Hunger and poverty are the biggest challenges for good governance in India still today. Evaluate how far successive governments have progressed in dealing with these humongous problems. Suggest measures for improvement.
Approach · directive: “evaluate”
What it asks · Assess progress on poverty reduction and food and nutrition security through major policies since Independence, note persisting gaps and suggest improvements.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Evaluate how far successive governments have reduced poverty and hunger: progress and persisting gaps
- Suggest measures for improvement
Open with · Poverty and hunger are core governance challenges: India has cut poverty and avoided large famines, but malnutrition and deprivation persist.
Cover
- Poverty: official estimates fell from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 on the Tendulkar line (Planning Commission), aided by growth and social programmes.
- Food security: the Public Distribution System, the National Food Security Act, 2013 (covering up to 75 per cent of rural and 50 per cent of urban population), mid-day meals and ICDS.
- Employment and income: MGNREGA guarantees rural wage work; Jan Dhan accounts and direct benefit transfer reduce leakages.
- Nutrition gap: NFHS-4 (2015-16) found 38.4 per cent of children under five stunted, down from 48 per cent in NFHS-3, so hunger has shifted from calories to nutrition.
- Gaps: high stunting and anaemia among women and children, leakages and exclusion errors in targeting, and regional and social disparity.
- Governance issues: corruption, poor last-mile delivery and weak accountability of frontline services.
- Measures: better targeting through Aadhaar-seeded data and grievance redressal, focus on nutrition of women and children, farm productivity, and social audits and community monitoring.
Close with · Progress is real but incomplete; the next gains depend on quality of delivery, nutrition and accountability rather than only spending.
Add value (verified)
- NFHS-4 (2015-16): 38.4 per cent of children under five were stunted, down from 48 per cent in NFHS-3 — progress, but still a very high burden. Prevalence of underweight and stunting among children has come down as per NFHS-4 — PIB, 21 July 2017 ↗“as per NFHS-4 survey based on 2015-16 data the prevalence of underweight and stunting has come down to 35.7% & 38.4% from 42.5% & 48% NFSH-3”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2017, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 220 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
Poverty and hunger remain the first test of governance in India: famines have been averted and poverty has fallen, but malnutrition and exclusion persist.
Progress made
- Poverty: on the Tendulkar line the ratio fell from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 (Planning Commission), driven by growth and social programmes.
- Food: the Public Distribution System and the National Food Security Act, 2013, covering up to 75 per cent of the rural and 50 per cent of the urban population, plus mid-day meals and ICDS.
- Income: MGNREGA guarantees rural wage work; Jan Dhan accounts and direct benefit transfer cut leakage.
Persisting gaps
- Nutrition: NFHS-4 (2015-16) still found 38.4 per cent of children under five stunted, and anaemia among women and children stays high.
- Delivery: exclusion errors, leakage, corruption and weak last-mile services, with wide gaps across States and social groups.
Measures for improvement
- From food to nutrition: diversify the PDS and ICDS baskets, focus on the first 1,000 days, and target women's anaemia.
- Fix delivery: Aadhaar-seeded but inclusive targeting, grievance redressal, social audits and community monitoring.
- Raise incomes: farm productivity, non-farm rural jobs and timely MGNREGA wages.
Governments have moved India from famine to food security; the next step, from food security to nutrition and dignity, depends on the quality of delivery more than on new schemes.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.