(a) whether as per the Global Hunger Index Report nearly 21 crore people in the country have become victim of starvation from the year 2011 to 2013;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the remedial steps taken in this regard along with the success achieved therein?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE)
(a) & (b): No Madam. The Global Hunger Index(GHI) Report brought out by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) gives an index ranging from 0 (no hunger) to 100 (worst) based on three criteria, percentage proportion of undernourished in the population, prevalence of underweight in children under five years age and under-five mortality rate. For India index score has come down from 23.7 in 2011 to 21.3 in 2013.
(c): The Government of India has accorded high priority to the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the country and is implementing several schemes/programmes of different Ministries/Departments through State Governments/UT Administrations to improve food security situation in the country. These include Targeted Public Distribution System(TPDS), Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) for pre-school children and pregnant and lactating mothers through the Ministry of Women and Child Development, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) through Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM) for primary and upper primary children through Ministry of Human Resource Development, Annapurna Scheme for the senior citizens, Nutritional Programme for Adolescent Girls, Emergency Feeding Programme, etc.
To further strengthen these efforts, Government has passed the National Food Security Act, 2013 with the objective to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity. The Act has provisions of nutritional support to children and women especially pregnant and lactating women.