Topics
- questions Global Hunger Index method
- India’s GDP to grow 5% in 2021
- World Sparrow Day
Govt. questions Global Hunger Index method
Context:Union Minister of State for Agriculture, in the Rajya Sabha, questioned the methodology and data accuracy of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report, which has placed India at 94th among 107 countries in 2020.
- The minister claimed that children considered healthy were also counted to determine the ranking.
Global Hunger Index 2020
- India has been ranked at 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020. Overall Performance
- With a score of 27.2, India has a level of hunger that is “serious”.
- It ranks 94 out of 107 countries in the Index. In 2019, India‟s rank was 102 out of 117 countries.
Comparison with Other Countries
- India features behind Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70) among others.
- Out of the total 107 countries, only 13 countries fare worse than India including countries like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107) among others.
Performance on the Indicators
- Undernourishment: 14% of India‟s population is undernourished (2017-19). It was 16.3% during 2011-13.
- Child Wasting: 17.3% (2015-19), it was 15.1% in 2010-14.
- Child Stunting: 34.7%, it has improved significantly, from 54% in 2000 to less than 35% now.
- Child Mortality: 3.7%, it was 5.2% in 2012.
Global Hunger Index
- Annual Report: Jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
- It was first produced in 2006. It is published every October. The 2020 edition marks the 15th edition of the GHI.
- Aim: To comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.
- Calculation: The GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is calculated on the basis of four indicators:
○ Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
○ Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
○ Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
○ Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.
- Scoring:
- Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
- Each country‟s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming
India’s GDP to grow 5% in 2021
Context:Recently, UNCTAD projects India’s GDP to grow 5% in 2021
- The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has projected India’s economy to contract by 6.9 per cent in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, is forecast to record a “stronger recovery” in 2021 and grow by 5 per cent.
- Further, the UNCTAD estimates the global economy to grow by 4.7 per cent in 2021.
- The report noted that the deeper than expected downturn in 2020 explains in part the stronger recovery now projected for 2021 for India. According to a UN report which said the country’s current fiscal year budget points to a shift towards the demand-side stimulus, with an uptick in public investment.
UNCTAD
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a body of the UN
- It aims to develop opportunities, investments and trade in developing countries.
- It deals with trade issues, investments and other matters concerning development. United Nations Conference Trade and Development goals are:
- The development opportunities, investments and trade of developing countries are to be maximized.
- The efforts of developing countries to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis would be assisted by UNCTAD.
World Sparrow Day
- World Sparrow Day is celebrated every year on March 20 to raise awareness about the House Sparrow and other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations. The theme of 2021 World Sparrow Day “I LOVE Sparrows”.
- The day was initiated by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and numerous other national and international organisations across the world. The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010.
- The sparrows are known to live in the backyards and green patches in urban areas but “in the last two decades, their population is on the decline in almost every city,” according to the wwfindia.org. On this World Sparrow Day let’s encourage children and others around us to respect spaces for sparrows.