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UPSC MainsGeneral Studies Paper IIndian SocietyPractice question

Tackling Hunger and Poverty for Good Governance

Hunger and poverty are the biggest challenges for good governance in India. Evaluate how far successive governments have progressed in dealing with these humongous problems. Suggest measures for improvement.

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Introduce the challenge of hunger and poverty in the context of good governance using current indicators. Evaluate governmental progress across multidimensional poverty reduction, welfare architecture, and food security, while highlighting persistent structural gaps. Conclude with actionable measures for improvement aligned with sustainable development goals.

Model answer

409 words

Introduction

Despite being among the fastest-growing major economies, poverty and hunger remain central challenges to good governance in India. While significant strides have been achieved over successive decades, severe structural gaps persist, as reflected by India's 105th rank in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024.

Progress Made by Successive Governments

Successive administrations have undertaken institutional and policy transitions to curb poverty and ensure food security:

  • Multidimensional Poverty Reduction: According to a NITI Aayog discussion paper (2024), multidimensional poverty registered a steep decline from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, lifting an estimated 24.82 crore individuals out of poverty.
  • Targeted Welfare Delivery: Governance has shifted from discretionary, leakage-prone programs to targeted delivery leveraging the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) and Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) across flagship initiatives like PM Awas Yojana.
  • Institutional Food Security: Enactment of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 transitioned food access into a legal entitlement covering approximately 81 crore individuals, reinforced by schemes like PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) and PM POSHAN.
  • Grassroots Mobilization: Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has mobilized over 9 crore rural women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs), fostering decentralized economic empowerment.

Implementation Gaps and Structural Challenges

Despite administrative interventions, critical deficits hinder systemic outcomes:

  • Nutritional Poverty and Hidden Hunger: A predominant focus on cereal distribution under the Public Distribution System (PDS) compromises dietary diversity. NFHS-5 data reflects persistent child malnutrition, with stunting at 35.5% and wasting at 18.7%.
  • Vulnerability of the Informal Workforce: Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data highlights that nearly 90% of India's workforce remains within the informal sector, lacking comprehensive social security cushions against economic shocks.
  • Accountability and Audit Deficits: Statutory oversight mechanisms, such as Social Audits under MGNREGA, frequently suffer from erratic funding, institutional resistance, and state-level apathy.

Measures for Improvement

To overcome these challenges, governance frameworks require targeted reforms:

  • Nutritious and Diversified PDS: Transition PDS baskets from basic calorie provisions toward nutrient-dense options, incorporating coarse cereals, millets (Shree Anna), pulses, and bio-fortified crops.
  • Urban Social Protection: Formulate a statutory urban employment guarantee architecture to mitigate vulnerable livelihood risks among urban informal workers.
  • Decentralization and Independent Social Audits: Empower Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) with untied funds and institutionalize independent social audits to curb leakage and localized corruption.

Conclusion

Eradicating poverty and hunger requires pivoting governance from passive welfare distribution to structural capability building. Aligning sustained economic growth with universal human capital development is indispensable for realizing SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

Key facts to remember

statistic

Multidimensional poverty in India declined from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, moving approximately 24.82 crore people out of poverty.

— NITI Aayog Discussion Paper (January 2024)
statistic

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), India records a child stunting rate of 35.5% and a wasting rate of 18.7%.

— NFHS-5 (2019-21)
scheme
National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

A landmark legislation providing subsidized food grains as a legal entitlement to roughly two-thirds of India's population (around 81 crore beneficiaries).

definition
Hidden Hunger

A form of undernutrition where an individual consumes sufficient calories, but lacks essential micronutrients and vitamins vital for physical and cognitive development.

Frequently asked questions

Why does hunger persist in India despite record food grain production?

Hunger persists primarily due to nutritional poverty (lack of diverse, protein- and micronutrient-rich food), economic inequality limiting purchasing power, and gaps in cold storage, distribution, and targeted welfare delivery.

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