The editorial that appeared in The Hindu Business Line, September 3, 2011
Granaries are packed. Food grains are rotting. Malnutrition continues. This is the frightening scene in India. The challenges of food and nutrition security are increasing. Several hundred millions face malnutrition or under-nutrition because of a serious protein and calorie intake on a regular basis. India is low on the Human Development Index and high on the Global Hunger Index.
There are dozen schemes promoted by five ministries to counteract the problem. The progress in promoting nutrition is not uniform across the country and there is nothing to suggest that ‘food' supplied under the various welfare schemes is nutritious. The country deserves a far better coordinated approach to eliminating pervasive malnutrition. Policymakers must recognise the interconnectedness of agriculture, nutrition and health. Agriculture is not only a source of food and thereby nutrition, it is also a source of income that helps buy nutritious food.
India growth story is at once real and surreal. Real because our macro performance continues to be robust, making the country one of world's fastest growing economies; and surreal because the micro challenges of poverty, hunger, malnutrition and illiteracy have not been addressed with focused attention. Growth without development is an irony that India testifies to. The micro challenges have the potential to drag down growth. With over $300 billion in the forex kitty, India can afford to import food to meet any shortage, but money cannot buy nutrition. The latter must be tackled on a war-footing domestically with good governance.
Read the editorial here
Granaries are packed. Food grains are rotting. Malnutrition continues. This is the frightening scene in India. The challenges of food and nutrition security are increasing. Several hundred millions face malnutrition or under-nutrition because of a serious protein and calorie intake on a regular basis. India is low on the Human Development Index and high on the Global Hunger Index.
There are dozen schemes promoted by five ministries to counteract the problem. The progress in promoting nutrition is not uniform across the country and there is nothing to suggest that ‘food' supplied under the various welfare schemes is nutritious. The country deserves a far better coordinated approach to eliminating pervasive malnutrition. Policymakers must recognise the interconnectedness of agriculture, nutrition and health. Agriculture is not only a source of food and thereby nutrition, it is also a source of income that helps buy nutritious food.
India growth story is at once real and surreal. Real because our macro performance continues to be robust, making the country one of world's fastest growing economies; and surreal because the micro challenges of poverty, hunger, malnutrition and illiteracy have not been addressed with focused attention. Growth without development is an irony that India testifies to. The micro challenges have the potential to drag down growth. With over $300 billion in the forex kitty, India can afford to import food to meet any shortage, but money cannot buy nutrition. The latter must be tackled on a war-footing domestically with good governance.
Read the editorial here
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