India's Hunger in 21st Century
Global Hunger Index(GHI) is a renowned study conducted globally to access the conditions of hunger across countries. In 2024, GHI ranked India at 103 out of 127 countries.
GHI score is calculated using four indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality.
Undernutrition or Malnutrition refers to a condition where the body doesn't get enough nutrients, either from insufficient food intake or because the body can't properly absorb or utilize the nutrients it receives.
Malnutrition is strongly linked to impaired cognitive development. This manifests as delays in motor skills, language, and overall development, with lasting effects on learning and life itself pushing population into vicious circle of poverty.
Stunned Growth is caused due to general lack of vital nutrients besides pure caloric intake. Stunted growth refers to impaired development and growth, most commonly used in the context of children, where it means being shorter than average for their age due to chronic or recurrent malnutrition and/or other factors. It's a significant indicator of malnutrition and can have long-term consequences, including cognitive and developmental issues. 1 in 3 child of India is stunned.
Child wasting, also known as acute malnutrition, refers to condition where a child is dangerously thin for their height, indicating recent and severe weight loss. It is a visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition that weakens the immune system, making children more vulnerable to developmental delays, disease, and death. 1 in 5 Child of India is wasted.
Experts define food security as the availablity of food, economic access to the food and nutritional availability in the food. It says Indians eat enough. But their diet lacks nutrition that are needed for human body. This causes widespread malnutritional across India. Scientific evidence shows that hybrid, high-yield seeds were promoted to farmers during Green revolution lack essential nutrients required for the human body. Indians eat enough. But, they don't have the nutrition in them causing serious harm to their health and economy of the country.
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It also adds that food produced after Green revolution with the help high yielding hybrid seeds, synthetic chemical toxins in the name of pesticides and herbicides, lacks essential nutrients, leading to physical and cognitive impairments among population of all classes. This nutritional deficiency is causing a rise in multiple health and economic issues across the entire country.
The report states that India's hunger as Serious and more Severe than African countries. Green revolution hasn't reduced the hunger in India rather India now faces unprecedented level of hunger. Sustainable development goal has Zero Hunger by 2030. But, India seems to be travelling in a opposite direction.