By 
09-11-2024
Stella Liantsi
South and East Asia Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
According to the Global Hunger Index (GHI), India scored 27.3 on the Severity of Hunger Scale, which is considered a “serious” category in the analysis.
The GHI is a tool to measure and monitor hunger at national and worldwide levels. The index uses four indicators to rank and assign scores to the countries. First, undernourishment, which is defined as the proportion of the population that consumes an insufficient amount of calories. Second is stunting, meaning the share of children under five who have low height for their age, indicating “chronic” undernutrition. Third, child wasting, which relates to the share of children under five who have low weight for their height indicating “acute” undernutrition. The fourth and last indicator is child mortality, which is defined as the combination of poor nutrition and unhealthy surroundings that result in death.
The higher the rank of a country the worse the situation. Internationally renowned organisations, including those within the purview of the United Nations (Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Health Organisation, Unices) as well as authorised government surveys, provide the data used to calculate the index. The Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict, Concern Worldwide, and Welthungerhilfe worked together to produce the GHI report.
India is ranked 105th out of 127 countries in the 2024 GHI report. India’s child wasting rate is at 18.7 percent, child stunting is at 35.5 percent, the prevalence of undernourishment is at 13.7 percent, and the under-five death rate is at 2.9 percent. Even though the research points out that the country has seen a considerable improvement in its child mortality rate since 2000, India still has the highest child wasting rate and the 14th-highest child stunting rate.
India’s data has always sparked interest, especially in light of the government’s vehement rebuttals over the nation’s ranking in the index. New Delhi has been raising concerns about the GHI’s methodology, data sources, and alleged incapacity to account for government programmes. Strangely, the government has not responded to the GHI report this time, despite the fact that the running is not particularly encouraging, notwithstanding a minor improvement for India.
Along with Pakistan and Afghanistan, India is one of 42 nations classified as “serious.” Other South Asian neighbours, including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, have better scores and are classified as moderate. In conclusion, according to the report’s findings, there is little possibility that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 will be accomplished.
Sources and Further readings:
PTI. (2024, October 12). Global Hunger Index 2024 ranks India under ‘serious’ category. The Economic Times. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/global-hunger-index-2024-ranks-india-under-serious-category/articleshow/114173212.cms?from=mdr
Rajalakshmi, T.K. (2024, October 28). Global Hunger Index: India’s Improved Ranking in 2024 Should Not Overlook the Lack of Critical Data on Nutrition. Frontline. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/public-health/global-hunger-index-2024-india-105-rank-child-wasting-anganwadi-workers-nutrition-problems-poverty/article68790859.ece
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