Central Idea

India has been ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index-2023, a stark decline from its 107th position in 2022.
The index highlights a concerning statistic – India reports the world’s highest child wasting rate at a staggering 18.7 percent.
Interestingly, India’s neighboring countries, including Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th), and Sri Lanka (60th), have performed comparatively better in the index.

Global Hunger Index (GHI)
Publication	Jointly published annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
Scale	Measures hunger on a 100-point scale, with 0 as the best (no hunger) and 100 as the worst score.
Purpose	Comprehensively measures and tracks hunger globally, regionally, and at the country level. Aims to trigger action to reduce hunger worldwide.
Indicators	4 key indicators for each country: 1. Undernourishment (reflects inadequate food availability): Share of the population that is undernourished. 2. Child Wasting (reflects acute undernutrition): Share of children under five with low weight for their height. 3. Child Stunting (reflects chronic undernutrition): Share of children under five with low height for their age. 4. Child Mortality (reflects inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environment): Mortality rate of children under five.

Hunger in India: Fact Check

Serious Hunger Levels: India’s score of 28.7 in the Global Hunger Index-2023 places it in the “serious” category, according to the report.
Child Wasting: India’s child wasting rate, the proportion of undernourished children measured by weight relative to their height, stands at an alarming 18.7 percent, signaling acute undernutrition.
Undernourishment Rate: The rate of undernourishment in India is reported at 16.6 percent, further highlighting the gravity of the issue.
Child Mortality: Under-five mortality in India is recorded at 3.1 percent.
Anemia Among Women: The report underscores a significant concern, with 58.1 percent of women aged 15 to 24 in India being affected by anemia.

Disputed Ranking: The Indian government has rejected the GHI 2023 ranking, citing serious methodological concerns and suggesting a malicious intent behind the report (considering elections).
Methodological Issues: The WCD Ministry asserts that the GHI 2023 report suffers from significant methodological issues. It contends that 3 out of 4 indicators used for calculation pertain to child health, which does not represent the entire population.
Sample size issue: It is questionable that only small sample size of 3,000 is used for the “Proportion of Undernourished Population” indicator for crores population in India.
Child Wasting Discrepancy: The ministry highlights a significant disparity between the child wasting rate as per the Poshan Tracker (consistently below 7.2 percent) and the 18.7 percent reported in GHI 2023.
Undue link with Child mortality: It also challenges the notion that child mortality is solely an outcome of hunger.

India’s ranking underscores the persistent challenges in addressing hunger and undernutrition.
The report serves as a stark reminder of the critical need to comprehensively tackle these issues, especially child wasting and undernourishment, to ensure the well-being of the nation’s population.