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NUTRITION AND FOOD SECURITY IN NEWS
NUTRITION SCHEMES
1. Plans To Overhaul ICDS Programme
These articles by Harsh Mander and Rashme Sehgal expresses concerns over the plan
of the central government to overhaul the Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS) programme. The government considered replacing the current practice of
serving hot cooked meals by either providing direct cash transfers or substituting it
with packaged food.
Cash transfers into bank accounts have not worked successfully either in the
MGNREGA or in the Public Distribution System (PDS). The key question is will they
be effective in combating malnutrition and rampant anaemia affecting lakhs of
pregnant and lactating mothers?
https://thewire.in/185629/government-planning-dismantle-icds-programme/ (By
Rashme Sehgal - 9th October 2017)
http://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-replacing-food-with-cash-transfers-
cannot-end-malnutrition-in-india/story-6juy4x9t3gng1n20cxsg9o.htm (By Harsh
Mander - 5th October 2017)
2. Time To Explore Mid-Day Meals During School Holidays: HRD Ministry
The possibility of providing mid-day meals even during school holidays should be
explored, a top HRD ministry official said in reference to the death of a Jharkhand girl
allegedly due to starvation. The official said while it has been established that the 11-
year-old girl was not being denied mid-day meals, it was true that she could not avail
its benefits during the period that preceded her death due to school holidays. "Can we
think of some initiative for the poorest of the poor wherein we can provide them mid-
day meals even during holidays?" Rina Ray, special secretary in the Department of
School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Human Resource Development,
asked.
https://www.ndtv.com/education/time-to-explore-mid-day-meals-during-school-
holidays-hrd-ministry-1767916 (27th October 2017)3. Introduce Eggs, Milk in Mid-Day Meal, ICDS Diet: NHRC For the ICDS scheme, it has been recommended that adequate food testing facilities be created preferably at the district level by all states through the public health department, universities and colleges. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/introduce-eggs-milk-in-mid-day-meal-icds- diet-nhrc-4910152/ (28th October 2017) 4. Maternity Entitlements On Hold: How The Government Has Undermined Women’s And Children’s Rights Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), maternity entitlements of Rs 6,000 per child is a legal right of all Indian women. However, over the years it has been observed that the current government has not done much on this front. The finance ministry made a modest allocation of Rs 2,700 crore for maternity benefits in the 2017-18 Budget – a fraction of what is required for universal coverage as per NFSA norms, but better than nothing. The women and child development ministry designed a new scheme for this purpose, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). According to a recent statement of the ministry of women and child development, only 10,000 women have received maternity benefits under PMMVY so far. This is barely 1% of IGMSY coverage before it was discontinued. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/maternity-entitlements-on- hold-how-the-government-has-undermined-womens-and-childrens-rights/ (By Jean Drèze – 11th January 2018) 5. Public Health Activists Oppose Maneka Gandhi's Move to Packaged Nutrients Over Take Home Rations in Anganwadis Expressing their discomfort with private contractors holding people‘s food in their hands, the campaigners added, ―For years, the Right to Food campaign has been fighting the battle against the role of private contractors in the supply of supplementary nutrition in the ICDS. In state after state it has been seen that the unholy nexus between the contractors and politicians/bureaucrats result in central contracts worth hundreds of crores for supply of food to ICDS. The quality of food supplied to the centres is compromised while companies make profits from the meagre allocations for supplementary nutrition.‖
https://www.news18.com/news/india/public-health-activists-oppose-maneka-gandhis- move-to-packaged-nutrients-over-take-home-rations-in-anganwadis-1721591.html (18th April 2018) 6. Nutritional Politics Many children have died of malnutrition in India and yet Women and Child Development Ministers over the years haven‘t decided what food to give children in anganwadis. This is worrying. How many more children must suffer from stunted growth before the Minister in charge of their welfare decides on whether to serve them hot-cooked nutritious meals or packaged/processed fortified mixes? And why does there have to be a choice between the two? Why can‘t India incorporate both? Is it really that difficult to keep a close watch on the quality of food served to children between the ages of three and six as well as take-home ration for pregnant and lactating women? https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/nutritional-politics/article23686583.ece (By Anuradha Raman - 27th April 2018) 7. Nutrition Council Rejects Maneka Gandhi’s Proposal To Replace Anganwadi Rations With Nutrient Packages Referring to Maneka Gandhi‘s proposal, the minutes of the first meeting, released this week, states, ―The Chairman brought out that the council had received a reference from the Hon‘ble Minister of WCD with respect to administration of Supplementary Nutrition i.e. Its composition and delivery. The Chairman drew attention to the PMO decision in this regard and the need for continuance of the existing practice of Hot Cooked Meals for children (3-6 years) age group and Take Home Ration (THR) for children (6 months-3 years) and pregnant women and lactating mothers as decided by the state government in conformity with the National Food Security Act 2013 and the Supplementary Nutrition Rules 2017. This view was endorsed unanimously by the Council.‖ https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nutrition-council-rejects-manekas-proposal-to- replace-anganwadi-rations-with-nutrient-packages-5154583/lite/ (By Shalini Nair – 28th April 2018) 8. Without Maternity Benefits
Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) of 2013, every pregnant woman is entitled to maternity benefits of ₹6,000, unless she is already receiving similar benefits as a government employee or under other laws. The PMMVY was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 31, 2016. Unfortunately, it violates the NFSA in several ways. First, the benefits have been reduced from ₹6,000 to ₹5,000 per child. Second, they are now restricted to the first living child. Third, they are further restricted to women above the age of 18 years. The scheme largely defeats the purpose it is supposed to serve: according to a recent analysis, it excludes more than half of all pregnancies because first-order births account for only 43% of all births in India. In our sample, less than half of the women met the PMMVY eligibility criteria. Among those who were eligible, a little over half had applied for maternity benefits. The application process is cumbersome and exclusionary: a separate form has to be filled, signed and submitted for each of the three instalments, along with a copy of the applicant‘s mother-child protection card, her Aadhaar card, her husband‘s Aadhaar card, and the details of a bank account linked to her Aadhaar number. The compulsory linking of the applicant‘s bank account with Aadhaar often causes problems. Further, the PMMVY provides little assistance to women who lose their baby, because the successive payments are made only if the corresponding conditionalities are met. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/without-maternity- benefits/article25616970.ece?Utm_campaign=amp_article_share&utm_medium=refer ral&utm_source=whatsapp.com (By Aditi Priya – 28th November 2018) 9. Maneka Gandhi Bypassed; Nutrition Norms Cleared The NITI Aayog has approved the supplementary nutrition guidelines, prepared by the Ministry for Women and Child Development, bypassing Minister for Women and Child Development. The disagreement primarily centred around the approaches to food procured as take-home rations and the hot cooked meals served to 10 crore beneficiaries at 14 lakh anganwadis under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) The debate within the Ministry has also included the issue of what constitutes supplementary nutrition at anganwadis. Ms. Gandhi has repeatedly asserted that policy-makers need to ―stop thinking of giving food and instead think of giving nutrition,‖ while officials record in their communication to the NITI Aayog that as per
the National Food Security Act ―food security is supply of the entitled quantity of food grains and meals.‖ https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maneka-gandhi-bypassed-nutrition-norms- cleared/article24905702.ece?Homepage=true (By Jagriti Chandra – 9th September 2018) 10. Private Sector Ideas On Nutrition Should Be Taken With A Pinch Of 'Fortified' Salt In Bali‘s piece, the first priority is to ―adequately re-engineer‖ the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), the Midday Meal Scheme (MDM) and the Public Distribution System (PDS), by creating a ―disaggregated supply model‖ that ―engages local communities‖. She says this is an ―ideal initiative for public private partnership‖ involving the ‗best nutritionists‘ and ‗anchored‘ by relevant private sector. Bali‘s second priority is to ―mandate and scale staple food fortification‖ to address ―hidden hunger‖ or ―micro-nutrient deficiencies‖. Fortification is necessarily a centralised process and places large food industries like Britannia – of which Bali was earlier the managing director – in vantage positions and thereby contradicting her first priority of ―creating disaggregated supply models‖ that ―engage local communities‖ Based on national data over several National Family Health Surveys and National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau reports, activists of the Right to food Campaign, consisting of activists, paediatricians and nutritionists, have petitioned the Supreme court for years, to universalise the supplementation programmes for children, finally leading to the enactment of the crucial National Food Security Act (2013). Strengthening the components of the Act such as maternity entitlements, pensions and other food schemes assures sustainability in the long run. The Act makes state governments accountable to citizens, unlike corporates which are accountable only to their shareholders, with the added danger of corporates abdicating their PPP experiments during a recession. https://thewire.in/health/private-sector-nutrition-vinita-bali-right-to-food (By Sylvia Karpagam and Veena Shatrugna – 24th September 2018) 11. How India’s Anganwadi System Is Getting Some Things Very Right Despite Its Many Flaws
Largest mother and child nutrition and care programme of its kind in the world, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is meant to cover six services: supplementary nutrition, non-formal early education, health and nutrition education, immunization, health check-up, and referral services. ICDS was launched on October 2, 1975, with about 5,000 anganwadis. Close to half a century later, with about 1.4 million anganwadis in 7,000 blocks and around 2.8 million frontline personnel, India is still grappling with child malnutrition. One-third of the world‘s stunted children live in India. This is the highest number in the world. Stunting in children is associated with underdeveloped brains and long- term harmful consequences for learning capacity, school performance, and later earning ability. Persistent undernutrition is a matter of deep concern, especially in the context of successive and severe droughts in many parts of the country. Https://www.thehindu.com/society/how-indias-anganwadi-system-is-getting-some- things-very-right-despite-its-many- flaws/article26470237.ece?Utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign =Newsletter (By Uma Mahadevan Dasgupta – 9th March 2019) 12. Nyay Scheme Might Dismantle Public Distribution System The Indian National Congress announced a minimum income support scheme of Rs. 72,000 per annum to 20% of India's poorest families if voted back to power. The scheme would be called ―Nyoontama Aay Yojana, or NYAY. In the absence of any clear policy framework proposed by the Congress, it is likely that the NYAY scheme, if implemented, would replace the existing welfare programmes, amongst which the worse hit would be India‘s public distribution system (PDS), which includes delivery of wheat, sugar, rice and kerosene to poor households; mid-day meals for school-going children ages 6–14 years under the Mid-Day meal scheme; and meals for children between 6 months and 6 years, and pregnant and lactating women under the Integrated Child Development Services scheme. The NYAY scheme would be mere eyewash if it dismantles the existing PDS. In fact, it would possibly make the poor even more vulnerable by virtue of social barriers and market price fluctuations. In this context, one way in which the state can raise resources for the scheme to work without replacing the existing welfare schemes is to raise direct taxes on the rich through, say, increasing the wealth tax supplemented by an inheritance tax.
https://www.newsclick.in/Rahul-Gandhi-NYAY-Scheme-Elections-2019 (By Manas Raturi - 28th March 2019) 13. Schools Told To Grow Own Veggies For Mid-Day Meals In order to make schools across Karnataka self-reliant when it comes to implementing the ambitious mid-day meal scheme, the state government has ordered as many as 34,000 schools to grow veggies on the premises instead of buying them from outside. Interestingly, the move is said to be an attempt by the government to increase the taste and nutrition of the food, especially after reports surfaced that many vegetables sold in the open market had pesticide and chemicals. https://www.deccanherald.com/city/schools-told-to-grow-own-veggies-for-mid-day- meals-736173.html (By Rashmi Belur - 26th May 2019) 14. Government To Peg MGNREGA Wages To Inflation In Bid To Hike Incomes Staring at a slump in rural demand and a slowdown in the rural economy, the Centre plans to inject more money into the UPA‘s flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme by linking wages under the Act to an updated inflation index, which will be revised annually. It hopes this will increase wages, thus increasing purchasing power and reviving rural demand. However, some economists question whether linking wage rates to a better inflation index will be sufficient, given that MGNREGA workers get paid much lower than market rates. The national average wage of an MGNREGA worker is ₹178.44 per day, less than half of the ₹375 per day minimum wage recommended by a Labour Ministry panel earlier this year. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-to-peg-mgnrega-wages-to- inflation-in-bid-to-hike- incomes/article29443145.ece?Utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campai gn=Newsletter (By Priscilla Jebaraj – 18th September 2019) 15. Eggs in Mid-Day Meals, Anganwadis Will Ensure Nutrition – And Gender Parity Household division of nutritious food continues to be gender-biased in India. There is consistent evidence that most girls and women eat last and least. A qualitative study in rural north Bihar found that boys and men of a household were always the
first ones to eat, were more likely to get larger portions of foods like pulses, eggs and meats, and sweets, and were more likely to have their own separate plates. On the other hand, girls and women always ate after the men, took leftover portions, and often shared plates with children or other women which entailed an overall lesser intake of food. Given the persistent inequality of nutrition, interventions outside the household are as important as changing the gender-bias from within. The provision of hot cooked mid- day meals, nutritious food and take-home rations to children, students, teenage girls and pregnant women in government-run anganwadis and schools is a crucial element of nutritional support to girls and women across rural parts of India. https://thewire.in/health/eggs-mid-day-meals-anganwadi-nutrition-gender- parity/amp/?__twitter_impression=true (By Kanika Sharma – 19th July 2019) 16. Eggs In Noon-Meal Scheme: Why Some States Chicken Out The Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition has pointed out in multiple recommendations and guidelines that egg is a complete food for children. ―Egg is proven to be a wholesome food, especially for children below two years. It provides the nutrients that a child requires,‖ said Veena Shatrugna, former deputy director of National Institute of Nutrition. Shatrugna added that while certain private contractors may not be okay with eggs on the menu, a State can always disburse separate funding to schools for providing eggs in mid-day meals, as in Telangana. The State provides three eggs per week under the scheme, and seven eggs a week per child in Anganwadis (for children below six years). https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/eggs-in-noon-meal-scheme-why-some- states-chicken-out/article28712412.ece (By Garima Singh/Maitri Porecha – 25th July 2019) 17. Haryana Government To Scrap ‘Dal Roti’ Scheme, Offer Subsidised Sugar Dal roti scheme was appreciated for its pro poor approach, but now we see the downside of not having similar schemes included in the States Rules under NFSA. Since these are not legal entitlements, they can be withdrawn by the state government at any moment.
https://www.thestatesman.com/cities/haryana-govt-scrap-dal-roti-scheme-offer- subsidised-sugar-1502541294.html (By Shiv Rawal - 7th December 2017) 18. Ration Bachao: Why Do Protesters In Ranchi Want Food Not Cash? The shift from PDS to Direct Benefit Transfer is often argued on the claim that PDS is inefficient because of corruption, poor quality of food, and leakages. Both biometric authentication and DBT have been proposed as measures to prevent this inefficiency. How true are these claims, and are cash transfers the answer. https://www.epw.in/engage/article/ration-bachao-why-do-protesters-in-ranchi-want- food-not-cash?0=ip_login_no_cache%3d75209d4cd041269ca64989343fc96f19 (1st March 2018) 19. Why Mid-Day Meal Workers Are Opposing Privatization In Assam The mid-day meal workers are protesting against the decision to hand over charge of serving mid-day meals to an NGO, Akshaypatra Foundation. Since 2010, the foundation was selected as a partner to serve cooked meals in all government schools on a public-private partnership model in Kamrup (rural and urban) after the then Governor Banwarilal Purohit visited the foundation‘s premises and were impressed by their machinery and expertise. But many point out that centralized kitchens are more or less preferred in large urban areas. In a predominantly diverse rural landscape like Assam, there should be more emphasis on appreciating the diversities in our food culture rather than clubbing them under one monolithic umbrella. Instead, collective kitchens run by local people and monitored by the Mothers Clubs could be a viable alternative. https://www.ifp.co.in/page/items/47711/why-mid-day-meal-workers-are-opposing- privatization-in-assam/ (By Nasreen Habib – 6th April 2018) 20. Women’s Groups Win As Supreme Court Cancels Anganwadi Contracts Worth Rs 6,300 Crores In Maharashtra Women‘s self-help groups in Maharashtra have clinched a significant victory in the Supreme Court, which struck down tenders worth Rs 6,300 crores issued by the state government in 2016 for the production and supply of take-home rations under the Centre‘s Integrated Child Development Scheme. The Supreme Court has now ordered the Maharashtra government to stop the supply of ICDS rations under the current system, issue fresh tenders within four weeks, and
design an alternate system of ration-supply for the interim period. ―Terms and conditions of the tenders should not be framed in such a manner that they [women‘s self-help groups] get excluded from participating itself,‖ the judgment said. https://scroll.in/article/916022/womens-groups-win-as-supreme-court-cancels- anganwadi-contracts-worth-rs-6300-crore-in-maharashtra (By Aarefa Johari - 11th March 2019) 21. Tamil Nadu Orders Closure Of 8000 Noon Meal Centres In Government Schools In bad news for scores of government school students across the state, 8,000 noon meal centres have been ordered to be shut owing to a re-jig of staff. This comes months after employees of the government-run programme demanded rightful wages for their work, going on an indefinite strike. The closure of noon meal centres in ‗low-enrolment‘ areas also means loss of jobs for workers since the new rule would replace the triumvirate of an organizer, a cook and an assistant with just one staff member. Launched by former Chief Minister K Kamaraj and extended and popularised by former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, the noon meal scheme has been an incentive for increasing enrolment and reducing dropouts from government schools. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-orders-closure-8000-noon-meal-centres- govt-schools-criticised-move-94042 (27th December 2018) 22. The Meal That Fed Millions Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in midday meal programmes encouraging children to attend school. K Kamaraj introduced it first in the 1960s, across all districts of the State. Today, the programme is implemented across States, and is a Government of India scheme. The tradition was started in 1911 by a few trustees and philanthropists, and is probably the oldest noon-meal scheme in the country, says MN Sankaran, president of Sourashtra High School Council. ―And it was from here that the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Kamaraj was inspired to introduce the scheme for the entire State. As the strength of the school grew, we got students from the outskirts and neighbouring districts as well. That‘s when we also introduced free breakfast two decades ago, as many of them had to start early from home to reach the school on time.
https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/behind-the-midday-meal-scheme-that- is-reproduced-across-the-country-today-is-madurais-century-old-sourashtra-boys- higher-secondary-school-and-its-rich-legacy-of-nutritious-food/article24529495.ece (By A. Shrikumar – 27th July 2018) 23. No Onion And Garlic In Midday Meals The State government appears to have backtracked on its stand that onion and garlic be introduced in mid-day meals served to students. It has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF), a subsidiary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), despite the latter‘s refusal to use the two ingredients. In Bengaluru alone, APF provides meals to 1.83 lakh students in 1,212 schools. ―Akshaya Patra Foundation refused to include onion and garlic. We could not make alternative arrangements to provide food, and had to yield,‖ said an official, adding that the issue is yet to be resolved. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/no-onion-and-garlic-in-midday- meals/article26555844.ece (By Tanu Kulkarni – 16th March 2019) 24. Food At Anganwadis 'Unfit For Consumption' A fine of Rs 20,000 was imposed on those officials responsible for supplying unfit food items to anganwadi centres. At a time when the state and central governments have come under fire over malnutrition of children, a recent report by food safety authorities has found glaring violations at a food production centre with staples like wheat flour containing live insects. For years, food being supplied to Anganwadis would pass rigorous testing by the FSSAI. That changed this month when state authorities found food items so poor in quality that some were even deemed ―unsafe.‖ The discovery comes at a time when there has been renewed focus on the problem of malnutrition in the state. The 2015-16 National Family Health Survey determined that Karnataka is among the worst-affected states when it comes to malnutrition in south India, with 36.2% of children under the age of 5 being stunted and 26.1% of children under 5 being weak. A further 10.5% of children 5 were classified as severely weak.
https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/state/karnataka-food-at-anganwadis-unfit-for- consumption-760272.html (By Akhil Kadidal – 10th September 2019) 25. Government’s Refusal To Enforce MOU With Akshaya Patra Is Hurting The Scheme Recent reports on refusal of the ISKCON-linked NGO Akshay Patra Foundation (APF) to include onion and garlic in the food served by them as part of Mid-day meals scheme in Karnataka, have created an erroneous impression that APF is no longer required to include these ingredients. A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the year 2018-19 signed between Bengaluru Zilla Panchayat (First Party) and APF (Second Party) accessed under Right to Information Act shows that APF is still legally required to include onion in the food. https://aharanammahakku.home.blog/2019/03/24/governments-refusal-to-enforce- mou-with-akshaya-patra-is-hurting-the-scheme/ (By Siddharth K Joshi – 24th March 2019) 26. Why Are Karnataka’s Schoolchildren Unhappy with the Mid-Day Meal? ISKCON‘s Akshay Patra Foundation refuses to add onion or garlic to the meals it provides even though the children crave the familiar taste. APF, which caters to 2,814 schools and roughly 4.43 lakh children in the State, has been dominating headlines for its stubborn decision to not use onion and garlic in the meals it makes. Onion and garlic are ‗tamasic‘ ingredients, is what APF reportedly believes. In a post on a blog run by ISKCON‘s devotee network, a volunteer explains why onion and garlic are not considered favourable. Citing an email from leader Janananda Goswami Maharaj, the blogger explains that onion and garlic have the potential to ―adversely affect one‘s consciousness‖. As ingredients, they are in the ―lower modes of nature,‖ and are associated with passion, ignorance, lethargy, lack of focus and confusion. https://www.thehindu.com/society/why-are-karnatakas-schoolchildren-unhappy-with- the-mid-day- meal/article27378176.ece?Utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign =Newsletter
27. Odisha Government Has Decided To Distribute One Kg Of Ragi At Rs 1 The Odisha government has decided to distribute one kg of ragi at Rs 1 as a pilot project through the public distribution system (PDS) to improve nutritional consumption in the state. Every PDS cardholder will get one kg of ragi at Rs 1 in Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Rayagada districts in July. In the Malkangiri district, cardholders will be supplied two KGs of ragi. https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/odisha-to-provide-1-kg-ragi-at- rs-1-via-pds-shops- 119061001027_1.html?Fbclid=iwar0y5ktmumjlmrpjosxq4bbkel4ztqoqnqjhu2hx36ejz 4q9wmf3yg-mqhw (10th June 2019) 28. Chhattisgarh Cm Bhupesh Baghel Announces Free Nutritious Food, Access To Medical Facilities For Tribals Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday announced that tribals living in the forest regions of Bastar would soon get free nutritious food through gram panchayats and access to medical facilities. The announcement comes in the wake of the death of over 100 children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district due to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES). Bhupesh Baghel said the state government would be launching two new schemes for tribals, related to malnutrition and healthcare facilities. These schemes will play a pivotal role in improving the health status of tribals. The state government will provide nutritious food to the forest dwellers to combat malnutrition and, as part of another scheme, tribals will have mobile healthcare facilities in weekly markets. These schemes will soon be launched from Bastar region as a "pilot project." Bastar is considered to be the worst Naxal-affected region in Chhattisgarh. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bhupesh-baghel-announces-free-nutritious- food-access-to-medical-facilities-for-tribals-1551894-2019-06-19 (19th June 2019) 29. UP Chief Secretary Gets Notice After Schoolchildren Seen Eating Roti-Salt The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary after taking cognisance of the salt and rotis served to children in their midday meal at a government-run primary school in Mirzapur, according to a
statement. The commission has sought a detailed report in the matter within four weeks, the statement said. The notice served by the rights panel comes in the backdrop of children being served salt and rotis in their midday meal at a state-run primary school in Mirzapur, a video of which went viral on social media on Thursday. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/up-chief-secretary-gets-notice-after-schoolchildren- seen-eating-roti-salt-2090706 (26th August 2019) 30. Why Karnataka Needs To Go Back To The School-Based Kitchen Model For Mid-Day Meals The discord surrounding mid-day meals (MDM) in Karnataka has to factor in the opinions and preferences of several stakeholders: parents, teachers, administrators and government officials, and not to forget the students who eat these meals. In Karnataka, more than 8.7 lakh students at over 5,500 schools are supplied mid-day meals by 68 NGOs. Within Bengaluru urban, NGOs provide meals to 2,072 schools – and most of them cook their food in centralised kitchens. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/why-karnataka-needs-go-back-school-based- kitchen-model-mid-day-meals-107640 (By Dr Sylvia Karpagam – 22nd August 2019) 31. Government Mulls Cutting Anna Bhagya Quota The B S Yediyurappa administration is looking to cut supply of free rice under the Congress‘ populist Anna Bhagya scheme, which is among several expenditure- pruning measures proposed to mobilise funds to give farmers additional incentives under the M-KISAN scheme. Yediyurappa has announced that the government will give Rs 4,000 yearly to over 34 lakh farmers, in addition to Rs 6,000 they will receive under the PM-KISAN scheme. For this, the government needs Rs 2,200 crore. https://www.deccanherald.com/state/govt-mulls-cutting-anna-bhagya-quota- 754884.html (By Bharath Joshi - 17th August 2019) 32. Open Letter to Scientists of National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad – Mid- day Meals scheme - Akshaya Patra Foundation A group of organizations, activists, academicians, lawyers, doctors, journalists and researchers, have sent an open letter to scientists of the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), asking it to withdraw its report submitted to Government of Karnataka regarding the appropriateness of the food being supplied by Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) as part of Mid-day Meals scheme.
https://www.deccanherald.com/city/top-bengaluru-stories/activists-slam-clean-chit-to- akshaya-patra-midday-meals-733409.html (12th May 2019) https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/activists-challenge-report-certifying-akshaya- patra-mid-day-meal-food-be-standards-101673 (Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran - 12th May 2019) https://www.counterview.net/2019/05/top-govt-of-india-institute-told-to.html (12th May 2019) (By Archana Nathan – 31st May 2019) 33. Online Monitoring Of Mid-Day Meal: SC Imposes Fine On 6 States The Supreme Court on Tuesday slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir for failing to create an online link to monitor implementation of mid-day meal schemes in government-run schools. A fine of Rs 2 lakh has also been imposed on Delhi for failing to do so. A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur and comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Hemant Gupta also took on the state governments for not complying with the directions of the top court on the issue yet. The bench asked the states to deposit the amount with the Supreme Court Legal Services Authority within four weeks. The petition has claimed that children receive free, cooked lunch every day in over 12 lakh government-run and aided schools across the country; however, there is a constant risk of food poisoning and related health hazards due to a lack of mid-day meal infrastructure and proper monitoring of the scheme. https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/online-monitoring-of-mid-day- meal-sc-imposes-fine-on-6-states-118120400619_1.html (4th December 2018) CASTE, CULTURE AND FOOD 34. Children Have The Right To Eat Eggs, Onions And Garlic It is unfortunate that the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, also fell into this trap of biased concerns. Rather than condemning this kind of politicisation of food, NIN has said keeping onions and garlic out of food would not affect the nutritional value of food. Surely, the NIN acknowledges that the food we eat is as much about its taste, appearance, memories, nostalgia and familiarity as it is about the
calories, proteins, fats and micronutrients that it gives us. It must be recognised that it is as much the right of children to have eggs, onions, garlic as it is for families which do not want these items included in their children‘s food. It is ultimately a question of the right to choose what one eats and who controls the food system. The best way to enforce the right to choose will be only when the system is decentralized and it is based on broad guiding principles, yet has the flexibility to ensure that every child is included. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/food/children-have-the-right-to-eat-eggs- onions-and-garlic-65268 (By Dipa Sinha – 25th June 2019) 35. Dalit Identity And Food – Memories Of Trauma On A Plate There is no singular, homogeneous category called ―Dalit food‖ because the Dalit community is itself so regionally and ethnically diverse. But what is common throughout Dalit history is the denial of a right as basic as that to food and water. Dalit cuisine is not common, not ―trending‖, not even acknowledged in mainstream discourse – precisely because this is the oldest way caste has been practised by those in power: as a tool of silencing and invisibility. Dalit ―cuisine‖ developed across the country as a mode of survival, born from economic necessity and the need to adapt. Dirt, pollution, water and the segregation of wells are now widely-known indicators of caste in India, but the ways in which food hierarchies were structured for Dalits still remain in the shadows, although the consequences are fairly straightforward. A majority of Dalits are non-vegetarian. Hindu caste hierarchy puts pure vegetarian Brahmins at the top, non-beef-eating non vegetarians in the middle, and beef-eaters at the absolute bottom. A recent national survey found that over 70% of people that eat beef are from the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), 21% are from other backward castes and only 7% belong to upper castes. https://homegrown.co.in/article/803216/dalit-identity-and-food-memories-of-trauma- on-a-plate (21st November 2018) 36. Forest Food Ensures Nutritional Security Of Odisha’s Tribes ―For the tribal communities, forest is not just a source of food, but it‘s also a part of their identity,‖ Debjeet Sarangi of the Living Farms told, ―Tribes such as the Kondhs‘ way of life is respectful of others including nature and recognizes diversity in its
different manifestations.‖ The tribal community‘s relationship with the forest is one of belonging rather than ownership. Community forest management is good for the health of the forests. When local users have long-term rights to harvest from the forests, they are more likely to monitor and sanction those who break the rules, resulting in better forest conditions, according to Nobel laureate economist, the late Elinor Ostrom, who advocated for common rights over land and forest. The study conducted by Living Farms corroborates the theory. According to the study, ecosystem of the forest is likely to be much improved in terms of number of tree species, density and food availability, when managed by the communities. ―Forest gives us food, fodder, firewood and everything we require‖. https://www.villagesquare.in/2017/12/11/forest-food-ensures-nutritional-security- odishas-tribes/ (By Basudev Mahapatra – 11th December 2017) 37. Upper Castes Pressure Dalit Woman Cook To Leave TN School, SC Panel Summons Officials A Dalit woman was prevented from cooking for students of a school in Tamil Nadu as part of the noon meal scheme and shifted under pressure from members of an upper caste, prompting the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to summon senior officials of Tirupur district. Some upper caste Hindus belonging to the Gounder community protested against her posting as she was a Dalit, police said. Parents of children of Gounder caste also exerted pressure on the authorities concerned to transfer her, they said. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has, meanwhile, summoned senior district officials over the incident. In its letters to the Tirupur collector, superintendent of police and chief education officer, the commission has asked them to appear before vice-chairman of the panel L Murugan in New Delhi on July 30 to explain why the Dalit woman was made to suffer ―caste humiliation‖. https://www.news18.com/news/india/upper-castes-pressure-dalit-woman-cook-to- leave-tn-school-sc-panel-summons-officials-1818665.html (20th July 2018) 38. Group Of Citizens Asks Centre To Terminate Contract To ISKCON-Run NGO For Mid-Day Meals
A group of citizens from across the country has written to the Ministry of Human Resource Development expressing concerns over the mid-day meals provided by Akshaya Patra Foundation, which has refused to include onions, garlic and eggs in the meal saying it can only provide a satvik diet – a diet based on Ayurveda and yoga literature. The foundation had courted controversy last week for refusing to sign a memorandum for 2018-2019 following a directive by the Karnataka government to include onions and garlic in the meals. The Right to Food Campaign and the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan have demanded that the contracts given to Akshaya Patra for supply of mid-day meal be terminated and that eggs be supplied in all schools to the children of communities that are accustomed to eating them. ―Religious diktats cannot supersede the application of established principles of the right to food to mid-day meal schemes‖. https://scroll.in/latest/905573/karnataka-group-of-citizens-asks-centre-to-terminate- contract-to-iskcon-run-ngo-for-mid-day-meals (13th December 2018) 39. UP Students Refuse Mid-Day Meal Prepared By 'Lower' Caste Cook, School Throws Food After Protest Students of a primary school in Uttar Pradesh‘s Sitapur district refused to eat the mid- day meal prepared by a cook from a Scheduled Caste, following which the food was discarded. The incident took place in Sitapur‘s Palharia village, which is dominated by Yadavs and Brahmins. As the word spread that a ‗lower‘ caste woman was cooking the meal, parents gathered at the school and protested against her appointment. The woman cook, who belonged to the Arakh caste, was temporarily filling in for the regular cook, a Yadav. School principal Manoj Kumar said he tried to make the parents see reason but they refused to listen. Condemning the incident, former IPS officer and social activist SR Darapuri sought an inquiry. He said boycotting the cook violated an order of the Uttar Pradesh government that was issued as per the direction of the Supreme Court. The order sought that people from socially backward castes be hired as cooks to eradicate the concept of caste-based discrimination from children‘s minds. https://www.news18.com/news/india/up-students-refuse-mid-day-meal-prepared-by- lower-caste-cook-school-throws-out-food-after-protest-1871653.html (8th September 2018)
40. Angry Parents Protest Appointment Of Dalit Woman Cook In Tamil Nadu School, Three Booked Three people were arrested for allegedly objecting to the appointment of a Dalit woman as cook in a government school in Salem district, months after another woman faced a similar opposition in nearby Tirupur, police said on Sunday. They also sought a replacement and reportedly threatened to withdraw their wards from the school. Subsequently, the headmaster of the school alerted the block development officer, who convinced them and the cook continued to work there. However, cases were filed against six people, including the headmaster under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and three of them were arrested on Sunday. https://www.news18.com/news/india/angry-parents-protest-appointment-of-dalit- woman-cook-in-tamil-nadu-school-three-booked-1908743.html (14th October 2018) 41. ‘Political’ Science: A Critique of NIN and CFTRI Reports on Inclusion of Onion and Garlic in Mid-day Meals Several reports in the media had highlighted the violations of prescribed menu by Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) in supply of food under Mid-day Meals (MDM) scheme in Karnataka, by refusing to use onion and garlic in the food. Instead of standing up to the imposition of religious agenda in a public scheme, Government of Karnataka, has gone along and asked for the menu submitted by APF to be reviewed by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). Based on the reports submitted by the NIN and CFTRI, the GoK has gone ahead with signing a contract with Akshaya Patra Foundation for the year 2018-19 – in spite of APF‘s refusal to follow prescribed norms. The observations made and conclusions reached in these reports have provided an easy excuse to Government of Karnataka to look the other way even as APF deprives children studying in government schools of tasty and nutritious food because of its religious beliefs. Given the serious impact on policy decision-making that these reports have had, their lack of scientific rigour raises disturbing questions about their credibility and independence. https://aharanammahakku.home.blog/2019/04/28/government/ (By Siddharth K Joshi – 28th April 2019)
42. Why Removing Onion, Garlic From Mid-Day Meals In Karnataka Could Lead To More School Dropouts In November 2018, the Department of Primary and Secondary Education had directed the APF to use onion and garlic in food preparations but they had refused to follow recommended nutritional guidelines because it stated that its religious beliefs contradicted the guidelines. Now, the government has yielded to the foundation's demands and backtracked in including the two ingredients. This move by the state government has not been well received by public health experts and activists, who feel that they should terminate the contract with the foundation. "The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) had done a study in 2015 and they found that onion and garlic increase the bio-accessibility of iron and zinc. Iron deficiency is a huge problem in India, it's almost present among 60 to 80% of children in the country. What's happening everywhere is the pushing of iron tablets. But that can't be a long-term solution to the problem. The more important and larger issue is about the taste of the meals. When children eat food that is tasty they tend to eat more, anyone can understand that we don't need to be researchers or experts to find that out. What's happening with the Akshaya Patra food is it's very bland, it's very monotonous, it's the same thing day in and day out. According to MHRD norms, the lower primary children are supposed to consume food that provides 450 kcal energy and 12 grams of protein, while it will differ based on their age for upper primary classes. The problem is they are consuming way less than what has been asked to provide to them. http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2019/mar/19/why-removing- onion-garlic-from-mid-day-meals-in-karnataka-could-lead-to-more-school-dropouts- 1953125.html (By Shreesha Ghosh – 19th March 2019) 43. National Institute Of Nutrition Stands By Its Report On No Onion, Garlic In Its Meals The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) said on Tuesday that it stands by its findings certifying mid-day meals without onion and garlic provided by the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) in Karnataka schools as compliant with nutritional norms laid down by the State government. On the issue of onion and garlic missing from meals, the Director wrote, ―looking at each vegetable or compound in isolation and implicating it to the overall nutritional
quality of composite meal is not justifiable. NIN has no hesitation in saying that most vegetables/fruits improve bio-availability of micronutrients and hence can be used interchangeably‖. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/national-institute-of-nutrition-stands-by-its- report-on-no-onion-garlic-in-its-meals/article27141630.ece (15th May 2019) 44. Activists want onion, garlic in midday meals The controversy over onion and garlic missing from the midday meal supplied by Akshay Patra Foundation to schoolchildren has escalated with the NGOs, activists, doctors and researchers alleging that the denial of the ingredients is tantamount to imposing religious belief on the students studying in the school. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/actvists-want-onion-garlic-in- midday-meals/articleshow/69191503.cms?From=mdr (By Nithya Mandyam – 6th May 2019) 45. Akshaya Patra And The Mysterious Vanishing Of Onion And Garlic For School Kids The controversy around food provided by NGO Akshaya Patra under the school mid- day meal scheme is only gaining steam. The opinions between the warring factions go as far on the one end as accusing the NGO of highhandedness — by providing only non-onion and non-garlic food — that is 'almost Brahminical' in character, and, on the other end, hailing it for providing clean and hygienic food to around 1.8 million children across 15,000 schools spread over 12 states. It is the second time in less than six months that the foundation has run into rough weather on this front. In December 2018, the Karnataka State Food Commission conducted a survey of government schools and found that onion and garlic were absent from the meals served at schools where Akshaya Patra was the providing agency. The panel urged for them to be included in order to make meals tastier and more nutritious. https://www.dailyo.in/politics/akshaya-patra-foundation-midday-meals-controversy- no-onion-no-garlic-meals-ayurveda-diet/story/1/31051.html (By Rajeshwari Ganesan - 10th June 2019) 46. Akshaypatra controversy over midday meal: Food is about health, not religion Food served to children in school should be decided by health experts and dieticians,
not religious groups. In any case, onions and garlic are avoided by Jains and not by Hindus. https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/akshay-patra-controversy-over-midday- meal-food-is-about-health-not-religion (By Sujata Anandan - 9th June 2019) 47. Why Is the National Institute of Nutrition Okay With Akshaya Patra’s Veg Fascism? When the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) endorsed the Akshaya Patra Foundation‘s refusal to serve onions and garlic in the mid-day meals it provides to schoolchildren, it didn‘t include an important caveat: Dr Subba Rao M. Gavaravarapu, a deputy director at the institute, was a member of Akshaya Patra‘s consultative council. The controversy around the NIN report, and Dr Gavaravarapu‘s connection to Akshay Patra, a closely-held privately-run religious outfit, reveals the outsized influence that a little-known state-funded institute has over the lives and diets of millions of Indians. A minority culture like vegetarianism permeates into nutrition policy as a combination of casteism and communalism,‖ said Balmurli Natrajan, Professor of Anthropology at William Patterson University, New Jersey. https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/national-institute-of-nutrition-meat-akshaya- patra_in_5d1a0cc5e4b03d61163f2a36?Ncid=tweetlnkinhpmg00000001 (By Nikhila Henry – 2nd July 2019) HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION IN INDIA 48. India’s Hunger Problem Is Worse Than North Korea’s: Global Hunger Index Report India has a ‗serious‘ hunger problem and ranks 100 among 119 developing countries, lagging behind countries such as North Korea and Iraq according to the global hunger index report of 2017. With a global hunger index (GHI) score of 31.4, India is at the high end of the ―serious" category, the report said, adding, and ―given that three quarters of South Asia‘s population reside in India, the situation in that country strongly influences South Asia‘s regional score‖. More than one-fifth of Indian children under five weigh too little for their height and over a third are too short for their age, IFPRI said in a statement.
https://www.livemint.com/Politics/JS3kPSIqoUSRt9QC5JbpTI/Indias-hunger- problem-is-worse-than-North-Koreas-global-h.html (13th October 2017) 49. Hunger Is A Shame The State of Food Security and Nutrition Report (UNICEF, 2017) states that 190 million people in India are undernourished. When the IFPRI holds a mirror to our face, it is not enough to deny the warts. Hunger in India is an ugly wart. The government of the day has an obligation. This obligation does not have to be of a bullet train or the ‗tallest‘ statue but to propose a comprehensive solution to eliminate hunger and implement it. https://scroll.in/article/854587/no-aadhaar-no-food-ration-11-stories-that-show-the- jharkhand-child-death-was-not-an-aberration (By Reetika Khera - 20th October 2017) 50. Hungry India: Are We Angry Enough? One key reason for children being undernourished in the country is that often their mothers are undernourished. In India, one in five women are underweight. Women who are themselves undernourished or get pregnant at an early age are at greater risk of delivering low birth-weight babies, who are nutritionally disadvantaged from the very beginning. The low status of women in India makes things worse. Women with low or no education and with no say in decision-making in their families often fail to ensure adequate diets for their children even when there is adequate food at home. States and districts which have many illiterate women and women who have been married off early have large numbers of undernourished children. Food is not the only reason for undernourishment. Lack of sanitation contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. https://www.asianage.com/opinion/oped/191017/hungry-india-are-we-angry- enough.html (By Patralekha Chatterjee - 19th October 2019) 51. Lack of a National Nutrition Policy Means Our Children’s Tomorrow Could Die Today It is time the government came out with a national policy on nutrition, which is evidence based, with that last child at the heart of it. If we fail to evolve a consensus, our children‘s tomorrow could die today.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/lack-of-a-national-nutrition-policy-means- our-children-s-tomorrow-could-die-today/story-ejeozxq9p3q8hqxg6ohipn.html (By Neerja Chowdhury - 22nd October 2017) 52. Why Are We Unable To Mitigate Hunger When We Are Producing More Food Than Ever? Despite the fact that India‘s score in the Global Hunger Index has fallen to 31.1 from 38.8 between 2000 and 2018, the issue of hunger is often relegated to the background. India's rank in the Global Hunger Index has also fallen to 103 (ranked out of 119 countries). In terms of policy, hunger, as an issue, is not dealt with directly, and with urgency. Instead, it is kept under the larger purview of economic development which expects that wealth will percolate to solve the problem of hunger and as recent studies suggested that rather than being a matter of choice, the poor have been increasingly forced to spend more on non-food essential items such as education, healthcare, transportation, fuel and lighting. The share of monthly expenditure devoted to these items has increased at such a pace that it has absorbed all the increase in real income over the past three decades. This has led to a ―food budget squeeze‖, which has meant relatively stagnant real food expenditure over the last two decades and which is one of the reasons because of which hunger is not being able to get mitigated. https://www.epw.in/engage/article/why-are-we-unable-mitigate-hunger-when-we-are- producing-more-food-than- ever?0=ip_login_no_cache%3d8c6d6fa2ac1f05dada26e8c523f68a19 (29th November 2018) 53. Why Hunger Around The World Is Rising Again World hunger rose for the third straight year in 2017, jeopardizing the progress made to end the scourge of food insecurity that affects vast swathes of the planet. While scientific advancement has ensured great leaps in food production, the causes behind the latest spurt in global hunger are conflict and climate change With increasing global wealth one may assume that hunger has been declining over the years. That, however, is not true. Income inequality is increasing and, hence, despite an increase in overall wealth for certain people, the ability to access food has decreased. And not just income inequality, but conflicts, adverse climate and
worsened economic conditions, too, have increased the number of undernourished people in some regions. The number of undernourished people has declined in China, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka but has increased in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. However, India still accounts for the world‘s largest population of undernourished people and is home to about one in every five undernourished persons. The food security report points to the role of climate variability and extremes in fuelling global hunger. It says that the number of extreme climate-related disasters has doubled since the early 1990s, with an average of 213 of these events occurring every year during 1990–2016. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/learning-with-the-times-why-hunger- around-the-world-is-rising-again/articleshow/65836452.cms (17th September 2018) 54. Malnutrition In India: Narendra Modi And Rahul Gandhi’s Constituencies Are Among The Worst Affected The study shows that 72 of the 543 parliamentary constituencies fall in the top two quintiles, that is 20%, according to the prevalence of child malnutrition indicators – stunting, low weight for age, wasting and anaemia. Of these, 12 constituencies are in Jharkhand, 19 in Madhya Pradesh, 10 in Karnataka, eight in Uttar Pradesh and six in Rajasthan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh fares worse on malnutrition indicators than the constituencies of many of his ministers from North India. For children under five, Varanasi has a stunting prevalence of 43.1%, higher than the national average of 35.9%, and ranking 124 from the bottom. Data by political constituency on development indicators can improve accountability, but it is better if these data consider the performance of development programmes than an indicator such as child growth, which takes time to change. https://scroll.in/article/917492/malnutrition-in-india-narendra-modi-and-rahul- gandhis-constituencies-are-among-the-worst-affected (By Alison Saldanha and Karthik Madhavapeddi – 24th March 2019) 55. For A Malnutrition-Free India Despite programme commitments since 1975, such as creating Integrated Child Development Services and national coverage of the mid-day meal scheme, India
continues to grapple with a high rate of undernutrition. Improving nutrition and managing stunting continue to be big challenges, and they can be addressed only with an inter-sectoral strategy. India has unacceptably high levels of stunting, despite marginal improvement over the years. In 2015-16, 38.4% of children below five years were stunted and 35.8% were underweight. India ranks 158 out of 195 countries on the human capital index. Lack of investment in health and education leads to slower economic growth. The aim of the National Nutrition Strategy of 2017 is to achieve a malnutrition-free India by 2022. The plan is to reduce stunting prevalence in children (0-3 years) by about three percentage points per year by 2022 from NFHS-4 levels, and achieve a one-third reduction in anaemia in children, adolescents and women of reproductive age. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/for-a-malnutrition-free- india/article26984216.ece (By Shoba Suri – 30th April 2019) 56. Malnutrition In India Worse Than Sub-Saharan Africa Malnourishment in parts of the country is worse than that of Sub-Saharan Africa, an official said on Saturday. Atheeq described malnutrition as a social problem. ―Malnutrition begins in the womb,‖ he said, explaining that if a pregnant woman is anaemic, the baby is also born anaemic. Nearly 70% of women in India are anaemic, Atheeq added. Uma said that cultural norms are at the heart of malnutrition, including sanitary practices of families. Atheeq said that despite the government having constructed 75 lakh toilets in the state as part of the Swachh Bharat Scheme, nearly 20% are not being used. ―Open-air defecation leaches faecal matter into the soil, and if babies happen to crawl around near drains, the resulting germs and infection by worms interferes with their ability to absorb vital nutrients‖. https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/malnutrition-in-india- worse-than-sub-saharan-africa-731071.html (By Akhil Kadidal – 28th April 2019) 57. Teenage Pregnancies Increase Chance Of Child Malnutrition By 10 Per Cent: Study Despite child marriage being illegal, 31 per cent married women in India give birth while they are still minors and their babies are 10 per cent more likely to be
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