Saturday 10 November 2012

AMAZING STROY OF GROWTH RATE IN INDIA AND HUNGER AND POVERTY RISING !

It is amazing! India has lagged behind in GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX (GHI) notwithstanding its story of substantial rise in growth rate. A latest study by three organisations-the International Food Policy Research Institute, Concern World-wide, and Wealthungerhilfe---have revealed that the progress in reducing the proportion of hungry people in the world has been tragically slow. The study has highlighted that in as many as 20 countries, particularly in India, the levels of hunger are extremely  alarming. (Please refer my topic- Hunger Looming Large over Globe- on my blog-www.kksingh1.blogspot.com on June 19,2012, referring global food crisis).

In the context of India, hunger and poverty have taken alarming proportion in between 2007 to 20012 amid the much-hyped story of dramatic increase in the growth rate in India. Since than over 155 million people have been fighting back to wall because of hunger and poverty rampantly in India in the wake of neo-liberalised economic policy. Exactly, after 1996 disparity between economic development and progress in the fight against hunger have widened and India is slipping towards bottom -line gradually, the report says and adds China lowered the level of hunger and under -nutrition through a strong commitment to poverty reduction, nutrition and health intervention and improved access to safe water.. In the case of India all these measures seem to be a distant dream!.

The report-"2012 Global Hunger Index", mainly highlights on -"The Challenge of hunger, ensuring sustainable food security under land water,  and energy stresses". Simultaneously, the report also points out the identification of of the main challenges of an impending global food security-drought, scramble to invest in farm-land around the world, shifts in energy prices, and also shocks in energy supplies. Apart from that there are many worrying facts like persistent poverty, the current consumption pattern of industrialised countries, and profligate consumption by the elites in the developing countries. As per reports, there are three dimensions of hunger: undernourishment, child underweight and child mortality.

Sadly , India has taken backward trends among the countries like neighbouring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and China in the South-East Asia even-after strong economic growth.. More over, India as per the parameter on a 100-point scale (the lower the GHI values, the better ranking country), is ranked 22.9 in GHI whereas its land-locked neighbours-Nepal is better by having 20.3 and , Pakistan-19.7. However, the Bangla Desh is on 24.0 in GHI ranking despite the facts that the country has broad-based social progress, vibrant non-governmental organisations and public transfer programmes that has reduced child under-nutrition. As regards, Sri Lanka, the country in the South East Asia has tremendously achieved high rate of literacy and life expectancy through welfare-oriented policies, investment on public health care and education system and commitment for gender equality.

India has many hicuups! Bad governance are prevailing throughout the country.. Although public  transfer programmes are being explored in India,, there are apprehensions and misgivings about their efficacy and the reach to the grass-root level..The report has mentioned a study to say that poor design, low coverage and insufficient monitoring are the main challenges to reducing under-nutrition levels in India, which is as incomplete way of approaching the problem. One more factor is responsible for poverty and hunger in India-that is higher food prices. Food prices are increasing in recent past: it rose by 40 percent in 2007 and further  2008, resulting into hunger and poverty everywhere in India! Even the sub-Saharan Africa has done better progress in many points on this score in comparison to India. Over 43.5 percent children are underweight in India whereas only 23 percent children in Sub-Saharan Africa. were found in that category.. If we compare the GHI of ten countries with India, there are vast gaps of poverty and hunger in India. The report has mentioned the countries like Azerbaijan-5.0, China-5.3, Malaysia- -5.2, Paraguay-5.3, Trinidad and Tongo--5.4, Mauritius-5.7, B Salvador-5.8, Kyrgyz Republic-5.8 and South Africa-6.9 in global hunger index parameter..

The report has also underlined that food security is mainly linked with developments in water and energy and scarcity of land, particularly the scarcity of farm land because of short-sighted policies. Huge foreign  investments in developing countries are wiping out land rights of residents, specially in forest areas in India..It is fact that high-instances of hunger and poverty are found in the countries  where the rights on land and energy, and water have been curbed by the respective governments. Here also India tops the list as our union government and almost all state governments have indiscriminately allowed foreign investments in different parts of the country specially in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhatishgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,Gujarat  etc. Following such measures, lands and water are being deprived from villagers and tribal in India. And more and more hunger and poverty are pushing the people to live without adequate foods..

THe Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)  has also admitted food deprivation to the people, resulting into undernourishment. As per FAO, 1800 calories a day-the minimum that most people require to live a healthy and protective life.The case of India is considered more serious on poverty and hunger fronts notwithstanding the entire globe is expected to land in serious food crisis because of various reasons like  comparatively low and less stress on agriculture fronts.

SOURCES:International Food Policy Research Institute, Concern Worldwide, Wealthungerhilife, FOOD AND AGRICULture Organisation, The Frontline, Websites of Various affected countries and Human Index parameters of different organisations of the World and India..

No comments:

Post a Comment