NEW DELHI: The free ration scheme for 8,100 crore poor families, launched during the Covid-19 pandemic and now extended for another five years, is a ‘medal of honor’ in the world’s fastest growing economy. ” Or is it a “stain”? Why is India still ranked 111 out of 125 countries on the 2023 Global Hunger Index? Why are 32% of Indian children still underweight, according to the government’s own figures? mosquito?
These and other questions regarding the promises and claims of the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government’s 10-year rule “Food Security and Nutrition Report Card 2014-24”” Brought out by Financial Accountability Network India (FAN India) is a collective of civil society organizations, trade unions, people’s movements and concerned citizens.
The report card, which was prepared after perusing mainly government documents and statements, states that the BJP’s 2014 The 2017 election manifesto is cited.
But what will the reality be 10 years from now under the Modi government?
“According to the latest National Family Health Survey (NHFS), 36% of children under the age of five in India are stunted (or stunted for their age). It is said that it is a sign of 32% of children under the age of 5 are underweight,” the report card states.
Despite initiatives like Anemia Mukta Bharat 2018, the incidence of anemia among women aged 15-49 increased from 53% in 2015-16 to 57.2% in 2019-20, according to the NHFS. Pointed out.
In fact, 67% of the children had some degree of anemia (hemoglobin <11). Furthermore, from 2015-16 to 2019-21 under the Modi government, "the prevalence of anemia among children aged 6 to 59 months increased from 59% to 67%."
Prime Minister Modi’s home state of Gujarat, much touted as a “model state” during the 2014 parliamentary election campaign, has the highest prevalence of anemia among children aged 6.59 at 80%.
According to NFHS-5, the most affected districts are Narmada (93.2%), Panchmahal (91%) and Aravalli (89.5%).
Among the poor, both urban and rural, the most disadvantaged in terms of food security are marginalized communities such as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
The FAN-India report card cites a study by economist Dipa Sinha, who looked at NHFS data, stating that “the prevalence of stunting in SCs and STs is around 40 per cent, while in ‘others’ The group is mainly made up of upper caste Hindus.
He also cited a research report published by JAMA Network Open Journal in February 2024 that found India ranks third in terms of number of children aged 6 to 23 months who have not eaten anything in the past 24 hours. It showed that it was ranked first.
Against this background, shouldn’t the government increase its allocation to systems that directly impact maternal and child nutrition?
What is the reality of government spending under the Modi government?
As an example, the mid-day meal scheme, now renamed PM-Poshan, has declined from 0.79% in 2013-14 to 0.23% in 2024-25.
Further, “Saffronization of food has meant that children in many states are no longer able to consume eggs from their mid-day meals. We provide nutritional supplements,” the report card states.
No wonder the incidence of child stunting increased in 21 states between NHFS-4 and NHFS-5, among other reasons.
Regarding the allocation for Pradhan Mantri Mathur Vandana Yojana, the report card shows an RTI response that the number of beneficiaries has declined from 96,000 in 2019-20 to 61,000 in 2021-22. is quoted.
“Currently, women receive only Rs 5,000 under this scheme compared to Rs 6,000 mandated under the National Food Security Act,” the report said.
Anganwadi women and helper services across the country, which are vital to caring for and monitoring children’s nutrition and health, are cracking under the pressure of unfilled vacancies and insufficient honorariums and benefits.
According to the government’s own data, 70,444 posts for anganwadi workers and 1,23,287 posts for helpers are vacant across the country.
Moreover, the budget allocation for food subsidy under the public distribution scheme for 2024-2025 has decreased by 3.33% from the revised estimate of Rs 2.05 billion. 2.12 billion in 2023-24.
And the share of food subsidies in the total budget has steadily declined over the decade of the Modi government, from 6.4% in 2014-15 to 4.3% in 2024-25.
While the Modi government extended 5 kg free food grains to eligible households under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana in January this year, it had said:This is a historic decision that reflects His Excellency’s dedication and dedication. Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is working towards strengthening food and nutrition security in the country. ” But a perusal of the government’s own data and allocations in this report card tells a different story. Can ‘Bharat’ think of becoming ‘Vikshit’ if most of its future children are underweight and stunted?
