Undernourishment among Indian Households: Evidences from 201112 Consumer Expenditure Survey

The study has analysed emerging trends and inequality in calorie-intake among Indian households. It has also identified the possible drivers influencing undernourishment in India. The long-run trends has shown a decline in calorie-intake till the year 2009–10. However, this trend has seen an upward reversal, which has several important implications for dietary transition and nutritional intervention. Improvement in undernourishment during 201112 is accompanied by a decline in inequality in calorie-intake. Among the economic forces, squeezed food budget has been found as the major factor responsible for the decline in calorie-intake during 1993–94 to 200405, while rise in income after 2004–05 has triggered the upward trend in energy intake during the recent years. Beside income, improvement in nutritional status, particularly among low-income households, has been supplemented by the PDS supplies. The agricultural growth fulfils the necessary condition of ensuring adequate food availability. Decline in per capita food production has been found negatively associated with incidence of under nutrition and increase has shown a positive effect. This underscores the need to sustain growth in food production above population growth.