What lies beyond the rice bowl

Step into two neighbouring homes in rural Odisha and the first thing you notice is reassuring.

- The writer is ICSSR Doctoral Fellow, Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies, Bhubaneswar

In both kitchens, rice is cooking. On both plates, there is enough to eat. This quiet but significant achievement reflects years of public investment in food security and the steady expansion of the PDS. Hunger, at least in its most visible form, has been pushed back.

But look a little closer at those plates, and another story begins to emerge. In one home, the meal is simple; rice and dal, with a few vegetables. In the other, there is fish curry, leafy greens, and sometimes even fruit. These everyday differences do not take away from the success of India's food policies. Instead, they highlight the next challenge before us: moving from filling stomachs to nourishing bodies.

A recent study examining the diets of 13,113 households across Odisha between 2011 and 2023 brings this reality into focus. The research shows that while calorie intake has become more equal across social groups, the quality of food people consume remains uneven. In other words, access to food has improved but access to good nutrition has not kept pace. The patterns are clear. Households from historically margin-