India ranks below Pak, China on hunger index-Oct 12, 2010,

India ranks below Pak, China on hunger index

TNN, Oct 12, 2010, 01.48am IST

NEW DELHI: India may be the second fastest growing economy in the world, but it fares far worse than lesser economies when it comes to taking care of its malnourished children. India ranks 67 on the Global Hunger Index 2010, conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) among 88 nations.

Faring worse than lesser developed countries such as Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the neighbourhood and underdeveloped nations like Sudan, Lesotho, Uzbekistan and Rwanda elsewhere, India is home to 42% of the underweight children under the age of five in the world.

The policymakers in India, who are still fighting about the need to have an expansive National Food Security Act, should look at the following data more closely: in 2005-06, about 44% of Indian children -- below five years --were underweight, and nearly half -- 48% -- were stunted.

The food insecurity is so rampant across the country that India is clubbed with minor economies like Bangladesh, Timor-Leste and Yemen, recording the highest prevalence of underweight in children under five.

While China has done better than expected as its income has grown, the IFPRI notes that India has considerably higher hunger levels than what its gross national income per capita levels would suggest. It is presumed that better economic performance and hunger levels are inversely correlated.

Though countries with high levels of gross national income (GNI) per capita should have low 2010 GHI scores, India has belied expectations -- a sign of increasing income divides in the country, and the inability of the economy to provide for the poor.

At the beginning of the liberalisation era in the early 90s, 24% of the population was undernourished. The situation marginally improved to 22% between 2004 and 2006. Almost 60% of the children below the age of five were recorded as underweight in 1988-92. The condition has remained dismal as the latest figure shows 43.5% between 2003-08.

The Global Hunger Index is based on the proportion of undernourished in population, the prevalence of underweight in children and the mortality rate of children.

Other emerging economies -- such as Brazil and China -- seem to have done much better in improving the condition of its undernourished children than India.

The policymakers, who are trying to turn the demand for nutritional security into a mere grain dole formula, can learn a lesson from IFPRI's report: "policies that deal more broadly with problems such as poverty; food insecurity, lack of education, the low status of women and lack of access to water, sanitation, and health services are also needed in order for there to be a profound and sustained improvement in child nutrition."

The report notes that countries like Brazil, China, Thailand and Vietnam seem to have learnt this lesson, and improved their rankings.