By Ramakant Chaudhary
In its findings released recently regarding the level of hunger and malnutrition around the world, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 pegged India at 101st position among 116 countries — a retrograde ranking vis-à-vis previous year scoring of 94. India, according to the report, prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe, trails behind neighbours Pakistan ranking 92, Bangladesh 76, Myanmar 71 and Nepal 76. This means these countries have fared better at feeding their citizens than India. A total of 18 countries, including China, Kuwait and Brazil, shared the top rank with GHI score of less than five.
The Global Hunger Index score given to India has evoked a rat-a-tat of public criticism. It seems that the GHI report lacks scientific calculations. There is no logic that India is lagging behind its neighbouring countries on the parameters that define the levels of hunger and malnutrition. Undeniably, there are gaggles of people hailing from Nepal and Bangladesh seeking shelters in India for earning two-square meals. The pathetic socio-economic situation of Pakistan is globally known to all. It cannot be denied that India is not suffering the pangs of poverty. The tentacles of hunger and malnutrition inflict pains here also but the way the Global Hunger Index has reported about India is absolutely doubtful and misgiving.
The GHI report said, “People have been severely hit by Covid-19 and by pandemic related restrictions in India, the country with highest child wasting rate worldwide.” The share of wasting among children in India has also risen from 17.1 percent between 1998-2002 to 17.3 percent between 2016 and 2020, the report said.
The Covid catastrophe has equally battered people around the globe. During the first wave of the pandemic, the powerful western countries suffered more than India did. As far as child wasting rate (Child wasting refers to a child who is too thin for his or her height owing to weight loss or the failure to gain weight in the face of malnutrition) is concerned, the government of India fairly ministers to all social indicators for child development.
In a bid to safeguard the nutritional levels of children during the challenging pandemic times, the Central government announced to give Rs12000 crore to 11,8 crore children through direct benefit transfer as a one-time payment. “This decision will help safeguard the nutritional levels of children and aid in protecting their immunity during the challenging pandemic times,” said the statement. Also, the total Central allocation for the Mid-Day Meal scheme in 2021-22 is Rs11,500 crore. With schools being closed due to COVID-19, Children were given cash in lieu of the Mid-Day Meal in some places and dry rations in others during their schools being closed owing to the Covid pandemic.
As far as food security is concerned, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has helped millions of poor people hit by Covid-19 pandemic across the country. A Rs1.70 Lakh Crore package under the PMGKAY was first announced in March 2020. It provided food and money to the poorest of the poor in the country. The flagship scheme of the Modi government covered nearly 800 million people with provision for 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free for 11 months in total during the two waves of the pandemic. It also offered monetary assistance to Jan Dhan accounts holding women, poor senior citizens, widows and disabled and increased MNREGA wages to labourers. The GHI report should reasonably correct its findings that state the food security in India is under assault on multiple fronts.
The makers and publishers of Global Hunger Report should have meticulously worked on the ground and keenly scaled up all government-sponsored welfare measures before announcing scores. Global Hunger Report 2021 has lowered the rank of India on the basis of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization, an agency of United Nations) estimate on proportion of undernourished population, which is found to be devoid of ground reality and facts and suffers from serious methodological issues. The assessment has been made on the basis of results of four questions — undernourishment, child stunting, chronic under-nutrition and child mortality — which was conducted telephonically by Gallup. The fact of the matter is that the scientific measurement of undernourishment requires the measurement of the weight and height of children.
The agency which has prepared the GHI report must read the United Nations findings which noted that India has recorded the largest reduction in the number of people living in the category of poverty. According to the UN report, about 273 million Indians moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2005-6 and 2015-16.
It is generally seen that foreign non-government agencies habitually downgrade the ranking of India on different global platforms. Undeniably western countries eye potentially bullish Indian market and its fastest growing economy, but they don’t stomach the rising power of India and its incredible capabilities of caring for a humongous 140-crore population in democratic manner. The slanted reporting of foreign media is a tell-tale sign. The people of India, government and Opposition should robustly stand together to demolish such ulterior motives of foreign agencies and issue strongest rebuttal against any warped reports that pervert the truth about India. To sum it up: The Global Hunger Report has scaled down its ranking on the index of credibility.
(Ramakant Chaudhary is Consulting Editor with Daily News Post. He has worked with The Times of India, Hindustan Times (Mint), Dainik Jagran Group, The Pioneer and The Political and Business Daily. The views expressed are personal.)
