(a) What is the food production and consumption pattern of India in the last fifty years ? 15 (b) What do you mean by 'hunger'…

(a) India's food production and consumption pattern over fifty years

Production: foodgrain output rose from about 108 million tonnes in 1970-71 to over 330 million tonnes now, led by the Green Revolution (from the mid-1960s) in wheat and rice with high-yielding varieties, irrigation and fertiliser, concentrated at first in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Procurement and the public distribution system turned deficit into surplus buffer stocks. The White Revolution (Operation Flood, from 1970) made India the largest milk producer, with output rising from about 22 million tonnes to over 230 million tonnes. After the 1990s, horticulture, poultry and fisheries diversified output, and horticultural production now exceeds foodgrains, while pulses and oilseeds lagged and are still partly imported.

Consumption: availability per person has risen, but the diet has changed. The share of cereals in the food basket has fallen, with coarse cereals falling more sharply than rice and wheat, while milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables, edible oil and processed food have increased, and food's share of household expenditure has declined. Rural-urban and regional gaps persist, pulses remain scarce in poorer households, and cereal-heavy diets leave protein and micronutrient gaps. Food security through the National Food Security Act, 2013 now covers about 81 crore people with subsidised grain, though access to nutritious food remains uneven.

(b) Hunger and hidden hunger, and strategies to combat them

Hunger is the lack of enough food to meet energy needs, measured as undernourishment; it may be chronic or acute. Hidden hunger is micronutrient deficiency, of iron, vitamin A, zinc, iodine, folate and vitamin B12, that persists even when calories are sufficient. NFHS-5 (2019-21) found anaemia in about 57% of women aged 15-49 and about 67% of children under five, and stunting in about 35% of children.

Strategies: access through the National Food Security Act, 2013, the public distribution system and free grain under PMGKAY; child nutrition through ICDS, Poshan Abhiyaan (Poshan 2.0) and PM POSHAN (school meals); anaemia control through Anaemia Mukt Bharat and iron-folic acid supplementation; vitamin A supplementation; iodised salt and fortification of staples, with fortified rice now supplied through the PDS and school meals; biofortification, such as iron-rich pearl millet and zinc-rich wheat and rice varieties; dietary diversification through nutri-gardens and millets; and nutrition education, women's empowerment and sanitation, which affect absorption. Hunger indices such as the Global Hunger Index are disputed by the Government, but undernutrition and anaemia remain public health problems on its own survey data.

(c) National Dietary Guidelines and an opinion on the Indian balanced diet

The Dietary Guidelines for Indians, issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), were revised in 2024 to give 17 guidelines (the earlier edition of 2011 had 15), with a 'My Plate for the Day' model. Key recommendations: eat a variety from all food groups; limit cereals and millets to no more than about 45% of energy, with whole grains and millets preferred; include pulses, eggs and, for non-vegetarians, fish and lean meat for protein; take plenty of vegetables and fruit; use fats and oils moderately, with total fat below 30% of energy; keep added sugar below 5% of energy and salt below 5 g a day; limit ultra-processed and high-fat, sugar and salt foods; use iodised salt; be physically active and maintain healthy body weight; and drink safe water.

Opinion: the typical Indian diet is not balanced. It is cereal-heavy and low in pulses, protein, fruit, vegetables and micronutrients, giving anaemia and stunting, while rising consumption of refined foods, sugar and oils contributes to obesity, diabetes and hypertension, a double burden of malnutrition. Affordability is the main barrier: the FAO estimates that more than half of Indians could not afford a healthy diet in 2022. Guidelines work only with systemic support: affordable pulses, milk, eggs and produce through PDS and school meals, millets in public procurement, and food labelling and region-specific advice that respects local food cultures.