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Hunger Free India: Issues, Hunger, Food Security & More | UPSC Editorials
IMPORTANT LINKS
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Analysis Based On |
Article published in The Hindu titled “A food-sufficient India needs to be hunger-free too” highlighting the food insecurity in India |
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Topics for Prelims |
Government Schemes, Malnutrition, Sustainable Development Goals |
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Topics for Mains |
Causes of Hunger
These are the following causes of hunger:
- Poverty: Poverty is the primary cause for hunger in India. Despite growth in the economy, an enormous number of people continue to remain poor. The World Bank states that 364 million people in India rely on less than $1.90 per day. Inadequate income to spend cuts back the purchase of healthy food, and then poor have no other option but to choose the cheaper, more calorie-rich but nutrient-poor food.
- Agricultural Challenges: The agrarian economy of the country encounters several problems, including climate change, modern farming technology, and infrastructure. In fact, about 86 percent of its farming community are smallholder farmers who experience low yields and minimal market access. Weather variability compounds crop failure, further threatening food security as it sends most farmers to debt and despair.
- Socio-Economic Inequalities: Such a combination of caste and gender inequalities together with geographical inequalities also intensified hunger in India. Marginalized groups in India have fewer opportunities to pursue education, receive health care facilities, and enjoy relatively more economic benefits. Women suffered from a double jeopardy that barred women from preparing healthy meals for their own families. Much of the rural areas are very ill-developed and are more susceptible to food insecurity.
Impact of Hunger
However, disadvantage due to hunger manifests itself in more than just personal damage. A deprived population slows down economic growth and development. It results in poor health outcomes that increase healthcare costs, decrease the productivity of the workforce, and prevent education. The World Bank puts the economic cost of malnutrition in India at about $14 billion each year in lost productivity and increased healthcare-related expenses.
More than that, hunger leads to social unrest. A lack of satisfactory resources to meet everyone's needs fosters a rather intense competition for those very resources, possible causes of conflicts and changes in the social order, hence creating problems for national security. Ignoring such morality, the solution of hunger provides an urgent step toward peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.
Key Challenges in Realizing the Goal of Hunger Free India
These are the following challenges faced by policymakers and others in achieving the goal of hunger free India:
- Inequitable Distribution: Though India produces huge quantities of foodgrains and other agricultural products, it is still not accessible and affordable to large sections of population especially those living in rural areas.
- Economical Issues: Food insecurity is exacerbated by income disparities, due to which the poorest households struggle to afford a balanced diet.
- Climate Change: Agricultural productivity in India is severely impacted by the climate change which ultimately affected food availability and prices.
- Malnutrition Issue: The term malnutrition generally refers to the issue of undernutrition and overnutrition at a complex level. In most cases, malnutrition leads to serious health problems, for example, stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and chronic diseases. In India, issues like extreme hunger and malnutrition are major challenges that hinder sustainable development.
Government Initiatives
These are the following important initiatives taken by government to tackle the menace of hunger and malnutrition:
- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY): This scheme provides free food grains to the poor during crises.
- National Food Security Act: This is supposed to ensure that subsidized food grains are available to more or less two-thirds of the country's population.
- Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): This scheme aims for improving nutrition levels of children as well as mothers.
Know more about ICDS!
Conclusion
Concerted efforts from all sectors will help the vision of Hunger-Free India to be achievable. Rightly addressing the root causes of hunger, developing right strategies, and implementing them on the ground will help India pave its pathway towards a future where every citizen has access to adequate, safe, and nourishing food. Thus, all stakeholders, which includes the government, NGOs, communities, and other individual elements, need to come together with each other to realize this dream. The moral necessity to uphold the commitment of our nation towards social justice and human rights is a Hunger-Free India, not a goal to be pursued. That hunger becomes the relic of the past once and for all; so that all Indians prosper, nourished in an equitable society, can happen only through people working together.
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UPSC Previous Year Questions
Year
Question
2019
There is a growing divergence in the relationship between poverty and hunger in India. The shrinking of social expenditure by the government is forcing the poor to spend more on non-food essential items squeezing their food-budget. Elucidate.
2017
Hunger and Poverty are the biggest challenges for good governance in India still today. Evaluate how far successive governments have progressed in dealing with these humongous problems. Suggest measures for improvement.
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Year |
Question |
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2019 |
There is a growing divergence in the relationship between poverty and hunger in India. The shrinking of social expenditure by the government is forcing the poor to spend more on non-food essential items squeezing their food-budget. Elucidate. |
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2017 |
Hunger and Poverty are the biggest challenges for good governance in India still today. Evaluate how far successive governments have progressed in dealing with these humongous problems. Suggest measures for improvement. |
UPSC Practice Questions
Q1. Define hunger? Do you think India’s performance on the Global Hunger Index is a true reflection of the status of hunger in India? Discuss.
Q2. “Incidence and intensity of poverty are most important in determining poverty based on income alone”. In this context analyze the latest United Nations Multi Poverty Index report.