{"id":1415,"date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/uncategorized\/04-05-2023\/editorial-analysis-04-05-2023\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T11:40:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T06:10:06","slug":"editorial-analysis-04-05-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/04-05-2023\/editorial-analysis-04-05-2023","title":{"rendered":"Editorial Analysis – 04-05-2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

India\u2019s Hunger Paradox<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Syllabus: GS2\/ Health, Government Policies & Interventions, Issues Arising out of their Design & Implementation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • A national effort to establish routine dietary and nutritional assessments for the entire population is the need of the hour.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Data on food consumption pattern<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Required calorie percentage:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
        \n
      • According to the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>World Health Organisation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, at six months of age, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>33 percent of the daily calorie intake <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>is expected to come from food.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
          \n
        • This proportion increases to<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> 61 percent at 12 months of age<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • The recommended calorie percentages mentioned here are the minimum amount that should come from food.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • \u201cZero-food\u201d:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
            \n
          • According to the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> conducted in 2019-21, among <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>mothers with a child between ages 6-23 months<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, 18 percent reported that their <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>child did not eat any food <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>whatsoever \u2014 referred to as <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201czero-food\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> \u2014 in the 24 hours preceding the survey.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
              \n
            • The zero-food prevalence was <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>30 percent for infants<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> aged 6-11 months,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • Remains worryingly high at <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>13 percent among the 12-17 months old<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • Persists even among <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>18-23 months-old children<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> at <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>8 percent<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • \u201cZero-protein\u201d:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                \n
              • Underlying the sobering overall statistic of an <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>estimated 60 lakh zero-food children<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> of 6-23 months of age in India not getting to eat every day lies substantial deprivations in specific food groups. More than 80 percent had not consumed any protein-rich foods for an entire day (\u201czero-protein\u201d).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
              • \u201cZero-milk\u201d:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                  \n
                • Close to 40 percent<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> did not eat <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>any grains (roti, rice, etc) <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>for an entire day, and<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> six out of 10 children<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> do not consume <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>milk or dairy of any form every day <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>(\u201czero-milk\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                • India has seen notable success in various production metrics for food items, recently becoming the world\u2019s leading country in milk production.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                    \n
                  • Yet the above statistics on zero-food underscore that <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>achieving sufficiency in the production of food <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>does not necessarily mean <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>attaining food security<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> among the population.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    Issues & challenges<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • Severe food insecurity:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                        \n
                      • Going without food for an entire day at this critical period of a child\u2019s development raises serious concerns related to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>severe food insecurity<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                      • Faulty assessment:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                          \n
                        • The assessment of the extent of nutritional deprivation among young children in India has, thus far, relied on <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>measures of anthropometric failure<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> such as the percentage of children short for their age (<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>stunting<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>) or weighing less given their height (<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>wasting<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>), compared to a reference population.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                            \n
                          • These anthropometric measures are, at best, proxies suggesting plausible overall deficiencies in the child\u2019s environment, without any guidance on the specific nature of the deficiencies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                              \n
                            • Non-communicable diseases:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                \n
                              • The rising burden of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>cardiovascular <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>and other <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>non-communicable diseases<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> in India, particularly among the rapidly growing \u201cmiddle class\u201d, is strongly linked to diet and nutrition.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                Suggestions<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                                  \n
                                • Access to nutritious food:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                    \n
                                  • It is time to elevate<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> food intake among young children<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> to be of primary importance, as opposed to being<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> referred to as \u201ccomplementary\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> in policies and guidelines related to maternal, infant and young child nutrition.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • Access to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>adequate and affordable nutritious food<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> is equally necessary for mothers for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>healthy breastfeeding<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                  • Need of improved assessments:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                      \n
                                    • To better understand food security for all populations in India, assessments using<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> household-level food insecurity modules<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> developed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation can be adapted to measure the extent of food insecurity among Indian households.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                    • Evidence-based policy:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                        \n
                                      • Measuring the<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> availability, accessibility and affordability of nutritious food<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, especially for<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> disadvantaged and vulnerable populations<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> such as young children, constitutes the foundation for any evidence-based policy to end hunger and improve nutritional security among Indians.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                        Suggestions for improving existing policies\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                                          \n
                                        • India has its work cut out for achieving the<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> of \u201czero hunger\u201d, which aims to end hunger and ensure year-round access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food by 2030.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                        • Mission Poshan 2.0:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                            \n
                                          • Mission Poshan 2.0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, the overarching flagship programme dedicated to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>maternal and child nutrition<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, has evolved in the right direction by targeting <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>SDG 2 \u201czero hunger\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> and focusing on <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>food-based initiatives, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>including its flagship supplementary nutrition programme service as mandated by the 2013 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>National Food Security Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                              \n
                                            • However, to effectively monitor and assess the performance of Poshan 2.0, there is an immediate need to develop appropriate food-based metrics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                            • To this end<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, the zero-food metric<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> provides a good start.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                            • The success of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, which increased access to improved toilets among Indian households from 48 percent to 70 percent between 2016 and 2021, offers valuable insights for Poshan 2.0, in its strategic use of directly trackable metrics, as well as a strong political commitment at the highest levels.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                            • Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                                \n
                                              • To achieve the SDG of zero hunger, and building on the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, India should consider a strategic initiative led by the Prime Minister\u2019s Office<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> aimed at eliminating food insecurity in India<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ensuring affordable access <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>to sufficient quantity and quality of nutritionally diverse food, with a special and immediate focus on India\u2019s youngest children.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                Way ahead<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                                                  \n
                                                • Fixing the pre-existing schemes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> is the obvious answer to addressing India\u2019s multi-dimensional nutrition challenge.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                                                    \n
                                                  • Getting the already existing schemes right requires greater involvement of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>local government and local community groups<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> in the design and delivery of tailored nutrition interventions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                  • The need of the hour is to make <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>addressing child malnutrition the top priority <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>of the government machinery, and all year around.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                    \u00a0<\/p>\n

                                                    \n\n\n\n
                                                    \n

                                                    Daily Mains Question<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                                                    [Q]<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Fixing the pre-existing schemes is the obvious answer to addressing India\u2019s multi-dimensional nutrition challenge. Examine<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                    India\u2019s Hunger Paradox Syllabus: GS2\/ Health, Government Policies & Interventions, Issues Arising out of their Design & Implementation In Context A national effort to establish routine dietary and nutritional assessments for the entire population is the need of the hour.\u00a0 Data on food consumption pattern\u00a0 Required calorie percentage: According to the World Health Organisation, at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-1415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis","tag-gs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/7487237Screenshot_6.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1415"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48446,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415\/revisions\/48446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}