With millions of families already in deep distress due to the first wave, we must look beyond the issue of oxygen and pay attention to abject hunger among the millions of people in the country.

Reasons for increasing hunger crisis in India

• Poor and marginalised sector is often ignored by government: The lack of food and rations is a big visible crisis but this visibility is limited to migrants whom we could see and till the time they were in the larger cities.
  • The moment migrant population move away from cities and reach into villages, they often get out of radar and their needs were largely ignored by governments, agencies and the media.
  • The first wave of the pandemic was proof that Indian villages are not really part of development agendas, and even in times of crisis they come last.
• Lack of work for daily wage workers: The employers are driving down the rates for daily wages with increasing supply.
• Coronavirus exacerbates India's hunger problem: The pandemic has reportedly intensified food insecurity in India, with the hunger crisis gripping vast swaths of rural hinterland and some urban areas.
  • The UN World Food Programme has estimated that COVID-19 will increase the number of people facing acute food insecurity around the world.
• Lack of involvement of private sector: The concern exists that many urban poor, slum dwellers and those returning to their villages are not part of the support system and continue to miss out food support from the government food support.
  • The concern about declining private sector support is widespread, as with passing time some of the beneficiaries of these programmes may not continue to get the support and yet, still depending on the humanitarian support.

Why India needs to address hunger crisis?

• State of Hunger in India: According to FAO estimates in ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2020 report, 189.2 million people are undernourished in India.
  • 34.7% of the children aged under five in India are stunted (too short for their age), while 20% suffer from wasting, meaning their weight is too low for their height.
• Diminishing role of farmers: The farmers are merely seen as providers of our food, and distressed farmers as migrant workers or labour in our factories, buildings and homes.
• Food supply system in jeopardy: The experts say that the hunger crisis is not due to the shortage of food production but the government's efforts have failed to improve the situation.
• India’s vulnerability to climate change: The increasing frequency of extreme events all together pose a serious challenge to the food and nutrition security scenario in the country.

Consequences of hunger crisis

Economic Impact

• The high food prices would have different effects on net sellers and net buyers but the net buyers are large in number including all urban poor and majority of rural poor.
• The increase in food prices erodes the purchasing power of the poor as the incomes of the poor will fall and those who are near (and above) the poverty line are likely to become poor.
• The rising food, commodity and oil prices have increased the general inflation. 
• The higher food prices can reduce economic activity in the country as inflation will reduce consumption, savings and investment.

Social Impact

• The rise in food prices would worsen nutrition especially among infants (0-24 months), pregnant and lactating mothers.
• The food price rise would affect the food consumption of households which in turn reduces consumption of women and children.
• The rise on food prices could increase incentives for producers but, due to constraints on input supplies and other factors, the past evidence suggests that higher prices many not necessarily stimulate production by female farmers.
• The decline in food consumption and expenditures on health would have impact on nutrition of children.

Steps taken by government to tackle hunger crisis

• One Nation One Ration Card (ONOR) Scheme: The beneficiaries can lift their entitled foodgrains from any ePoS (electronic Point of Sale device) enabled Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice by using their same/existing ration cards with biometric authentication on the ePoS device.
• Mid-day meals: The mid-day meal programme provides daily meals to over 120 million children between classes 1 and 8 in all government and government-aided schools with nutritious cooked meals.
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): It provides 100 million children under 6 years of age and pregnant and lactating mothers with cooked meals and take-home rations.
• National Food Security Mission: It aims to increase production through area expansion and productivity, create employment opportunities and enhance the farm-level economy (i.e. farm profits) to restore confidence of farmers.

Measures to be adopted to address hunger crisis

• Coordination among key stakeholders: The steps in establishing a high-powered empowered group at the centre and in the states and subsequent engagement of the highest leadership at different levels and among partners is key in resolving hunger crisis.
• Expansion of coverage of social safety nets: There is a need to work towards ensuring that the large number of vulnerable people who are currently out of food based social safety-nets are all included into the food system across all states given the Centre is spending a vast amount of resources.
  • There could also be provision made to introduce food for assets scheme promoting afforestation or community infrastructure programme.
• Diversification of the food basket of social safety-nets and feeding behaviours: There is a need to expand the food basket to ensure that all key nutrient requirements are fulfilled.
  • The strategies such as nutri-garden/kitchen gardens, micronutrient supplementation and fortification along with direct cash distribution should promote better nutritional outcomes.
• Surveillance system for food and nutrition security and engagement with NGOs: There is a potential emergence of new hotspots with respect to food and nutrition security with movement of migrant labourers, loss of wages and livelihood at various locations.
  • The continued engagement by NGOs can help fill blind spots and complement government efforts.
• Integration of tracking systems of the three food-based safety nets under NFSA: It will be opportune to collectively look at all three food-based interventions and integrate their data on beneficiaries to promote complementarity and further enhancement of their effectiveness and their impact.
• Supporting agriculture and allied sectors: It is crucial to closely watch emerging concerns in the availability of farm inputs such as labor, agricultural inputs, machinery and finance, so that the farming system continues to run uninterrupted.
• Focus on SGD 2: The SDGs aim to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people, especially children, have sufficient and nutritious food all year.

Road ahead

• The government needs to step up its efforts to overcome the food shortage crisis because India needs is a universal Public Distribution System (PDS) of food to ensure that nobody goes hungry during the pandemic.
• The food security in India’s post-COVID-19 phase will influence the country’s growth in more ways than one, so strengthening the same with timely and strategic initiatives will define how India fares tomorrow.
• India needs to design more supportive, sustainable, and long-term food and agriculture policies with expanded investment in food production and research.
• The governments need to partner with the international community to ensure access to targeted safety nets for vulnerable groups.

• There is a need to empower the institutions and the governance structure that gives voice to farmers, poor people in rural areas, and the hungry in general, wherever they are.