Poverty, hunger and malnutrition in India: A challenge for the development policy makers

India has failed in making a dent in poverty, hunger and malnutrition. The overall improvement in reducing poverty and hunger and increasing nutritional status is slow in various states in the country. While India has achieved success in combating transient food insecurity caused by droughts or floods, it miserably failed in solving chronic food and nutritional insecurity. In recent years, the concept of food security has undergone considerable changes in India. Food production, availability, procurement and distribution are considered good measures of food security, which has been accorded high priority in food security policies in India. The Government of India has implemented a number of food and nutrition security programs i.e. Targeted Public Distribution System, Integrated Child Development Scheme, Mid-Day Meal and National Employment Guarantee Act to meet the food and nutritional security among vulnerable sections of the society. The National Advisory Council of Government of India has approved the proposed Food Security Act 2010,giving a right to food for rural and urban food insecure population.The present paper focuses into the magnitude of Poverty, Hunger and Malnutrition in India and the challenges faced by the policy makers in India.