How is India countering the hunger issue

How is India
countering the hunger
issue?
Maybe at this point in time, India cannot claim to be a hunger-free nation.
But, the government along with non-governmental organisations like
Akshaya Patra, and the civil society has accelerated its efforts to counter
the prevailing issue of hunger. And, the various schemes and initiatives are
a testimony to this effort.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation
www.akshayapatra.org

Access to food is one of the most basic rights of each and every person. Since 2000, the scores
of Global Hunger Index have declined by 27%, but, 815 million people i.e. 1 in 9 people across
the globe still suffer from chronic hunger each day. Of this, 190.7 million reside in India! Also,
while we discuss about remedies for various diseases and disorders, are we aware that hunger
is the number one cause of death in the world? Remaining specific to India, the government has
initiated several programmes to eliminate hunger from the grass root level, but before delving
into the solutions, here is a quick overview on the hunger problem in India.
Hunger problem in India
In the world map,
India is home to 1/3 rd of world’s hungry population
The total hunger population in India is 190.7 million
India ranks 100 among 119 countries in Global Hunger Index 2017 thereby falling under
the ‘serious’ range
21% children under five years of age suffer from wasting
40% children under five years of age suffer from stunting
There are several causes for the current hunger situation in India. But, at the core of it are:
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The vicious cycle of unemployment-poverty-illiteracy; and
Improper supply-chain leading to unavailability and inaccessibility to food
Ways to tackle hunger
The Government of India has initiated programmes like Anganwadi feeding, Mid-Day Meal
Scheme, and the recently launched National Nutrition Mission as a response to tackle the
hunger situation in the country. It has welcomed the participation of NGOs for the
implementation of these programmes so that maximum impact can be attained.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one such NGO in India implementing the Mid-Day Meal
Scheme as its primary feeding programme and Anganwadi feeding as one of its subsidiary
feeding programmes.
Mid-Day Meal Programme
As a mid-day meal NGO in India, Akshaya Patra is currently providing freshly cooked, nutritious
mid-day meals to more than 1.75 million children in 38 locations across 12 states of India.
Anganwadi programme
As part of the Anganwadi feeding initiative, Akshaya Patra is currently providing nutritious meals in
4,786 Anganwadi centres in nine locations of five states of India. It has a beneficiary base of 1,61,410
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young children in the age group of 3 years to 6 years and more than 6,000 pregnant and lactating
mothers. The below table enlists the Foundation’s reach in Anganwadi feeding:
By implementing the Anganwadi feeding programme, Akshaya Patra wants to ensure that
children, expecting and lactating mothers have access to nutritious diet in sufficient quantity
during the crucial developmental stages.
Result of the feeding programmes
The outcome and the importance of mid-day meal is visible in the impact it has had in the
health, nutrition level, and education of children from socio-economically disadvantaged
backgrounds. The below is a snapshot of mid-day meal’s impact on children:
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Similarly, the Anganwadi feeding programme is contributing to:
Be the solution for India’s hunger problem
Well, the efforts of the government and of the NGOs can come to complete fruition only when
each member of the civil society actively and responsibly act to fight the hunger problem.
Today, take the pledge to be the solution for India’s hunger problem. Because when you act
with us, we can defeat hunger!
The Akshaya Patra Foundation © 2018