The following table shows the proportion of undernourished adults in India. It is based in a survey of various states for the year 2001. Look at the table and answer the following questions.
State | Male (%) | Female (%) |
Kerala | 22 | 19 |
Karnataka | 36 | 38 |
Madhya Pradesh | 43 | 42 |
All States | 37 | 36 |
(i) Compare the nutritional level of people in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.
(ii) Can you guess why around 40 per cent of people in the country are undernourished even though it is argued that there is enough food in the country? Describe in your own words.
(i) We can clearly look and notice that both the states have different nutritional level. 22% and 19% men and women respectively are undernourished in Kerala and on the other hand in Madhya Pradesh the respective percentages of male and female that are undernourished 43% and 42%, which clearly tells that Kerala has better nourished people than Madhya Pradesh.
(ii) Often it is said that there is enough amount of food present in our country that can easily complete the needs of people but still 40% of our country’s population is unnourished this is because of the wrong and unsystematic distribution of food among population which again leads to discrimination and because of which people stay unnourished.
Few states in the country ensure proper running of grocery stores and other public distribution system which benefits the weaker section of any society. Grocery stores which are under the public distribution system help the population in maintaining the nutritional status of the people by making food availability.