Why this matters now
GHI links nutrition, food security and child health, and is a recurring GS-2/GS-3 topic. It is also a case study in how index methodology can be contested — India objects to its reliance on opinion-poll-based undernourishment data and child indicators. Released annually.
Who publishes it
The GHI is jointly published by Concern Worldwide (Ireland) and Welthungerhilfe (Germany), two non-profits.
The four indicators
- Undernourishment — share of the population with insufficient calorie intake;
- Child wasting — share of under-fives with low weight-for-height (acute undernutrition);
- Child stunting — share of under-fives with low height-for-age (chronic undernutrition);
- Child mortality — death rate of children under five.
Scores are mapped to bands: low, moderate, serious, alarming, extremely alarming.
India’s rank and the debate
India has ranked around 105th in recent editions, placing it in the “serious” band, with child wasting among the highest in the world. The Government of India has criticised the index — arguing that three of the four indicators relate only to children and that the undernourishment estimate rests on a small opinion poll. The debate itself is examinable: it shows how composite indices must be read with care, while the underlying child-nutrition challenge remains real.
UPSC angle
Remember the publishers and the four indicators (three relate to children). Present both sides — India’s methodology objection and the genuine child-nutrition challenge (NFHS data, child wasting/stunting).
Frequently asked questions
Who publishes the Global Hunger Index?
Concern Worldwide (Ireland) and Welthungerhilfe (Germany).
What are the four indicators of the GHI?
Undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting, and under-five child mortality.
What is India’s rank and category in the GHI?
India has ranked around 105th, in the “serious” category, in recent editions.
Why does India dispute the Global Hunger Index?
Because three of its four indicators relate only to children and the undernourishment estimate is based on a small opinion poll — though the underlying child-nutrition challenge remains real.