The hunger situation in India is still “serious”, as noted in the Global Hunger Index, 2017, a report prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute. India now ranks 100th on that list in ensuring food security for its peoples, placing it in the high end of the “serious” category.
In 1992, India was ahead of two of its neighbouring countries, Myanmar and Bangladesh in combating hunger. In the past 25 years, however, both these countries have managed to make greater strides than India. So much so that Bangladeshis and Burmese are today better fed than Indians.
If it’s any consolation, the one country even worse governed than India in that time period is – you guessed it right – Pakistan. Pakistan actually had a better score than India in 1992. But in two and a half decades, it slipped behind India to become New Delhi’s most malnourished neighbour.
India’s supposedly weaker neighbours do a much better job of feeding their citizens...in spite of the Indian state having undertaken several seminal and monumental developmental interventions in recent years, such as:
1. Launch of 'Make-in-India', 'Digital India' and 'Skill India' initiatives with focus on defense and electronics, primarily to create jobs
2. Formulation and implementation of GST - a pan India tax regime for goods and services
3. Commencement of divestment programme in public sector companies
4. Prime Minister's 100 Smart Cities Project
5. Fast-tracking of defense purchases: Rafale fighter jets deal
6. MoUs for making submarines, fighter jets and ship at home
7. Cooking gas now under direct-cash-benefit transfer scheme, with potential saving of $5 billion annually in subsidies, plus Diesel prices being de-regulated
8. Crackdown on black money through demonetisation of high denomination currency notes
9. Jan Dhan Yojana: More than 15 crore bank accounts opened, over 10 crore RuPay debit cards issued, with life cover, pension
10. Increased international standing through strategic partnerships with the likes of the US, Israel (and now Palestine) and new forged alliances along with settlement of persistent issues such as border dispute with Bangladesh
11. Swachh Bharat Mission - the cleanliness drive with unprecedented focus on kerbing open defecation
12. Implementation two large-scale national programs that address nutrition – the Integrated Child Development Services and the National Health Mission
So, why has India done still so badly in feeding its children? Does anyone has an answer?
***
Disclaimer: My writings have no pretensions neither to infallibility. not to omniscience. There may well be facts that I could be unaware of, that could undermine or discredit some of my arguments.
In 1992, India was ahead of two of its neighbouring countries, Myanmar and Bangladesh in combating hunger. In the past 25 years, however, both these countries have managed to make greater strides than India. So much so that Bangladeshis and Burmese are today better fed than Indians.
If it’s any consolation, the one country even worse governed than India in that time period is – you guessed it right – Pakistan. Pakistan actually had a better score than India in 1992. But in two and a half decades, it slipped behind India to become New Delhi’s most malnourished neighbour.
India’s supposedly weaker neighbours do a much better job of feeding their citizens...in spite of the Indian state having undertaken several seminal and monumental developmental interventions in recent years, such as:
1. Launch of 'Make-in-India', 'Digital India' and 'Skill India' initiatives with focus on defense and electronics, primarily to create jobs
2. Formulation and implementation of GST - a pan India tax regime for goods and services
3. Commencement of divestment programme in public sector companies
4. Prime Minister's 100 Smart Cities Project
5. Fast-tracking of defense purchases: Rafale fighter jets deal
6. MoUs for making submarines, fighter jets and ship at home
7. Cooking gas now under direct-cash-benefit transfer scheme, with potential saving of $5 billion annually in subsidies, plus Diesel prices being de-regulated
8. Crackdown on black money through demonetisation of high denomination currency notes
9. Jan Dhan Yojana: More than 15 crore bank accounts opened, over 10 crore RuPay debit cards issued, with life cover, pension
10. Increased international standing through strategic partnerships with the likes of the US, Israel (and now Palestine) and new forged alliances along with settlement of persistent issues such as border dispute with Bangladesh
11. Swachh Bharat Mission - the cleanliness drive with unprecedented focus on kerbing open defecation
12. Implementation two large-scale national programs that address nutrition – the Integrated Child Development Services and the National Health Mission
So, why has India done still so badly in feeding its children? Does anyone has an answer?
***
Disclaimer: My writings have no pretensions neither to infallibility. not to omniscience. There may well be facts that I could be unaware of, that could undermine or discredit some of my arguments.
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