are expected to address the intersecting challenges faced by LGBTQ+ ex-Muslims globally.

Population explosion: India needs a clear-headed policy, data-driven governance, long-term planning

By N.S. Venkataraman*  At the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited as a special guest, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau citing two main reasons: India’s rise as the world’s fifth-largest economy and its status as the most populous nation. While economic growth is undoubtedly a point of pride, the latter distinction—India’s population—raises an important question: should this be seen as a strength or a source of growing concern? India has not conducted a national census since 2011, leaving the current population figures largely speculative. Estimates place the population at around 1.4 billion, with projections reaching 1.8 billion by 2050. Despite modest declines in fertility and death rates, the annual population growth remains between 1.5% and 2%. The next census, scheduled for 2026, will provide a more accurate demographic picture, but until then, policymaking remains uninformed by crucial data. Over the past eleven years, the gov...

Victim to cricketing politics, Alvin Kalicharan was a most organized left handed batsman

By Harsh Thakor* On March 21st Alvin Kalicharan celebrates his 75th birthday. Sadly, his exploits have been forgotten or overlooked. Arguably no left handed batsman was technically sounder or more organized than this little man. Kalicharan was classed as a left-handed version of Rohan Kanhai. Possibly no left-handed batsmen to such a degree blend technical perfection with artistry and power.

Exploring 'Volokolamsk Highway': A tale of Soviet heroism and resilience

By Harsh Thakor*  "Volokolamsk Highway" is a classical war novel by Alexander Bek, first published in Russian in 1944 and translated into English in 1958. Set during WWII on the Eastern Front, it describes critical battles fought by the Soviet Red Army against Nazi forces advancing toward Moscow in October 1941. Republished by Foreign Languages Press in 2023, the novel offers a vivid portrayal of Soviet soldiers' struggles to defeat fascism. It is recommended for those seeking insight into Soviet heroism during World War II.

Citizens demand judicial probe into Ahmedabad plane crash, cite neglect of intern doctors, victims' families

By A Representative    A wide coalition of concerned citizens, academics, medical professionals, social activists, and public intellectuals has submitted a petition to the Prime Minister of India demanding an urgent judicial inquiry into the recent tragic airplane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 240 lives. The petition, coordinated by the Movement for Secular Democracy (MSD), calls for a high-level judicial committee, headed by a retired High Court justice and comprising eminent citizens, to investigate the incident beyond the scope of the existing technical committee.

Irregularities in Modi-initiated NSDC raise questions about the future of Skill India

By Onkareshwar Pandey  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Skill India initiative was conceived as a bold national effort—to equip India’s vast young population with industry-ready skills and transform the country into the “skills capital of the world.” At the heart of this mission lies the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a public-private partnership under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). But recent revelations of large-scale financial irregularities within NSDC threaten to undermine not just the institution, but the very promise of Skill India.