Context: In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said the India's ranking is 101st in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 brought out by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
Government of India Stand

• Global Hunger Index (GHI) does not reflect India’s true picture as it is a flawed measure of 'Hunger'. 
• It should not be taken at face value as it is neither appropriate nor representative of hunger prevalent in a country. 
• Out of its four indicators, only one indicator, i.e., undernourishment, is directly related to hunger. 
• The two indicators, namely, Stunting and Wasting are outcomes of complex interactions of various other factors like sanitation, genetics, environment and utilisation of food intake apart from hunger which is taken as the causative/outcome factor for stunting and wasting in the GHI. 
• Also, there is hardly any evidence that the fourth indicator, namely, child mortality is an outcome of hunger.

According to the Government, the Global Hunger Index Report 2021 and FAO report on ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021’ have completely ignored the following facts:

• They have based their assessment on the results of a ‘four question’ opinion poll, which was conducted telephonically by Gallup.
• The scientific measurement of undernourishment would require measurement of weight and Height, whereas the methodology involved here is based on a Gallup poll, based on a pure telephonic estimate of the population.
• The report completely disregards Government’s massive effort to ensure food security of the entire population during the Covid period such as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY) and Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme (ANBS).

Initiatives to improve

• Identification of beneficiaries under the Act is under two categories -- households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households.
• The Priority Households are entitled to receive 5 kg foodgrains per person per month and AAY households are entitled to receive 35 kg per household per month at Rs 1-3 per kg for coarse grains/wheat/rice respectively.
• "The Act is operational in a seamless manner across all States and Union Territories. The coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit," she said.
• The Centre has also issued advisories to all states to identify and cover the weakest sections of the society under TPDS (Targeted Public Distribution System) and launch special drives to issue ration cards to them up to the respective NFSA coverage limits, the minister added.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), scheme under which beneficiaries covered under NFSA are given additional 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month free of cost, has been extended for another four months, that is from December 2021 to March 2022, she highlighted.

About the Global Hunger Index

• Annual Report: Jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

It was first produced in 2006. It is published every October. The 2021 edition marks the 16th edition of the GHI.

• Aim: To comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.
• Calculation: It is calculated on the basis of four indicators:
• Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
• Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
• Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
• Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.

Scoring

• Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
• Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming.

Data Collection

• Undernourishment data are provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and child mortality data are sourced from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME).
• Child wasting and stunting data are drawn from the joint database of UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, among others.

Global Scenario

• The fight against hunger is dangerously off track.
• Based on current GHI projections, the world as a whole - and 47 countries in particular - will fail to achieve a low level of hunger by 2030.
• Food security is under assault on multiple fronts.
• Worsening conflict, weather extremes associated with global climate change, and the economic and health challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic are all driving hunger.
• After decades of decline, the global prevalence of undernourishment - a component of the Global Hunger Index - is increasing.
• This shift may be a leading indicator of reversals in other measures of hunger.
• Inequality - between regions, countries, districts, and communities - is pervasive and, left unchecked, will keep the world from achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) mandate to “leave no one behind”.
• Africa, South of the Sahara and South Asia are the world regions where hunger levels are highest. Hunger in both regions is considered serious.

Indian Scenario

• Since 2000, India has made substantial progress, but there are still areas of concern, particularly regarding child nutrition.
• India’s GHI score has decreased from a 2000 GHI score of 38.8 points - considered alarming - to a 2021 GHI score of 27.5 - considered serious.
• The proportion of undernourished in the population and the under-five child mortality rate are now at relatively low levels.
• While child stunting has seen a significant decrease - from 54.2% in 1998-1999 to 34.7% in 2016-2018 - it is still considered very high.
• At 17.3%, India has the highest child wasting rate of all countries covered in the GHI. This rate is slightly higher than it was in 1998-1999, when it was 17.1%.
• According to the Index, only 15 countries fare worse than India.
• India was also behind most of the neighbouring countries. Pakistan was placed at 92, Nepal and Bangladesh at 76 and Sri Lanka at 65.