India has ranked 101 on the latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking, trailing behind many countries in the South Asia region, including Pakistan and Nepal.
The numbers present a grim picture of a hunger crisis exacerbated by India’s ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. However, the Union government called the findings “shocking” and said they were based on “flawed” methodology.
The Wire spoke to economist and social scientist Jean Dreze to decode the value of the rankings and the credibility of the government’s stance.