relationship between poverty and hunger in India

India is among those countries which spend least on social sector services, such as health and education. The government spends only 2.3 % of GDP on health which is far before from the world’s average of 10.02%. Whereas in education sector, it is 3.4% against the world’s average of 4.815%. 

This endangers India’s prospects which currently has the world’s largest young population to reap its demographic dividend by human capital formation. This further has led Indian society to divert its resources from food items to non-food items.

Reasons behind divergence in relationship between Poverty and Hunger 

• India is currently in the third stage of demographic transition with average life expectancy of 68.5 years. Life expectancy increased 61 years in 2001 to 67 years in 2011 and further to 68.5 years in 2019. Further, neonatal mortality, under five mortality and maternal mortality has also decreased considerably which indicates that citizens have considerably spent on health. 

• Further, India’s literacy rate has grown from 18.33 per cent in 1951 to 74.04 per cent in 2011. Apart from it, number of schools, teacher pupil ratio and other indicators has improved over time. 

• But budget allocation in both the sectors have decreased over time since independence which indicates the dependence of people more on their private purse for these expenditure than government. 

• Poor state of public health and education has led to diversion of India’s middle class towards private facilities which are sucking their money. 

• Diversion of citizen’s money from food items to nonfood items have led to increase in malnutrition and hunger. 

• Eating behavior of the country reflects these facts as Indians are more prone to low cost carbohydrate based food than high cost protein based food as they have least to spend on food. 

• Further, increased expenditure on modern day essentials, such, as electricity, internet services, telecom services, etc has increased burden on private purse of individuals.