India is making a mark in the global economy but many of its poor still go hungry according to Global Hunger Index 2007 from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).India is ranked 94 out of a list of 118 countries but what is a pressing issue is that nearly 40% of world’s underweight children below 5 years of age are in India.

Millions of Indians still go to bed hungry every night and Global Hunger Index just reflects the truth which surfaced few months ago in a government-commissioned report. This report revealed that 836 million people or 77% of the population in India live on Rs 20 per day. This is a sad situation.

According to IFPRI, “In India, where a large majority of South Asia’s population lives, economic growth in the agricultural sector has lagged considerably behind the growth in other sectors in recent years. This has had a negative effect on the progress in alleviating poverty and hunger in rural areas.”

Another reason for this appalling situation is due to the continued discrimination of the lower castes and ethnic groups, which puts them in a disadvantageous situation in regard to labour market.
India is also lagging behind its neighbors – Pakistan and China – who are ranked 88 and 47 respectively. The Index, which gives a comprehensive picture of hunger in developing and transitional countries, is based on comparison of the undernourished out of the total population of a country and number of underweight children below five. In certain parts of India male family members eat first and women then have to eat only the leftovers, so this results in children being undernourished or underweight.

So if stringent measures are taken to curb this situation, things would be much brighter then. If economy is booming, then the same should reflect on the overall development of the country as well.

So the next time you hear the Domino’s, Hungry Kya? Remember there are millions of people who have not eaten in days.

Resources:

Malnutrition – India’s Silent Crisis

3 Year old Dalit Child Dies of Starvation

This economic miracle does not add up

The Untold Story of the Marxist Victory in the West Bengal Poll

A third of us live on Rs 20 a day

Image Source:

Starving Children

Undernourished child

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Tags: Food, India, Poverty in India