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

The poor ranking of India on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) and its prompt rebuttal by the government have become almost an annual ritual over the past few years. The GHI 2022 is no exception in this respect. It ranks India lowly at 107 among 121 countries, behind its smaller neighbours like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, to put it in the “serious” hunger category. Worse still, the country is reckoned to have the world’s highest rate of child wasting (low weight for height). Last year, India was ranked 101 out of 116 countries, while in 2020 it was