What is Global Hunger Index (GHI) and where do India Stand?

 

What is Global Hunger Index (GHI):

 Poverty causes hunger and malnutrition the two biggest enemies of poor. The GHI score which reflects data from 117 countries in 2019 is based on these three criteria and gives a better understanding of the problem:

 

·         Proportion of countries’ child population which is undernourished;

·         Share of children under 5 years of age who have in sufficient weight for their height or whose height is not commensurate to their age; and

·         Mortality Rate under 5 children

The GHI ranks countries on a 100 point scale, with 0 being the best score (no hunger) and 100 being the worst. Values less than 10 reflects low hunger, values from 20 to 34.9 serious hunger, values from 35 to49.9 alarming and values 50 or more are extremely alarming. India’s score was 30.3 putting it in to serious hunger category. Because of its large population India’s GHI indicator values have an out sized impact on the indicator values in the region.

 

In 2011 India was ranked 67 out of 81 countries way below the several nations of the sub Saharan Africa and the neighbouring countries like China at 15, Sri Lanka at 39, Pakistan at 52, and Nepal at 56. In 2015 India was ranked at 93 among 117 countries only Pakistan was at 106, Bangladesh at 86, Sri Lanka 82, Nepal 71, South Africa 51 and China was at  26.

Year after year India’s rank is declining e.g. in 2016 we were at 97 among 118 countries, in 2017 India’s rank was 100 among 119 countries in 2018 it was 103 and in 2019 we were ranked at 102 even below Pakistan who had improved to 94 from 106 in 2018.

All our neighbouring countries like China 25, Sri Lanka at 66, Nepal 73 and Bangladesh 88 were above India.

The world food programme mentions that 50% of the hungry in the world lives in India. In terms of number of hungry people India is ranked number one in the world.

It is a matter of great sadness and shame for the country. It is therefore, necessary to understand the concept of hunger and the facts along with the poverty to draft any meaningful policy for the removal of hunger from the country. The efforts made by the central government during COVID -19 pandemic for supply of free ration to all migrant workers  may go a long way in achieving the target of eradication of poverty and zero hunger.

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