India: Advancing the Right to Food by empowering the most vulnerable to claim State support

Sunita Dhan, a young mother from Khunti district in the state of Jharkhand, has been struggling to provide her two-year old daughter with adequate nutrition. By empowering citizens like her to get the support they are entitled to, civil society can play a crucial role in advancing the Right to Food.

Despite improvements malnutrition remains above acceptable levels

India, the most populous country in the world, has enjoyed steady economic growth, achieving self-sufficiency in grain production in recent years. Yet 43% of children continue to be chronically undernourished. In addition, the benefits of high growth have not been equitably shared among regions. The state of Jharkhand exemplifies this, recording significantly less development than other parts of the country.