Hunger is a common physiological phenomenon. It is measured by the prevalence of undernourishment i.e. an individual’s habitual consumption of inadequate food. The disturbing feature is that 13 per cent of India’s population, i.e. about 19 crore people, goes to bed every night with unfilled stomachs. Poverty and inequality can be identified as the chief causes for a person’s inability to procure sufficient quantity of nutritious food. Absence of essential nutritional elements in food results in deterioration of physical growth and health conditions.

It reduces the working capacity of adults which translates into low productivity and reduced earning capacity, which further results in poverty. Thus, the vicious cycle of poverty goes on. Perpetual existence of poverty, hunger, malnutrition and under-nourishment in citizens is a major concern in India. It is therefore critical to the development and well-being of the nation. The existence of large numbers of hungry people for a long time in society must have an impact on the economy of the nation. The presence of these hungry men and women in society cannot be recognized distinctly. However, their numbers can only be assessed with various estimations and research analysis. The number of people undernourished in India has gradually decreased over the years but at a slow pace. The concern is the considerable extent of human resources and talents that are continuously being wasted. Hunger limits human development.

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The World Bank suggests that to monitor progress and understand better ways to reduce poverty, it is important to measure poverty regularly. The mission is to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a liveable planet. The international extreme poverty line is set by the World Bank at $2.15 (Rs 181) per person per day at 2017 prices. SBI Research defines a new estimated poverty line in India in 2023- 24 at income levels of Rs 54 per day for rural areas and Rs 65 per day for urban areas. Both these amounts are abysmally low and cannot fulfil the basic needs of an adult person.

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