India’s placement in the Global Hunger Index 2023 has ignited controversy as the government disputes its ranking. The report, released by two European agencies on October 12, 2023, positioned India at 111th out of 125 countries, indicating a significant level of hunger within the nation.
India’s score on the index is 28.7, and it slipped four positions compared to the previous year. This places India behind neighbouring countries such as Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th), and Sri Lanka (60th). Nevertheless, it did outperform the South Asia and Africa South of the Sahara regions, both of which recorded a score of 27.
In response to these rankings, India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development has strongly criticized the report, labelling it as “flawed” and asserting that it inadequately reflects India’s actual hunger situation. They argue that the Global Hunger Index is burdened by methodological shortcomings, and its intent is questionable.
