Explanation:

The GHI combines four component indicators:

• the proportion of the undernourished as a percentage of the population;
• the proportion of children under the age of five suffering from wasting (low weight-for- height);
• the proportion of children under the age of five suffering from stunting (low height-for-age);
• the mortality rate of children under the age of five

Statement 1: Undernourishment and child mortality each make up a third of the GHI score, while child stunting and child wasting make up a sixth of the score, and together make up a third of the score. Three of the four indicators, refer only to children below five who constitute only 11.5% of India’s population. Further, the percentage of the undernourished population is inclusive of under nutrition among children. This way, the GHI assigns 70.5% weightage to children below five who constitute only a minor population share and 29.5% weightage to the population above five, which constitutes 81.5% of the total population.

Statement 2: Evidence shows that weight and height of children are not solely determined by food intake but are an outcome of a complex interaction of factors related to genetics, the environment, sanitation and utilization of food intake. The IFPRI acknowledges that only 45% of child mortality is due to hunger or under nutrition. Therefore, the term “Hunger Index” is highly biased towards under nutrition of children rather than representing the status of hunger in the overall population.