SHAILAJA IAS EDITORIAL SUMMARY Date: 17/10/24

India’s 2024 Global Hunger Index • India is among 42 countries that fall within the
"serious" category, alongside Pakistan and
ranking
Afghanistan.
(The Hindu, 17-10-24)
o Other South Asian neighbours such as
Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka showing
Context: Despite being the world's fastest-growing
better GHI scores to be listed under the
economy (6.8% growth in FY24) with a GDP of nearly
“moderate” category.
$4 trillion (5th globally), India's nutrition outcomes
• India's GHI Score is based on the values of four
remain poor.
component indicators:
o 13.7% of the population is undernourished
What is the Global Hunger Index, and what
o 35.5% of children under five are stunted
determines its ranking?
(This is often caused by inadequate food
• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed
intake, poor dietary diversity, and frequent
to comprehensively measure and track hunger
infections)
at global, regional, and national levels.
o 18.7% of children under five are wasted
• It's published annually by Irish humanitarian (This can be due to food insecurity, poor
organisation Concern Worldwide and German sanitation, and inadequate access to
aid agency Welthungerhilfe healthcare)
• The GHI score is determined by four key o 2.9% of children die before their fifth
indicators: birthday
o Undernourishment: The proportion of the • The report states that India has demonstrated
population with insufficient caloric intake. “significant political will” to transform the food
o Child wasting: The proportion of children and nutrition landscape — pointing to the
under five who have low weight for their o National Food Security Act
height, reflecting acute undernutrition. o Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission)
o Child stunting: The proportion of children o PM Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKAY)
under five who have low height for their o National Mission for Natural Farming
age, indicating chronic undernutrition.
o Child mortality: The mortality rate of
Why does India fare poorly in GHI rankings?
children under five.
• Poverty and Unequal distribution of wealth
• The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale,
means many families can't afford nutritious
where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is
food.
the worst.
o The per capita income of $2,485 in FY24 is
• Globally, around 733 million people face hunger
less than a quarter of the global average
each day due to a lack of access to a sufficient
($13,920 in FY22), highlighting severe
amount of food, while about 2.8 billion people
income inequality.
cannot afford a healthy diet
• Poor access to healthcare, especially in rural
areas, hinders the prevention and treatment of
How does India fare on the different parameters in undernutrition and related illnesses
GHI?
• Many Indian diets are cereal-heavy and lack
• India's 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking diverse nutrients.
is 105th out of 127 countries.
• Lack of access to clean water and proper
• With a score of 27.3 in the 2024 Global Hunger sanitation facilities contributes to frequent
Index, India has a level of hunger that is serious. infections. This leads to a cycle of malnutrition
and illness, particularly affecting children.

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SHAILAJA IAS EDITORIAL SUMMARY Date: 17/10/24

o Only 36% of households disposed of o They argue that using different data
children’s stools in a safe manner. One in 10 sources for different countries would make
children under the age of five suffer from the results less reliable and therefore, they
diarrhoea. can’t make an exception to India.
• In some households, women and girls eat last
and least. This affects maternal nutrition and What is the way forward so that India improves its
consequently child health. GHI ranking?
• Early marriage and pregnancy with high • improved access to safety nets and cash
adolescent pregnancies à Young mothers are transfers. These involve improving access to
often not physically or nutritionally prepared for programs such as the Public Distribution Scheme
childbearing. (PDS), PMGKAY and Integrated Child
• Food inflation more than doubled from 3.8% in Development Services (ICDS).
FY22 to 7.5% in FY24, disproportionately • Investments in agriculture and a holistic food
affecting the poor. systems approach which promotes diversified,
• Growing threat of climate change to India's food nutritious and ecological food production
security à disproportionately impacts the including nutri-cereals such as millets.
poor’s ability to access nutritious food. • Improving access to nutritious food:
• Issues in food distribution and access despite Strengthening public distribution systems,
highest levels of food production (332 million promoting diversified agriculture, and
tonnes in 2023-24), with bumper crops in rice supporting smallholder farmers.
and wheat. • Investing in health and nutrition: Expanding
• Implementation gap in nutrition schemes à access to healthcare, promoting breastfeeding,
Corruption and leakages in the public and providing micronutrient supplements.
distribution system affect food security. • Improving sanitation and hygiene: Promoting
safe sanitation practices, providing access to
What is the debate about data collection clean water, and improving hygiene education.
methodology? • Empowering women: Promoting gender
• Government's perspective: equality and empowering women through
o The Ministry of Women and Child education and economic opportunities.
Development believes their 'Poshan • Addressing poverty and inequality:
Tracker' app should be used for data. Implementing social protection programs and
o They claim this tracker shows much lower promoting inclusive economic growth
rates of child wasting (below 7.2%) than the
GHI report (18.7%). Can you answer the following question?
o The Ministry argues that international Critically analyze India's performance in the Global
organizations like UNICEF and WHO have Hunger Index. What are the key factors contributing
even praised this tracker but has not relied to its consistently low ranking despite economic
on it for ranking purpose. growth? Suggest a multi-pronged strategy to address
• GHI researchers' stance: the challenge of hunger and malnutrition in India
o They use data from internationally
recognized surveys for consistency across Despite being a major agricultural producer, India
countries. continues to grapple with high levels of child
o This approach ensures all countries are undernutrition." Discuss the reasons for this paradox.
measured using the same methods, making How can India leverage its agricultural potential to
rankings fair and comparable.

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SHAILAJA IAS EDITORIAL SUMMARY Date: 17/10/24

improve nutritional outcomes, especially for companies operating in India, especially in the
vulnerable populations? past two decades.
• The stressful working conditions in these
To what extent do you agree with the view that factories are shaped and determined by their
achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 is an ambitious goal management philosophy, which largely draws
for India? Critically examine the challenges and inspiration from the Japanese production
opportunities in achieving this Sustainable method called Kaizen — that is, continuous
Development Goal. improvement to increase work intensity and
reduce idle time.
Samsung Workers Protest 2024 • Over the years, through offshore supply chains,
(The Hindu - 17-10-24) global manufacturing in the electronics industry
has been reordered into just-in-time
Context: The labor strike at Samsung's production — a system in which products are
Sriperumbudur plant in India, highlights the tensions created to meet demand rather than in surplus
between workers' rights and corporate interests in or in advance of need.
the country's manufacturing sector • As companies adopt this model to increase
• After a month-long standoff, the strike ended efficiency, the output is ramped up ahead of
with a partial resolution. Samsung agreed to product launches and peak sales periods. It leads
some concessions on wages and benefits, but to punishing work ethic, regimented culture of
the issue of union recognition remains rules and unyielding deadlines.
unresolved • It is in this context that there is demand for
worker unions. However, past experiences —
What were the main issues behind the Samsung the ready reference being Maruti Suzuki
India protests? workers’ struggles to form a union — reflect the
• Union recognition: Workers demanded formal reluctance of managements.
recognition of their union (SIWU)
• Working conditions: Allegations of harsh Why is the Samsung labor dispute significant?
conditions, long hours, and inadequate breaks • One of the largest labor disputes in India's recent
• Wage concerns: Workers argued for fair history
compensation and wage negotiation through a • Challenges Prime Minister Modi's "Make in
recognized union India" initiative -> deters foreign investment
• Reflects growing assertiveness of labor in India
How do East Asian firms view unions? • Could impact labor relations in the electronics
• Some notable workers’ protests in different industry and beyond
parts of India have been at manufacturing • May encourage workers in other sectors to
facilities with East Asian capital — Honda organize and demand better rights
Scooters and Motorcycles in 2005, Maruti Suzuki • Impacts a crucial Samsung facility, affecting
in 2011-12, Wistron in 2020 and Foxconn in production
2021.
• Forming a workers’ union in a foreign-owned What is the way ahead?
enterprise in India is a challenge in itself with • Proative Government Intervention: The Tamil
vehement opposition from the management. Nadu government played a key role in mediating
• Labour subordination and disciplining has the dispute, highlighting the need for proactive
remained the default setting of most East Asian government intervention in such situation

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SHAILAJA IAS EDITORIAL SUMMARY Date: 17/10/24

• Strengthening Labor Laws: There is a need to

strengthen labor laws and enforcement
mechanisms to ensure fair treatment of workers
and promote healthy industrial relations
• Promoting Social Dialogue: Encouraging social
dialogue between employers, workers, and the
government is essential for resolving labor
disputes and creating a harmonious work
environment
• Balancing Interests: Finding a balance between
attracting foreign investment and protecting
labor rights will be crucial for India's continued
economic growth

Can you answer the following question?

"The recent labor strikes in the Indian manufacturing
sector, particularly in the electronics industry,
highlight the growing tension between attracting
foreign investment and ensuring workers' rights."
Analyze this statement in the context of India's
economic development goals.

"The right to form and join trade unions is a

fundamental right, but its implementation faces
challenges in the context of globalized production
networks." Discuss the significance of trade unions in
protecting workers' rights and promoting industrial
harmony.

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