Undernutrition and Public Policy in India

Despite substantial economic growth, India has one of the highest undernutrition rates in the world; it is home to almost 40 per cent of the world’s stunted children. This volume assesses the status and causes of undernutrition in the country, and examines the effectiveness of policies designed to address undernutrition. The essays tackle wide-ranging themes and challenging issues including nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); maternal, neonatal and child health; Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS); Public Distribution System (PDS); crop procurement; and National Food Security Act 2013.

With contributions from leading academic researchers, policymakers, as well as civil society representatives, this volume will be indispensable to scholars, teachers and students of public policy, development economics, development sociology, and Indian economy. It will also be useful to government institutions, think tanks and NGOs.

Sonalde Desai is Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland College Park, USA, and holds a joint appointment as Senior Fellow at the National Council of Applied Economic Research, India.

Lawrence Haddad is Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute’s Poverty Health and Nutrition Division, USA.

Deepta Chopra is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK, where she leads the work on women’s and girls’ empowerment.

Amit Thorat is Associate Fellow at the National Council of Applied Economic Research, India.