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Global Hunger Index

Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe's index of undernourishment, child stunting, wasting and mortality.

Written by Pratidin; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work

India has disputed its methodology.

Practise this in the app: flashcards, quiz and a timed answer
Prelims

Quick recall

Who publishes the GHI?
Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
How many indicators?
Four.
What is stunting?
Low height for age.
What is wasting?
Low weight for height.
Which indicator covers the whole population?
Undernourishment.
What is India's main objection?
Child indicators do not represent hunger in the whole population, and undernourishment is estimated from a small sample.

Asked before in UPSC

Recurring theme: Hunger, malnutrition and the food availability versus access debate

Mains
  1. 2024 · GS2 · 10 marks

    Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting human capital formation. What steps can be taken to break the cycle?

    The GHI's child stunting, wasting and mortality indicators measure the malnutrition side of this cycle.

  2. 2019 · GS2 · 10 marks

    There is a growing divergence in the relationship between poverty and hunger in India. The shrinking of social expenditure by the government is forcing the poor to spend more on non-food essential items squeezing their food budget. Elucidate.

    India's GHI score alongside falling poverty estimates illustrates the divergence the question describes.

  3. 2018 · GS2 · 15 marks

    How far do you agree with the view that the focus on lack of availability of food as the main cause of hunger takes the attention away from ineffective human development policies in India?

    GHI indicators such as child stunting and wasting show hunger persisting despite food surpluses, the heart of this debate.

  4. 2017 · GS2 · 10 marks

    Hunger and Poverty are the biggest challenges for good governance in India still today. Evaluate how far successive governments have progressed in dealing with these humongous problems. Suggest measures for improvement.

    GHI trends over time are a ready yardstick for evaluating how far governments have progressed on hunger.

Prelims
  1. 2016 · Prelims

    Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? 1. Undernourishment 2. Child stunting 3. Child mortality

    Tests the GHI's component indicators; the index is now published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, with child wasting as the fourth indicator.

The basics

Why it matters

The Global Hunger Index ranks countries on hunger using undernourishment and child nutrition and mortality. India has disputed its methodology.

4
Indicators in the GHI
Published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

What it measures

The index combines several components.

Global Hunger Index
  1. 1UndernourishmentShare of population with insufficient calories
  2. 2Child stuntingLow height for age, under 5
  3. 3Child wastingLow weight for height, under 5
  4. 4Child mortalityUnder-five mortality rate

You now know

  • Published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
  • Four indicators: undernourishment, stunting, wasting, child mortality.
  • Three of four indicators relate to children.
  • India has criticised its methodology.

Go deeper

In one line: The GHI combines population undernourishment with child nutrition and survival.

Why it matters for UPSC

India's rank and the methodology debate are frequently asked.

The core idea

Child Stunting and wasting reflect long-term nutrition and health, and India runs POSHAN Abhiyaan to address them.

Where to go next

In one line: Methodology disputes aside, child undernutrition in India is a serious problem.

Evidence

NFHS-5 recorded about 35% stunting and 19% wasting among children under five.

Response

POSHAN Abhiyaan, fortified rice and ICDS. See Stunting and wasting.

Where to go next

Stunting and wasting

Two forms of child undernutrition

In one line: Stunting is low height for age (chronic); wasting is low weight for height (acute).

NFHS-5

About 35.5% of under-fives stunted and 19.3% wasted.

Causes

Poor diet, infections, sanitation and maternal health.

Where to go next

POSHAN Abhiyaan

India's nutrition mission

In one line: POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched in 2018, is India's national nutrition mission.

Targets

Reduce stunting, undernutrition, anaemia and low birth weight.

Now

Part of Mission Poshan 2.0.

Where to go next

Prelims-style quiz

  1. Which is NOT a GHI indicator?

    1. Adult obesity
    2. Child mortality
    3. Child wasting
    4. Child stunting
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Adult obesity. Obesity is not included.

  2. Consider the following:
    1. The GHI is published by the FAO.
    2. Three of its four indicators relate to children.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) 2 only. It is published by two NGOs.

  3. Wasting refers to low:

    1. Weight for age
    2. Birth weight
    3. Height for age
    4. Weight for height
    Show answer

    Answer: (d) Weight for height. Weight for height.

  4. Stunting indicates:

    1. Obesity
    2. Acute undernutrition
    3. Anaemia
    4. Chronic undernutrition
    Show answer

    Answer: (d) Chronic undernutrition. Chronic undernutrition.

Syllabus

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