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The Myth of Child Malnutrition in India

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  • Arvind Panagariya

Abstract

A common continuing criticism of the economic reforms in India has been that despite accelerated growth and all-around poverty reduction, the country continues to suffer from child malnutrition that is worse than nearly all of the Sub Saharan African countries with lower per-capita incomes. Nearly half of India’s under-five children are said to be underweight and stunted. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently described the problem as ‘a matter of national shame.’ I argue in this paper that this narrative, nearly universally accepted around the world, is both false and counter-productive from the viewpoint of policy formulation. It is purely an artifact of a faulty methodology that the World Health Organization has pushed and the United Nations has supported. If the numbers are correctly done, in all likelihood, India will have no more to be ashamed of its achievements in child nutrition than vital statistics such as life expectancy, infant mortality and maternal mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Arvind Panagariya, 2012. "The Myth of Child Malnutrition in India," Working Papers 201204, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, revised Dec 2012.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecq:wpaper:201204
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    File URL: http://indianeconomy.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/working_papers/working_paper_2012-04-final.pdf
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    1. Jere R. Behrman, University of Pennsylvania & John Hoddinott & John Maluccio & Erica Soler-Hampejsek & Emily L. Behrman & Reynaldo Martorell & Manuel Ramirez-Zea, Institute of Nutrition for Central Am, 2006. "What Determines Adult Cognitive Skills? Impacts of Pre-Schooling, Schooling and Post-Schooling Experiences in Guatemala," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0615, Middlebury College, Department of Economics.
    2. Cole, T. J., 2003. "The secular trend in human physical growth: a biological view," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 161-168, June.
    3. Smith, Patricia K. & Bogin, Barry & Varela-Silva, Maria Ines & Loucky, James, 2003. "Economic and anthropological assessments of the health of children in Maya immigrant families in the US," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 145-160, June.
    4. Tarozzi, Alessandro, 2008. "Growth reference charts and the nutritional status of Indian children," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 455-468, December.
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