Question

The following table shows the proportion of undernourished adults in India. It is based on a survey of various states for the year 2001. Look at the table and answer the following questions.

State	Male (%)	Female (%)
Kerala Karnataka Madhya Pradesh	22 36 43	19 38 42
All Sates	37	46

(i) Compare the nutritional level of people in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

(ii) Can you guess why around 40 per cent of people in the country are undernourished even though it is argued that there is enough food in the country? Describe in your own words.

Answer 1

(i) The nutritional levels of people in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh are different. While 22% and 19% of men and women are undernourished in Kerala, the respective percentages of male and female undernourishment in Madhya Pradesh are 43% and 42%. This implies that Kerala has more well-nourished people than Madhya Pradesh. Also, the undernourishment average for Madhya Pradesh is greater than that for the entire country, while that for Kerala is lower than the national average.

(ii) Despite the presence of adequate food in the country, around 40% of Indians are undernourished. This is because of the erratic and unsystematic distribution of food. Some states ensure the smooth running of ration shops and other Public Distribution System (PDS) forms. This ensures that no one has to go without food, especially the poor, for whom ration shops provide food grains at subsidised rates. However, due to excess exports and inconsistent food supply to the masses, nearly 40% of the Indian people are undernourished.