Malnutrition In India

Drop in nutrition, calorie intake in 80% of rural population: Economist

Rural population has been grappling with decline in food and nutrition intake after the advent of the neo-liberal policies in the early 1990s with an estimated 80 per cent of them now having less than 2,200 calories per day, according to economist Utsa Patnaik. "The nutritional intake data is not there. But from whatever there is, by using certain approximations, I estimate that more than 80 per cent of the rural population has slipped below 2,200 calories per day intake," she said while delivering the second P Sundarayya memorial lecture on the topic 'Agrarian Distress, Worker-Peasant Alliance and Resistance to Corporate and Imperialist Designs in India' here on Wednesday evening. "That is what the data tell us. That is what the government's own data from the annual economic surveys and from the National Sample Service tell us. And of course, all these claims of declining mass poverty is completely false," she alleged. The accepted average calorie requirement in India is 2400 ...

Over 77% of India's children lack WHO-suggested diversity in diet: Study

About 77 per cent of children in India aged 6-23 months lack diversity in diet as suggested by the WHO, with the country's central region showing the highest prevalence of minimum dietary failure, a study has found. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh reported the highest levels of inadequate diversity in children's diets -- all above 80 per cent -- while Sikkim and Meghalaya were the only two to report an under-50 per cent prevalence. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests using the Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) score to evaluate the quality of a child's diet -- it is considered to be diverse if it contains five or more food groups, including breastmilk, eggs, legumes and nuts, and fruits and vegetables. Analysing National Family and Health Survey data from 2019-21 (NFHS-5), researchers, including those from the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, found that the country's overall rate of minimum dietary diversity ...

Bill Gates gives India 'A' for focus on solving malnutrition problem

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has said he would give India "an A" for its focus on solving the problem of malnutrition. "Well, India, for its income level, acknowledges that some of these nutritional indicators are weaker than it would like. That kind of frankness and focus on it, I think is very impressive," Gates told PTI in an interview. He said India is more focused on the issue than any other government, Gates said. It's using the public feeding system and the Midday Meal System to try and get fortified foods out, but it's still a huge opportunity," Gates said. "I would give India an A for focus on the problem, he said. Responding to a question on the occasion of the launch of the Gates Foundation's Goalkeepers Report 2024, Gates said: I think it probably would rate itself maybe a B for the education but with the real serious intent to do even better." The annual report tracks progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The underst

SC refuses to pass any direction on plea to set up community kitchens

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to pass any direction on a plea seeking formulation of a scheme on setting up of community kitchens to combat hunger and malnutrition, observing that the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes are being implemented by the Centre and states. A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal said it was open to states and union territories to ensure implementation of alternative welfare schemes. "The National Food Security Act and other welfare schemes are being implemented by the Union of India and the states to ensure access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people. We do not propose to issue any further direction in this regard. "We have not examined whether the concept of community kitchens is better or wiser alternative available to states to achieve the objective of NFSA. Rather, we would leave it open to states and union territories to ensure implementation of alternative welfare schemes," the benc

India needs to address issues like malnutrition to become developed: Rajan

India needs to address problems like malnutrition to become a developed nation and also focus on its most important asset of human capital, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said. Speaking at an interactive session on a book co-authored by him at the Indian School of Business (ISB) here on Sunday, he asked how the country can become a developed one when malnutrition is prevalent. "We are fixated with becoming a developed, rich country by 2047. I use this as an example to say, you must be joking about becoming a developed rich country by 2047 with 35 per cent malnutrition today," he said. The children who are suffering from malnutrition now would join the labour force 10 years from now, he said. He also stressed on nurturing the human capital in the country by offering appropriate training on a large scale. "In order to get the medium term right, we have to focus on India's most important asset, its human capital. We have 1.4 billion people more than any other country in the .

Global Hunger Index: Menace of malnutrition continues to haunt India

Existing schemes do not focus on balanced food. Serious corrective action aimed at improving the consumption of diverse and nutritious foods can no longer be ignored

Global Hunger Index: Writing on the wall, or "misleading measurements"?

The Indian government has maintained the stance that the Global Hunger Index is an "erroneous measurement of hunger" and part of a "consistent effort" to "taint India's image"

PM Modi asks people to join campaign to fight malnutrition in Mann Ki Baat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to make efforts to remove malnutrition while stressing that social awareness was a crucial aspect of this fight. In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said the 'Amrit Dhara' of 'Amrit Mahotsav' marking 75 years of India's independence was flowing in all corners of the country in this month. "On the special occasion of Amrit Mahotsav and Independence Day, we have seen the collective might of the country," he said. Modi urged the people to join the campaign to fight malnutrition in the coming month. "Besides festivals, September is also dedicated to a big campaign related to nutrition. We celebrate 'Poshan maah' or nutrition month between September 1 and 30," Modi said. Many creative and diverse efforts are being made against malnutrition, he noted. "Better use of technology and public participation have also become an important part of 'Poshan Abhiyan'.The Jal Jeevan mission is going to have a big impact in making Ind

Maha Min says no child death due to malnutrition in 5yrs; NCP, Cong object

Maharashtra Tribal Development Minister Vijaykumar Gavit on Wednesday said in the state Assembly that there has been no child death reported due to malnutrition in the state in the last five years. However, members of the NCP and Congress objected to the minister's claim. Gavit said, As per information shared by the state health department with my office, there is no child death reported due to malnutrition in the state." "There are 16 districts in the state where tribal population is identified. No district has reported death due to malnutrition in the last five years," the minister said. However, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar objected to Gavit's response saying, It is a well-known fact that there have been cases of malnutrition in the state and many children die due to it every year." "In Melghat (Amravati district) alone, 18 children died between July 15 and August 15 this year, the NCP leader claimed. After a row over the issue, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar asked the min

India has made rapid strides in improving malnutrition rates, says UN

Rapid strides have been made by India in improving malnutrition rates said the UN recently and added that stunting in children below five years has declined from 48 percent to 38 percent

We need to ensure food access to prevent malnutrition crisis: Elizabeth Yee

In an interview with Vinay Umarji, Elizabeth Yee, executive vice-president, program strategy and chief of staff at The Rockefeller Foundation, talks about its endeavours on her maiden visit to India

Cabinet nod to distribute fortified rice under central schemes

According to an official statement later, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies have procured 88.65 metric tonnes of fortified rice for supply and distribution

Smriti Irani launches Poshan 2.0, urges districts to set up Poshan Vatikas

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on Tuesday urged all aspirational districts of the country to make a commitment to establish a Poshan Vatika

Best of BS Opinion: Malnutrition among children, Brexit deal, and more

Here's a selection of Business Standard opinion pieces for the day

Stunted progress

Increasing malnutrition among children is worrying

India's disadvantaged lack nutrition, except we don't know how much

In India, caste is a dominant aspect of an individual's social identity and can similarly determine access to crucial health and nutrition services

Despite improvements, India still leads the world in acute malnutrition

India's relative fall, despite improvements, shows that some countries that lagged behind it earlier progressed better on the parameters used to determine the hunger index

Fewer undernourished people in India now; obesity in adults rising: UN

The number of undernourished people in India has declined by 60 million in over a decade, according to a UN report which said that there were less stunted children but more obese adults in the country

Covid-19 undoing decades of progress in reducing malnutrition among kids

Globally, a further 6,000 children under age 5 could die each day due to reduction in routine health coverage during the pandemic

UN endorses India's steps to address hunger, malnutrition to achieve SGD

In 2015, India, along with other countries, signed the declaration on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, comprising 17 Sustainable Development Goals