A recent United Nations (UN) report titled ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023’ has made some stark revelations about nutrition in India. The report states that 74.1% of Indians, approximately 1.043 billion people, couldn’t afford a healthy diet in 2021. This UN statistic contradicts the Indian government’s estimate that only 813 million people require food assistance.
While countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, China, Russia, the US, and the UK reported percentages ranging from 0.4% in the UK to 82% in Pakistan, India’s poor nutrition remains highest 74.1%, suggests the report.
Refuting the finding of the report, the Centre argues the correct methodology was not followed during the survey. The research involved a small sample size of 3,000 respondents, and is inadequate for a nation as populated as India. This criticism extends to the Global Hunger Index, where India ranked 111th out of 125 countries, with the government alleging methodological flaws and bias in the assessment.
Experts have pointed out contradiction. They said the government’s data suggests that only, around 813 million people, require food assistance. This figure is supported by the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a scheme providing free food grains to millions across the country,the reported added.
