Cong targets Modi govt after India falls to 111th rank in Global Hunger Index

The Congress on Friday targeted the Narendra Modi government over Indias poor ranking in the Global Hunger Index GHI asking whether 74 per cent of Indians are not able to afford a healthy diet due to backbreaking price riseCongress president Mallikarjun Kharge cited data from the National Health and Family Survey 20192021 and Indian experts to say that 57 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 years are anaemicThe Modi government is allergic to any critical global data but even Indian data says that our people are going hungry The Modi government can deny that Indias rank in the Global Hunger Index slipped from 107th out of 121 countries in 2022 to 111th out of 125 countries in 2023But would they deny the following Is it not true that 355 per cent of children under the age of five are stunted Which means their height has not grown with their age Is it not a fact that 193 per cent of children in India are wasted Which means they weigh less than the national average for their height Is it incorrect that 57 per cent of our women aged between 15 and 49 years are anaemic he asked in a post on XIndia ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the GHI2023 which was rejected by the government as erroneous and having malafide intentThe index released on Thursday also stated that India has the highest childwasting rate in the world at 187 per cent reflecting acute undernutritionThe Congress also posted on its X handle India has fallen further down in the ranking of Global Hunger Index Now India has come to 111th position Till last year it was at 107th positionIndias poor ranking in the Global Hunger Index shows that today the country is facing a serious situation of hunger and starvation Like every time the Modi government will distance itself from these figuresit is certain the party said in a post in HindiCongress president Kharge also accused the government of slashing food subsidyIs it untrue that in the Modi governments Budget 202324 food subsidy saw an astounding decrease of 3128 per cent that is onethird of its funds were slashed Is it not a fact that 74 per cent of Indians were not able to afford a healthy diet due to backbreaking foodsnatching price rise imposed by the BJPIt is another story that even the Global Hunger Index which is scrutinised by experts is based on food balance sheets reported by us India and is even used for UN Sustainable Development Goals SDGs but the Modi government now does not accept it he saidThe Modi government can also claim that food grains are being distributed to 80 crore Indians but according to experts even that number is short of a whopping 14 crore people because Census 2021 is indefinitely delayed he allegedKharge claimed it was the Congressled UPA government which had brought the Food Security Act 2013 but the BJP had opposed it thenThe nation has not forgotten the then CM Modis shameful remark on our Gujarat girls and malnutrition he said apparently referring to his alleged remark attributing the states high rates of malnutrition to vegetarianism and figureconscious Gujarati girlsAccording to the Global Hunger Index the rate of undernourishment in India stood at 166 per cent and underfive mortality at 31 per centIndia ranked 107th out of 121 countries in the 2022 edition of the GHI a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at global regional and national levelsWith a score of 287 in the GHI2023 India has a level of hunger that is serious according to a report based on the indexIndias neighbouring countries Pakistan 102nd Bangladesh 81st Nepal 69th and Sri Lanka 60th have fared better than it in the indexSouth Asia and Africa South of the Sahara are the world regions with the highest hunger levels with a GHI score of 27 each indicating serious hungerIndia has the highest child wasting rate in the world at 187 per cent reflecting acute undernutrition the report based on the index stated Wasting is measured based on childrens weight relative to their heightThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever