Malnutrition and hunger in South Asia: A historical and contemporary analysis

Malnutrition is a blot on India’s quest for development and sovereignty. India’s desire to be a developed nation by 2047 based on human- centric development is questionable without eradicating the problem of malnutrition. This article discusses the malnutrition and hunger in South Asia, particularly in India. The concept and problem of malnutrition have transformed from a colonial to a contemporary period. The article shows that malnutrition, once a problem of rural India, has transformed itself into a pan- India phenomenon. The hunger, poverty, and global development goals have reformulated the problem of nutrition and its associated solutions. The article also speaks about the dilemma of policymakers and experts to have a stable understanding of the nutrition problem. However, the need for a shift towards indigenous food systems to address the problem of malnutrition sprang up after the Green Revolution. The issues of geographical specificities, local governance structures, and basic infrastructural problems are adding to the complexities of malnutrition. This paper introduces the problematisation of nutritional problems in India after the Green Revolution.