28 December 2024 : Daily Answer Writing

Q1) What do you understand by food security and nutrition security? Comment upon the status and challenges therein. (150 Words/10 Marks)

ANSWER:

Food Security refers to the state when all people always have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences. Whereas nutrition security is a broader concept that encompasses not only the availability of and access to food but also the availability of daily required nutrients and micronutrients and the ability of individuals to utilize those nutrients in the food they consume.

Its three components are affordability, availability and accessibility.

Status of Food and Nutrition Security in India:

1. Progress made: Food security has largely been solved – affordability through market mechanisms + Right to food + Mid-day meal scheme; availability through Green Revolution and accessibility – robust PDS network

2. (a) India has become a major producer of food grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, and meat + PDS has played a crucial role in ensuring availability of food grains to the poor; (b) ICDS and Poshan Abhiyaan prevalence of stunting + wasting has reduced

3. Deficit areas: (a) issues such as regional disparities in production and distribution + inefficiencies and leakages in the PDS system exist. (b) High rates of stunting/wasting among children remains prevalent. [as per NHFS-5, 35.5% of children were stunted; 19.3% were wasted; 32.1% were underweight; and 67% were anaemic]; (c) approx. 80% children do not consume protein-rich food for an entire day; 40% do not eat grains [NFHS-5]; (d) double burden of undernutrition and overnutrition; (e) micronutrient deficiencies (hidden hunger) remain widespread, particularly anaemia;

Challenges to Food and Nutritional Security in India:

1. Poverty and Inequality: (a) insufficient income to buy enough food or diversify their diets, leading to malnutrition; (b) inflation and fluctuating food prices further reduce the purchasing power of poor families; (c) lack of infrastructure + slum dwellings lead to issues like open defecation + lack of clean drinking water, exacerbating nutritional security issues.

2. Structural Issues: (a) dependence on monsoon makes food security vulnerable to climatic variability; (b) fragmented land holdings + lack of modern farming techniques and inputs limits productivity + prevents crop diversification thereby challenging nutritional security; (c) Green Revolution emphasis on wheat + rice led to over-emphasis on carbohydrate-rich foods.

3. Socio-Economic + Cultural Issues: (a) patriarchal practices – women being the last to eat; discrimination between boys and girls results in inequitable access; (b) neglect + resistance to meat has led to lack of protein intake which causes hidden hunger; (c) unawareness about balanced dietsy, nutritional needs, and proper food utilisation hinders nutrition security.

4. Governance Issues: (a) lack of coordination among agencies hampers implementation of schemes; (b) absence of regular research on nutrition trends, dietary practices, and health outcomes creates policy paralysis; (c) toothless institutions, such FSSAI, fail to deliver the basic prerequisites of nutritional security; (d) budgetary constraints in mid-day meal + no focus on micronutrients

For more such UPSC related Mains Answer Writing, Check Out 27 December 2024 : Daily Answer Writing