With rising food inflation, the Government of India must step up its nutritional safety nets for the weaker sections. Analyse (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 3 years
KEY POINTS
· In India, child malnutrition has been improving gradually. Between the last two National Family Health Surveys (NFHSs) conducted in 2015-16 and 2019-21, children who are underweight reduced by 3.7 percentage points.
· Currently, inflation is running at 7.8 per cent and food inflation, at 8.4 per cent. If food prices rise by 20 per cent, families may be able to afford 20 per cent less food if there is no scope for dipping into savings or to increase income.
· The budget for the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) and MDM (mid-day meal) schemes have to be increased to adjust for the rise in commodity and fuel prices.
· Micronutrient deficiencies are not well documented in India, but going by whatever data is available, such deficiencies are found to be high in normal times and can be expected to rise in times of inflation and low incomes.
· In such conditions the first things families will cut out is fruits and vegetables as they are relatively costlier than other food items (cereals), but they are the main sources of micronutrients.
· In sum, if the nutritional safety nets such as ICDS, MDM and PMGKAY are not strengthened substantially now, India will see increasing malnutrition in the days to come.
AZMI ALI 3 years
Please Review
IAS Parliament 3 years
Try to provide proper conclusion and avoid lisiting out schemes, try to explain them briefly. Keep Writing.
Rekha 3 years
Kindly review mam/sir
IAS Parliament 3 years
Good attempt. Keep Writing.
Rekha 3 years
