The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022 has brought unwelcome news for India as far as global rankings on key indicators of human development are concerned. India ranked 107th out of 121 countries. The Indian government quickly tried to discredit the index by trying to deny the findings of the report, even calling it a conspiracy against India.
The GHI is a key indicator of nutrition, especially for children, looking at child stunting, wasting, mortality, and calorie deficiencies across the population. And this is by no means an international conspiracy — the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey of India (NFHS-5) found that 35.5% of children under five were stunted, 19.3% were wasting, and 32.1% were stunted. % reported being underweight. .
The government’s plans have failed
Experts have proposed several approaches to addressing the problem of chronic malnutrition, many of which are embedded in existing central support schemes. However, gaps remain in how these schemes are funded and implemented in what is called plumbing.
For example, the Government of India has implemented the Prime Minister’s Comprehensive Scheme for Saksham Anganwadi and Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) 2.0 scheme, which now includes the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. A nursing mother and her child under the age of three. However, the scheme’s budget for 2022-23 is NOK 20,263, which is less than 1% more than his actual expenditure for 2020-21, an increase of less than 1% over the two years.
Another flagship program of the Indian government is PM POSHAN, or Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman, formerly known as the Mid-Day Meal Program (National School Lunch Programme). The budget for 2022-23 was NOK 10,233.75, 21% lower than the expenditure for 2020-21. Even acknowledging that 2020-2021 was an exceptional year (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the allocated budget falls far short of the scale of funds needed to improve the country’s nutrition. Clearly not.
According to the Accountability Initiative Budget Brief, the per capita cost of the Nutrition Assistance Program (one of the largest components of the scheme) has not increased since 2017 and covers only 41% of the funding needed It remains so short of funds. The budget notes that more than 50% of Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) positions are vacant in Jharkhand, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, suggesting that such an important initiative could be successfully implemented. It points out that there are serious human resource constraints in implementing And while PM POSHAN (or MDM) is widely recognized as a groundbreaking plan that has improved access to education for children across the country, there is often confusion about what should be included in lunches served at schools. embroiled in controversy. Social audits aimed at enabling communities to monitor the quality of services provided in schools are not conducted on a regular basis.
In summary, not only is there a lack of funding for critical nutrition programs, but it is also true that available funds are not being used effectively. Modifying these schemes is the unequivocal answer to addressing India’s multifaceted nutritional challenges.
Cash Transfer and Trust Factors
Cash transfers appear to be the preferred solution for interventions in several social sectors in India today, including the health and nutrition sector. The trinity of JAM (Jan Dhan’s bank account, Aadhaar, mobile) makes up a lot. Equally compelling is the characterization of cash transfers as a mechanism that yields rich political dividends. It is said to be possible to target the right beneficiaries (i.e. a pregnant woman and her family with children under the age of 5) riding on the digital infrastructure available in India. Cash also has the advantage of giving you more options at the household level to decide what to put on your plate.
However, evidence so far of the impact of cash transfers on child nutrition in India is limited. Evidence from elsewhere also largely suggests that while cash transfers improve household food security, they do not necessarily lead to improved nutritional status in children.
In situations where food prices fluctuate and inflation depletes the value of cash, cash transfers have limited effectiveness. Likewise, there are social factors such as ‘son preferences’, which sadly continue to be prevalent in India, influencing household-level decisions when it comes to meeting the nutritional needs of sons and daughters. It is possible. This requires a comprehensive social education program. Cash alone cannot solve this. Moreover, a study of the Mamata Scheme in Orissa, targeting pregnant and lactating women, found that receiving cash benefits had a lasting socioeconomic impact, especially compared to entitlements received through the Public Distribution System (PDS). It showed that there was a mismatch. So while cash may be part of the solution, it’s not the panacea by itself.
back to basics
Malnutrition has been a scourge in India in recent years. Political struggles over malnutrition are useless. No more thinking in silos. It is clear that malnutrition continues due to deteriorating economic conditions in large parts of the country, poor agricultural conditions in India, and continued levels of unsafe sanitation practices.
Cash transfers have a role to play here, especially in regions experiencing severe plight where the purchasing power of households has fallen significantly. Cash transfers can also be used to encourage behavior change in terms of seeking greater institutional support. Food rations with PDS and special supplements for target groups of pregnant and lactating mothers, infants and young children are essential.
India’s malnutrition problem must be largely blamed on persistently underfunded and poorly implemented public programs (such as the former ICDS and MDM schemes). However, getting these plans right requires further involvement of local governments and community groups in the design and delivery of coordinated nutrition interventions. We need a comprehensive program for girls of all ages.
World Hunger Index | Only 3.9% of children are malnourished, according to government
What is needed now is to make tackling child malnutrition a top priority for government agencies. Using POSHAN Utsav for a month might be a good idea, but it’s not a replacement for the painstaking daily work.
Suvojit Chattopadhyay works on governance and public sector reform projects in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
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