A STUDY ON HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY IN INDIA

ABSTRACT
Hunger in simple terms is the desire to consume food. However, as a
result of an inadequate diet over time the human body gets used to having less food than is
necessary for healthy development, and after a while the body does not even demand more
food. In such cases hunger is not expressed, although a lower intake of essential calories,
proteins, fats, and micronutrients would result in under-development of the human mind and
body. Thus objective indicators such as calorie consumption, body mass index (BMI), the
proportion of malnourished children, and child mortality capture hunger more scientifically
than the subjective articulation by individuals.
Keywords: India, hunger, under-nutrition, food security, COVID-19 ,women, child
malnutrition
INTRODUCTION
This paper examines the hunger and nutrition situation prevailing in
India and suggests policy measures for ensuring adequate food security at the household
level, particularly in COVID 19 period for marginalised groups, destitute people, women and
children. Hunger in simple terms is the desire to consume food. However, as a result of an
inadequate diet over time the human body gets used to having less food than is necessary for
healthy development, and after a while the body does not even demand more food. In such
cases hunger is not expressed, although a lower intake of essential calories, proteins, fats, and
micronutrients would result in under-development of the human mind and body. Thus
objective indicators such as calorie consumption, body mass index (BMI), the proportion of
malnourished children, and child mortality capture hunger more scientifically than the
subjective articulation by individuals.
India was home to the largest number of undernourished people in the
world even before the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest edition of the State of Food Security
and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, released jointly by five UN organisations in July,
reveals that the pandemic and failure on the part of state to combat its effects, has led to a
significant increase in the prevalence of hunger and food insecurity in the country.
According to the data presented in the report, the prevalence of
moderate to severe food insecurity in India rose by about 6.8 percentage points in 2018-20. In
absolute terms, the number of persons facing moderate to severe food insecurity has
increased by about 9.7 crore since the outbreak of Covid. The irony is that this happened
when the government had an unprecedented 100 million tonnes of food grains in its godowns
- larger than the food stocks of any country. The country with the largest stock of grain in the
world- 120 million tonnes as of July 1, 2021-accounts for a quarter of the world’s food-
insecure population. Estimates show that, in 2020, over 237 crore people were grappling with
food insecurity globally, an increase of about 32 crores from 2019. South Asia alone accounts
for 36 per cent of global food insecurity.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: