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The Unfed India: Nation Ranks 111th On Global Hunger Index 2023; "Flawed Measure," Says Indian Government

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The Unfed India: Nation Ranks 111th On Global Hunger Index 2023;

The Unfed India: Nation Ranks 111 On Global Hunger Index 2023 (Image:pixabay.co)

According to the recently revealed Global Hunger Index (GHI) report of 2023, India – the most-populous country in the world – ranks 111th out of the 125 countries, a stark contrast to what it asserts in terms of progress. The index was released on Thursday and figured India with a score of 28.7, indicating a ‘serious’ case of hunger level. The country stands behind its neighbouring nations Pakistan (102), Bangladesh (81), Nepal (69), and Sri Lanka (60).

GHI is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. This reflects multiple dimensions of hunger over time. The results will help individual nations to understand and access their struggles against hunger by enabling them to compare the levels between countries and regions. In each country, GHI is calculated on the basis of four indicators – Undernourishment, Child Stunting, Child Wasting, and Child Mortality – and this provides a multidimensional nature of hunger.

South Asia and South Africa are the world regions with extremely serious hunger levels, having GHI scores between 30 and 45. India has the highest child wasting rate in the world – 18.7% – reflecting a grave case of undernutrition. Wasting is measured based on children’s weight relative to their height. The country also reports a 58.1% prevalence of anemia in women aged between 15 and 24. The rate of undernourishment stood at 16.6% where under-five mortality struck on 3.1%.

Meanwhile India rejected the data as “flawed” and said that it does not reflect India’s true position. “Measurement of over 7 Crore children shows wasting at about one-third of that used in Global Hunger Index”, said the Press Information Bureau in an official statement. It also accused the rankings as, three of the four indicators used to determine the levels are to the “health of children” and thus they cannot be considered as “representative of the entire population’’.

Congress party took to their official X (formerly Twitter) handle and criticised the government as it demolished the country from the previous 107th position to the current 111th. They alleged that the country is going through a serious situation of hunger and starvation and added that “like every time, Modi government will distance itself from these figures…certain”.

Member of Parliament and All India Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale also responded with the figures the country spent on hosting the 2023 G20 event and to building a convention center in Delhi. “We’re spending 4100 crores on G20 & 21,000 crores on 1 convention center in Delhi while millions of Indians starve & go hungry everyday”, he said on X.

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Global Hunger Index Hunger Index India ranked 111 malnutrition

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