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Debjit Mukherjee: India has slipped six notches to rank 107 on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), 2022, out of 121 countries, lagging behind most south Asian countries, barring war-torn Afghanistan. With a score of 29.1, the publishers of Global Hunger Index, European NGOs Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, have tagged the level of hunger as serious.
Bangladesh, which has moved eight positions down to rank 84th among 121 countries GHI, has improved a lot since last year’s 76th rank. Almost all neighbouring countries have flared well. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar have been ranked 99, 64, 84, 81, and 71 respectively. A total of 17 countries have been collectively ranked between 1 and 17 with a score of less than five.
Reacting to India’s low performance, Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development of Telangana, K T Rama Rao, took to Twitter and wrote, “Yet another day & yet another amazing achievement of NPA Govt. India slipped from 101st to 107th rank in Global Hunger Index . Instead of accepting failure, am sure BJP jokers will dismiss the report as anti-Indian now.”
Expressing disappointment, Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned, “When will the Hon’ble PM address real issues like malnutrition, hunger, and stunting and wasting among children? 22.4 crore people in India are considered undernourished.”
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “BJP gives speeches to make a 5-trillion economy. But we are also at number 107 on the hunger index…. Even 106 countries, up to Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, are better than us at providing bread two times. India cannot become number 1 without providing good education to every child.”
