Addressing nutrition along with hunger

Are modern high-yielding varieties of grains less nutri- tive than traditional desi crops? This is a common per- ception that seems largely, albeit not wholly, well founded.

- SURINDER SUD

The result, expectedly, is that though food grains are now available aplenty, and the country has emerged as one of the world’s leading food grain exporters, the incidence of undernourishment and malnutrition remains woefully high.

The Global Hunger Index 2025 ranks India lowly at 102nd position, among 123 countries, in the “serious hunger” category. The poor score is because as many as 32.9 per cent of children below the age of five are “stunted” (low height for age) and 187 per cent “wasted” (low weight for height). Malnutrition is rampant also among adults, especially women and lactating mothers. About 12 per cent of the population is underfed, and nearly two-thirds do not eat what could be deemed a healthy diet.