In the global ranking of some 193 countries in the descending order of their respective U5MR rates (under five mortality rate,expressed per 1000 live births), India ranks 46th.
The country’s current status in this vital parameter of child welfare is woefully behind economically smaller neighbouring countries like Nepal (ranked 59th) and Bangladesh (ranked 61st). Only Pakistan has a higher U5MR rate, with 87 of that country’s children dying for every 1000 live births.
Source: Deccan Herald, March 12, 2012
Starvation is the result of a severe or total lack of nutrients needed for the maintenance of life. John. R Butterly, in his book ‘Hunger: The Biology and Politics of Starvation’, says “chronic malnutrition often leads to a compromised immune system and makes a person unable to fight off organisms that a normally fed human would barely notice.”
Since the start of the new millennium, India has seen significant economic progress. Yet, death by starvation is a gruesome reality in India. Poor Indian households struggle to cope with high food prices and malnourishment among their children. TNN (Mar 9, 2012) reports people selling kidneys to beat starvation in a West Bengal village.
These statistics should make our heads hang in shame-
- India has an all-India average U5MR rate of 74. Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh are the country’s “hungriest” states, with an average U5MR rate of 85.
- 25% of the world’s hungry population resides in India.
- The country has 360 million people living under the official poverty line.
- 43 per cent of children under the age of five years are malnourished.
- Half of all pregnant women aged between 15 and 49 years suffer from anaemia.
India grows enough food for its people. In order to ensure food security, three main public programmes are implemented by the government- the PDS, the ICDS and the NREGA. Yet, in spite of a clear public policy on food security, death by starvation still stalks both rural and urban populations.
- The Public Food Distribution System (PDS): The PDS fails due to inefficient planning. Grain rots in government warehouses while the poor go hungry. Ration cards are not issued to poor families because surveys are either delayed or just filed in, but not actually conducted. Further, corrupt ration shop dealers pilfer food and sell it on the black market rather than to intended beneficiaries. In fact, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is one of the most corrupt divisions of the central government.
- The Integrated Child Development System (ICDS): The government is supposed to provide meals to all students at schools under the Mid-day Meal Scheme. Child care centres, known as Anganwadis, are supposed to provide immunization and supplementary food for the children under age of six and pregnant women at village level. But it is commonly seen that these are open only 6-7 days a month when they are actually expected to work 30 days a month.
- The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): This is the 100 day-employment guarantee system which is the biggest playground for corruption. Wages do not reach families, but are recorded. The money that the central/state government earmarks for poverty eradication is siphoned away by politicians, bureaucrats and village heads.
What is the point gloating over India’s economic advancement when a poor person can’t access entitlements to government food and work programs? Public outcry questioning shoddy implementation of policies and corruption is the need of the hour. Bad governance is the key reason for all the country’s woes, the issue of food security being the foremost.
© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.
