Prevalence of Undernourishment in Indian States: Explorations Based on NSS 68th Round Data Vikas Rawal, Vaishali Bansal, Prachi Bansal

Prevalence of undernourishment, a measure developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization, is a key indicator for global hunger and food insecurity targets. The FAO has developed a sound conceptual model for estimating the prevalence of dietary energy deficiency. However, the estimation methodology of the prevalence of undernourishment has been a subject of much debate. Important modifications are suggested in the estimation of the distribution of average calorie intake and average minimum dietary energy requirements. Using the latest available data and the revised methodology, it is shown that about 472 million people in India, a staggering 39% of the population, were undernourished in 2011–12.

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(This article was originally published in the Economic & Political Weekly on April 13, 2019.)