Abstract
Men, women and children in India continue to have unacceptably high rates of undernutrition. Sustained economic growth at impressively high levels over a decade and the transition into middle income country status notwithstanding, well over one-third of Indian adults have chronic protein energy malnutrition as expressed in body mass indices (BMIs) below the norm, and even higher proportions of children are stunted, wasted or underweight for age making undernutrition India’s major public health challenge. This chapter explores the factors underlying India’s nutrition crisis and State response to the issue, including the Right to Food approach and the Food Security Act.
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Notes
- 1.
While previous internationally adopted child growth standards were based on samples with limited variability—genetic, geographical, cultural, or socio-economic, from 2006 onwards the WHO height and weight standards are derived from data collected from approximately 8,500 children belonging to different ethnic backgrounds and cultural settings in six countries: Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the US. The selected children were raised in healthy environments, fed a nutritious diet and had minimum exposure to infections. In addition, their mothers followed good health practices such as breastfeeding and abstaining from smoking during and after pregnancy, thus providing health standards which can be attained provided these practices are followed.
- 2.
Data are from the WHO Global Database, 2013.
- 3.
The TPDS has now been brought under the Food Security Act, which prescribes changed norms of allocation.
- 4.
Order dated 2 May 2003 in People’s Union for Civil Liberties vs. Union of India, CWP 196/2001.
- 5.
Supreme Court Order dated 28 November 2001 in CWP 196/2001.
- 6.
The term ‘out of school’ covers children of school-going age, who have never been enrolled in school, as well as school dropouts.
- 7.
Diarhoea remains the major cause of death (after respiratory infections) among children under five resulting in as many as 400,000 deaths per year. Unhygienic practices and unsafe drinking water are some of the main causes. More than 122 million households in the country do not have toilets. While access to protected sources of drinking water has improved dramatically, most rural water supply systems remain dependent on groundwater and inadequate maintenance and neglect of the area around the water source has increased levels of groundwater pollution.
- 8.
Supreme Court (SC), Chameli Singh and Others versus State of Uttar Pradesh, 1996.
- 9.
SC, Narmada Bachao Andolan versus Union of India, 2000.
- 10.
SC, Francis Coralie Mullin versus Union Territory of Delhi and Others, 1981.
- 11.
Krishan Pattnayak versus State of Orissa, (1989) Supp 1 SCC 258.
- 12.
Krishan Pattnayak versus State of Orissa, (1989) Supp 1 SCC 258, paras 12, 13.
- 13.
Krishan Pattnayak versus State of Orissa, (1989) Supp 1 SCC 258, para 20.
- 14.
SC, People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India and Ors, 2001.
- 15.
The Food Security Ordinance was promulgated on 3 July 2013.
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Ramachandran, N. (2014). India’s Nutrition Scenario: Issues and State Response. In: Persisting Undernutrition in India. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1832-6_1
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