\ SAMVAD

Kartik Shukla 3, Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125:16 November 2023: SM 5016 (For Private Circulation Only)


1. FESTIVALS: PRABODHINI EKADASHI

2. RAM MANDIR ’PRAN-PRATISHTHA’ A GREAT MOMENT OF JOY: HOSABALE

3. YOGI ADITYANATH INVITED FOR 'PRAN-PRATISHTHA' CEREMONY

4. SHRI RAM JANMABHOOMI INVITATION TO MORE THAN 10 CRORE FAMILIES: ALOK KUMAR

5. ABKM BAITHAK 2023

6. THAILAND ANNOUNCES VISA-FREE ENTRY FOR BHARATIYA CITIZENS

7. VIJAYADASHAMI UTSAVS

8. DIWALI CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

9. DIASPORA WEEK IN RIYADH

10. BHARAT HANDS OVER RELIEF MATERIALS TO NEPAL

11. IIT MADRAS OPENS CAMPUS IN ZANZIBAR

12. ISRO'S ADITYA-L1 SPACECRAFT CAPTURES GLIMPSE OF SOLAR FLARES

13. BHARAT SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRES ‘PRALAY’ MISSILE

14. RISE IN PATENT APPLICATIONS IN BHARAT DEMONSTRATES RISING INNOVATIVE ZEAL OF YOUTHS: PM MODI

15. OBITUARY: PADMANABH B ACHARYA

16. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article: HOW CREDIBLE IS THE GLOBAL HUNGER REPORT? - Ashwani Mahajan


1. FESTIVALS: PRABODHINI EKADASHI: Prabodhini Ekadashi (November 23 this year), also known as Deva Uttana Ekadashi is the Ekadashi in Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month of Kartika. It marks the end of the four-month period of Chaturmasa, and Bhagwan Vishnu is believed to wake up from his sleep on this day. The symbolic union of Vishnu and Lakshmi or Tulsi Vivaha is also celebrated on this day.

In Maharashtra, Prabodhini Ekadashi is linked with Bhagwan Vithoba - a form of Vishnu. Varkari pilgrims throng the Pandharpur mandir of Vithoba on this day. In Gujarat, pilgrims perform the 32-km Lili Parikrama of Girnar parvat over a two-day period. In Pushkar, Rajasthan, Pushkar Mela commences on this day and continues till the Kartika Purnima. Prabodhini Ekadashi is followed by Kartika Purnima, which is celebrated as Deva Deepavali. -GoTop  

2. RAM MANDIR ’PRAN-PRATISHTHA’ A GREAT MOMENT OF JOY: HOSABALE: Addressing the media after the conclusion of Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meeting, Dattatreya Hosabale, Sarkaryavah of RSS, said that the ’Pran-Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, scheduled for January 22, 2024, will be a great moment of joy for everybody.
He also said that RSS workers would undertake a nationwide door-to-door campaign from January 1 to 15, inviting people to join the grand opening ceremony.
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3. YOGI ADITYANATH INVITED FOR 'PRAN-PRATISHTHA' CEREMONY: General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust Champat Rai and Treasurer Govind Dev Giri Maharaj paid a visit to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on November 10 and invited him for the 'Pran-Pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024.
Speaking to the press Rai said that Ayodhya is the city of liberation and salvation which is coming back to its original form after a long time and they have invited Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony.
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4. SHRI RAM JANMABHOOMI INVITATION TO MORE THAN 10 CRORE FAMILIES: ALOK KUMAR: Around 4000 prominent saints of all Hindutva traditions and senior social, cultural and creative leadership of the country will participate in the ‘Pran-Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Central Working President and senior advocate Alok Kumar said in a press conference held in Delhi that the pious ‘Akshat’ kalash sanctified in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir on November 5 has been sent to 45 provinces of the organisation’s structure. Taking this invitation on behalf of the Teerth Kshetra Trust, workers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, along with other Hindu organisations, will visit Hindu families in the cities and villages of the country between January 1 and 15. A similar programme has also been organised for Hindus living abroad. He called upon every Hindu family to light at least 5 diyas on the auspicious night of January 22 and visit Ayodhya with family and friends on any day thereafter.
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5. ABKM BAITHAK 2023: The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal (ABKM) meeting of the RSS was held at Sardar Patel School in Bhuj from November 5 to 7. It was attended by 357 representatives from 45 provinces and 11 regions, and they outlined an agenda to reinforce Sangh’s activities across the nation, with a focus on border area security, social initiatives, and environmental conservation.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale highlighted RSS’s commitment to fortifying border regions through the organisation ‘Seema Jagran Manch,’ emphasising the crucial need for improved healthcare, education, and security measures in the critical border areas. Hosabale underlined Sangh’s dedication to accelerating these efforts, with special emphasis on fostering collaboration with local civil and security forces to ensure comprehensive development and security in these strategic regions.
Echoing a sentiment of national pride and identity, Hosabale referenced the momentous progress of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, citing the upcoming ‘Pran-Pratishtha’ ceremony scheduled to take place on January 22. From January 1 to January 15, swayamsevaks will embark on a door-to-door campaign, inviting citizens to partake in this memorable occasion, carrying images of Shri Ram Lalla and revered Akshat from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.
Elaborating on Sangh’s centenary year initiatives, Hosabale emphasised the significance of issues such as social harmony, rural development, environmental protection, and ‘Gau Sewa’ in building a cohesive and sustainable society. He underscored the need for these values to be imbibed within families and the community, stressing the importance of practises such as tree planting drives and the reduction of single-use plastic and water conservation efforts.
Hosabale also shed light on the revamped training curriculum within Sangh, emphasising tailored programmes for different age groups and focusing on practical skills and direct contributions to various spheres of social life during the ’shiksha varg’. With the Sangh’s mission centred on character building and social service, the press conference highlighted the steady expansion of Sangh’s reach, with 95,528 daily and weekly shakhas across the country. With a goal to extend Sangh’s activities to 59,060 mandals by the centenary year, the organisation continues to attract members from across all age groups, with over 37 lakh swayamsevaks participating in the Guru Pujan this year.
Reflecting on Sangh’s enduring commitment to societal welfare, Hosabale recalled the resilient efforts of swayamsevaks during the catastrophic earthquake of 2001 and their ongoing contributions to rehabilitation and service work in various parts of the country. He emphasised the importance of connecting communities across regions, citing the commendable efforts of swayamsevaks from Saurashtra-Kutch in aiding development schemes in remote areas such as Assam and Tripura, fostering national unity and solidarity.
The press conference was attended by Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bharatiya Sah-Prachar Pramukh Narendra Thakur, and Akhil Bharatiya Sah-Prachar Pramukh Alok Kumar.
The meeting’s conclusion marks RSS’s continuous efforts towards nation-building and social welfare, affirming its enduring commitment to fostering a strong, united, and culturally enriched Bharat.
The ABKM is held bi-annually, with a March session preceding the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha and a second session between Dussehra and Diwali.
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6. THAILAND ANNOUNCES VISA-FREE ENTRY FOR BHARATIYA CITIZENS: Thailand is scrapping visas for Bharatiya tourists in order to boost its tourism sector. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters after a cabinet meeting on October 31 that between November 10, 2023 and May 10, 2024, Bharatiya tourists will be able to enter Thailand without a visa. Taiwan has also been included in the plan in a bid to draw in more tourists as the high season approaches. With about 1.2 million arrivals, Bharat has been Thailand’s fourth largest source market for tourism this year after Malaysia, China and South Korea. Inbound tourism from Bharat showed signs of growth as more airlines and hospitality chains targeted that market.
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7. VIJAYADASHAMI UTSAVS: 39 shakhas of Sanatan Dharma Swayamsevak Sangh  SDSS  Myanmar conducted Vijayadashami utsavs at 13 places in the 9 vibhags of Myanmar. More than 1100 people including around 350 bal and 400 sevikas participated in the utsavs. Demonstration of physical activities were conducted in some vibhags while some other vibhags organised kabaddi, kho-kho and geet competitions.
Vijayadashami utsav was celebrated by HSS New Zealand across various shakhas in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The Auckland Mahanagar Utsav celebrated on October 21 included various demonstrations. Bal and shishus performed Suryanamaskar, kishors demonstrated niyuddha, sevikas showcased dand and swayamsevaks did yogasan. The event was attend by 200 swayamsevaks and sevikas in ganvesh from across all the Auckland shakhas. The Chief Guest of the event Pravin Kumar, president of Shri Ram Mandir Auckland, shared how HSS NZ is spreading Hindu cultural and social values in NZ through the efforts of conducting parivar shakhas.
Munich chapter of HSS Germany celebrated Vijayadashami and Guruvandana Utsav on October 22. The programs after the ceremonial lighting of the lamp included shloka recital, dance and skit by the Balagokulam children. Addressing the gathering, Rakesh Kumar, Vice Consul at Consulate of Bharat, Munich, appreciated the efforts of HSS Munich in upholding the values of Sanatana Dharma. Main speaker on the occasion Milind Shende from Dresden Shakha enlightened the audience regarding the importance of Vijayadashami, Sangh Sthapana Divas, Guru-Shishya Parampara and importance of Bhagwa Dhwaj. 
Around 150 people including staff of the Bharatiya Embassy in Copenhagen attended the Vijayadashami utsav conducted by HSS Denmark on November 5. The program held at ‘Gronnemose Skole’ in Soborg also included a Ramleela performed by the HSS volunteers.
Central and South Jersey chapters of HSS USA came together to celebrate Vijayadashami in Piscataway, NJ on October 29. The event with around 425 participants was presided by the chief guest Padma Shri Dr. Nirupam Bajpai. The program included synchronized demonstrations of 200 volunteers in HSS uniform. The demonstrations showcased various activities learnt in shakha like Yoga, Niyudha, Danda, Samata, Yogchap and Ghosh.
HSS New York Vibhag also celebrated Vijayadashami Utsav on October 14 at Westchester County.
88 people participated in the Vijayadashami Utsav conducted by Parashuram Shakha in Kansas City. Sundarji Shanmugam - President of Hindu Mandir and Cultural center of Kansas City was the chief guest on the occasion.
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8. DIWALI CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD: On November 11, Ayodhya broke its own Guinness World Record by lighting over 22,23,000 diyas to mark the Deepotsav celebrations on Diwali eve. Around 25,000 volunteers lit 22.23 lakh diyas at 51 ghats of Ram Ki Paidi along the Sarayu river. High commissioners and ambassadors of over 50 countries witnessed the Deepotsav.
Numerous diyas lit the Teetwal village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on November 12 as Diwali was celebrated at Mata Sharda Devi mandir for first time in 75 years. After performing the Diwali rituals, people gathered outside the mandir and burst firecrackers.
Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi marked his Diwali morning by spending time with Bharatiya Army soldiers in Himachal Pradesh's Lepcha, where he conveyed festive greetings to the nation.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murthy lit Diwali lamps at a special reception at 10 Downing Street, London. Mandirs from around the UK had contributed to an Annakut display as festive offerings to god and children from the Avanti Court Primary School recited religious shlokas at the reception.
On November 12, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan extended Diwali greetings to residents and others across the world in Hindi and English.
US Vice President Kamala Harris hosted Diwali celebrations at her official residence, the Naval Observatory. Addressing about 300 guests on November 8, Harris emphasized the significance of celebrating the festival of lights.
In a first-of-its-kind event, Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens joined the Hindu American community in a Diwali celebration and dinner organised by Coalition of Hindus of North America.
Canada Post issued a new stamp celebrating Diwali. Designed by Kristine Do and illustrated by Rena Chen, the stamp’s design has been inspired by the garlands that are draped across the entrances and facades of homes and mandirs. Earlier, several members of the Bharatiya community were in attendance at the Diwali celebrations hosted by MP Chandra Arya who also raised a flag with sacred symbol ‘aum’ on Parliament Hill.
The streets of Serangoon Road and Race Course Road in Little India came alive with a brilliant display of lights and colours, embodying the spirit of Diwali in Singapore.
In Dubai, numerous neighborhoods, including Al Mankhool, Bur Dubai, Karama, and Al Barsha, sparkled with vibrant illuminations as residents celebrated Diwali.
Nepal celebrated the five=day festival of lights called Tihar which included Laxmi Puja and Gai Puja.
The Indian Cultural Association in collaboration with Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka organised Diwali celebrations on November 11. Governor of Sri Lanka’s Eastern province Senthil Thondaman attended and witnessed the cultural performances and an animation on the relevance of Diwali and Ramayana.
Around 250 people including Mayor of Bradford Councillor Gerry Barker participated in the official switch on of Deepavali lights organized by the Yorkshire branch of Vishwa Hindu Parishad at the Ukrainian Community Centre in Bradford, UK.
The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA along with more than 200 other Dharmic organizations, came together to commence the fourth annual Sewa Diwali Food Donation Drive to provide essential food supplies to local food pantries.
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9. DIASPORA WEEK IN RIYADH: The inaugural day of the ‘Pravasi Parichay’ or Diaspora Week unfolded in Riyadh, as the Bharatiya expatriate community came together on October 31 to celebrate National Unity Day. Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, extended his best wishes to the attendees via a video message, emphasizing the significance of the occasion. The Bharatiya Ambassador to Riyadh, Dr. Suhel Khan, paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, urging the Bharatiya diaspora to actively participate in the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign.
In a landmark event, the Embassy of Bharat in Riyadh organized ‘Samskritotsava’ as part of ‘Pravasi Parichay’, showcasing the vibrancy of Sanskrit language and recognizing the dedicated efforts of the Bharatiya community in preserving it in Saudi Arabia. The unique celebration was conducted entirely in Sanskrit, and was organized in collaboration with Samskrita Bharati. This event represents the first time that a Bharatiya Mission anywhere in the world has hosted an event entirely in Sanskrit, aiming to promote the significance and learning of this ancient language.
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10. BHARAT HANDS OVER RELIEF MATERIALS TO NEPAL: The 6.4 R magnitude of earthquake that jolted western Nepal killed 153 people and injured 250 people on November 3.
Bharat with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy was first responder in the crisis in its neighbourhood and handed over the second consignment of emergency relief materials for earthquake affected families in Nepal. Deputy Chief of Mission in Nepal handed it over to Chief district officer of Banke on November 6. The second consignment carried 9 tonnes of relief material.
The first consignment had arrived at Nepalgunj on November 5 and was handed over by Naveen Srivastava, the ambassador of Bharat to Nepal, on behalf of the Government of Bharat, to Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka in the presence of Chief Minister of Karnali Raj Kumar Sharma.
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11. IIT MADRAS OPENS CAMPUS IN ZANZIBAR: Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council Hussein Ali Mwinyi inaugurated The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Zanzibar on November 6 at the Zanzibar campus in the presence of Tanzanian officials, Bharatiya dignitaries, faculty, and students.
IIT Madras Zanzibar is the first ever international campus of an IIT. The historic initiative by the Bharatiya government was undertaken to take the top-quality education system of Bharat to international arenas.
In the first batch at IIT Madras Zanzibar, women comprise 40 per cent of the total students admitted to the BS and MTech programs in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
Initially, the institute will offer BS and MTech programs, however, in the coming year, it will offer more academic programs in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
The campus will have the ability to accommodate students in dorms and provide various facilities. A press release on the occasion stated that the existing campus in Bweleo district, located approximately 15 km south of Zanzibar Town, is equipped with international amenities designed to meet the current needs of students. It added that a permanent campus will be built jointly by the Government of Zanzibar and the Government of Bharat soon.
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12. ISRO'S ADITYA-L1 SPACECRAFT CAPTURES GLIMPSE OF SOLAR FLARES: On November 7, Bharat's solar mission spacecraft, Aditya-L1 captured the first high-energy X-ray glimpse of solar flares. ISRO, while sharing an update on the recent development, noted that during its first observation period, the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) on board Aditya-L1 spacecraft has recorded the impulsive phase of solar flares.
HEL1OS data enables researchers to study explosive energy release and electron acceleration during impulsive phases of solar flares. HEL1OS was developed by the Space Astronomy Group of the U. R. Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO, Bengaluru. Earlier in October, Aditya-L1 escaped the sphere of Earth's influence. Bharat’s maiden sun mission was launched on September 2 from the Second Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.
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13. BHARAT SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRES ‘PRALAY’ MISSILE: Bharat successfully tested its surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) ‘Pralay’ from Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on November 7.
According to an official statement, the missile accomplished all of its mission goals. A battery of tracking sensors watched its path down the shoreline.
Developed by the DRDO, ‘Pralay’ is a 350-500 km short-range surface-to-surface missile with a payload capacity of 500-1,000 kg. ‘Pralay’ was designed for deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC).
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14. RISE IN PATENT APPLICATIONS IN BHARAT DEMONSTRATES RISING INNOVATIVE ZEAL OF YOUTHS: PM MODI: Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi said on November 8 that the rise in patent applications in Bharat demonstrates the rising innovative zeal of its youths and is a very positive sign for the times to come.
He was reacting to a World Intellectual Property Organisation report which said that patent applications by residents of Bharat grew by 31.6 per cent in 2022.
The report further said that for the first time, there were more patents filed by Bharatiya residents as against foreign filers, indicating the country’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem.
What is even more significant is that resident patent filings in Bharat (filed with the Bharatiya Patent Office) rose by 47 per cent to 38,551 in 2022 and were half of the total filings of 77,068 filed with the Bharatiya Patent Office.
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15. OBITUARY: PADMANABH B ACHARYA: An ardent swayamsevak, Padmanabh B Acharya passed away on November 10 in Mumbai. He was 92. He was born on July 17, 1941, in Udupi, Karnataka and earned his degree from the MGM College of Udupi. Subsequently, Acharya relocated to Mumbai to pursue legal studies and was a key figure among the founders of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
In the 1960s, he initiated the ‘Student’s Experience in Interstate Living’ (SEIL), a distinctive program aimed at fostering connections between the youth of North-East Bharat and the rest of the country. He was the National President of the ABVP from 1969 to 1970 and held the position of the BJP’s National Secretary between 1995 and 2001.
In her condolence message, Rashtrapati Murmu recognised him as a seasoned leader and acknowledged his service as governor in several northeastern states .
RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat and Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale also expressed their grief over the demise of Acharya.
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16. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Vishwa Vibhag Samyojak Saumitra Gokhale will be travelling to Singapore and Thailand. Vishwa Vibhag Sah Samyojak Dr. Ram Vaidya and Anil Vartak will be travelling to Thailand. Visitors: Darshan Soni - USA, Sumesh Soman - Bali
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Good work should be done as soon as possible, and inauspicious should be avoided as much as possible. —Sri Ramayana
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JAI SHRI RAM
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HOW CREDIBLE IS THE GLOBAL HUNGER REPORT?

 Ashwani Mahajan
Once again India is ranked rather low in the Global Hunger Report, but how credible are the criteria and methods employed in evaluation?

Like previous years, once again a German organisation named Welt Hungerhilfe has released its 'Hunger Index' and the hunger ranking of the countries of the world based on the same, in their so-called Global Hunger Report 2023. In this ranking, India has once again been placed very low at 111th position. It is noteworthy that this year 125 countries have been included in this ranking. Last year in 2022, India was ranked 107th in the list of 121 countries and 2021, India was ranked 101st in the ranking of 116 countries.
What they mean by this hunger index is that not only, there is a huge problem of hunger prevalent in India, but the performance of other countries is far better than India. If we believe the report, the performance of countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc., which are dependent on food supplies from India, is much better than India. In such a situation, it is natural to raise questions on this report. Let us try to understand the reality of hunger and its indices in India.

What is Welt Hungerhilfe's Hunger Index?
There are 4 parameters to measure this Hunger Index - malnutrition, stunting in children, underweight in children, wasting (low weight for height) and child mortality (mortality rate in children under 5 years of age). The hunger index based on all these parameters is estimated. Welt Hungerhilfe says that in India this index is 28.7, which is considered very serious, whereas in Pakistan it is 26.6, due to which Pakistan is ranked at 102nd position, which is above India. Similarly, Bangladesh is ranked at 81st position with 19.0 points and Sri Lanka is ranked at 60th position with 13.3 points.
If we see the parameters and scales used in constructing this Hunger Index, there are question marks on the data on one hand and the methodology on the other. Not only the Indian government, but many other experts have summarily rejected this report.
Child Mortality
According to of Welt Hungerhilfe’s methodology, child mortality has been a major determinant of the hunger index. While estimating, the hunger index for the year 2023, surprisingly the child mortality rate data of 2020-21 has been taken. The report puts India's child mortality rate at 31 per thousand.
According to the data published by the Sample Registration System of India, the child mortality rate decreased from 35 per thousand in 2019 to 32 per thousand in the year 2020. If this rate of decline in child mortality is considered, then it is expected to reach 24.4 by the year 2023. In such a situation, there is no reason why the outdated data on the child mortality rate in India should be taken at 31 per thousand, to estimate the hunger index in India in 2023. According to the latest data, the infant mortality rate in Pakistan is 55.8 per thousand and the child mortality rate is higher than that. Despite this, India is placed at 111th position in terms of hunger and Pakistan is shown at 102nd position. The reason for this is that wrong data has been used in other scales of the hunger index too.
There are some errors in the data of other international agencies as well. While figures published by the Indian government were showing the infant mortality rate at 28 per thousand in 2020, international agencies are putting it at 29.848. It is noteworthy that it’s not ethical or even legitimate to use any data other than the official data, by any foreign or Indian agency. But this World Hunger Report openly says that the data reported by the governments to the United Nations don't need to only be used in this report. The rapidly improving conditions in India may not be pleasing to the organisations working with their malafide intentions.
Malnutrition
As far as data on malnutrition is concerned, Welt Hungerhilfe does not have any factual data, as the household consumption survey by the concerned official agency has not been conducted since 2011. Therefore, malnutrition figures have been prepared based on a 'Gallup Survey' with a sample of 3000 people, the methodology of which is also questionable, which shows malnutrition at 16.6 per cent. It is worth noting that in reality, based on real-time health data of more than 7 crore children, the Poshan Tracker, published that only 7.7 per cent of children in the country were malnourished in February 2023. If we talk about production and availability of food, India ranks 35th in the world in the latest global ranking (2020) of 188 countries. The continuously increasing per capita production of food grains, milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables, fish etc. confirms that India is today producing surplus food, compared to demand.
Stunting and Wasting
Till recently, data on stunting and wasting assessed by only the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) was available in the country. However, due to the small sample size, the NFHS data was often questioned. Notably, a comprehensive nutrition campaign has been launched by the Ministry of Women and Children, Government of India, to tackle the problem of malnutrition in the country. While NFHS used to draw conclusions based on a relatively small sample, Poshan Tracker is publishing figures based on real-time data from more than 7 crore children, with wasting data consistently showing that only 7.2% of India's children were wasted, whereas Welt Hungerhilfe's Hunger Report (2023) used the wasting figure of NFHS 2019-21, that is, 18.7 per cent.
As far as stunting is concerned, experts believe that there cannot be a single standard of height for the entire country. Not only stunting but wasting depends on many factors including geography, environment and genetics, apart from nutrition. If we see, the height of Punjabi children is several inches more than the children of the North-East. The World Health Organisation has also accepted this.
Not only this, the Indian Government's Nutrition Campaign (Poshan Abhiyan) is working hard to address the problem of malnutrition in the country, and assessing the outcome periodically, recognising the same, and the World Health Organisation has also started using the data published by Poshan Tracker. Though there are many objections to the methodology of the Welt Hungerhilfe report, even if the formula used by the agency is followed, to calculate the hunger index, and if the correct data is fed i.e. child mortality rate (under 5 mortality rate) of 24.4 per thousand; if wasting and undernourishment are considered to be 7.2 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively (assuming other age groups too have similar nutrition outcome), as per the data collected by Poshan Tracker, and if stunting figures are discarded since they are not comparable, then hunger index estimated by the author of this article, comes out to be 9.528. Accordingly, as per the formula of Welt Hungerhilfe, India's ranking in the hunger index is not 111th but 48th.
It is natural that after the report of Welt Hungerhilfe, has been published, many opposition political parties have made hunger, an issue, based on this report. In such a situation, it is clear that this agency has consistently been trying to defame India by using questionable data and methodology, which is far from the reality. Strict action should be taken against all such agencies trying to defame India.
(The author is a Professor, at PGDAV College, University of Delhi and with Swadesh Jagran Manch) https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/columnists/how-credible-is-the-global-hunger-report-.html
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SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN vishwav@bol.net.in http://shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com and https://svn.epapers.in/