Covid-19 pandemic and food security in India: Can authorities alleviate the disproportionate burden on the disadvantaged?

The present study examines covariates of food security and the impact of Covid-19 induced shocks, among households in India using a nationally representative survey. Using a 2SLS panel regression model, we find an important role of incomes, relative food prices, household characteristics, as well as mobility restrictions in response to the rising number of infections in a given region in explaining varying food expenditure shares prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The disproportionate burden of the pandemic induced lockdowns on the disadvantaged and minorities calls for effective action on the part of policymakers to boost aggregate demand, fix supply chains and reduce food price volatility.

Severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

The main objective of this study is to identify the socioeconomic, meteorological, and geographical factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 pandemic in India. The severity is measured by the cumulative severity ratio (CSR)-the ratio of the cumulative COVID-related deaths to the deaths in a pre-pandemic year-its first difference and COVID infection cases. We have found significant interstate heterogeneity in the pandemic development and have contrasted the trends of the COVID-19 severities between Maharashtra, which had the largest number of COVID deaths and cases, and the other states. Drawing upon random-effects models and Tobit models for the weekly and monthly panel data sets of 32 states/union territories, we have found that the factors associated with the COVID severity include income, gender, multi-morbidity, urbanization, lockdown and unlock phases, weather including temperature and rainfall, and the retail price of wheat. Brief observations from a policy perspective are made toward the end.

On hunger and child mortality in India.

Despite accelerated growth there is pervasive hunger, child undernutrition and mortality in India. Our analysis focuses on their determinants. Raising living standards alone will not reduce hunger and undernutrition. Reduction of rural/urban disparities, income inequality, consumer price stabilization, and mothers' literacy all have roles of varying importance in different nutrition indicators. Somewhat surprisingly, public distribution system (PDS) do not have a significant effect on any of them. Generally, child undernutrition and mortality rise with poverty. Our analysis confirms that media exposure triggers public action, and helps avert child undernutrition and mortality. Drastic reduction of economic inequality is in fact key to averting child mortality, conditional upon a drastic reordering of social and economic arrangements.

Mean consumption, poverty and inequality in rural India in the 60th round of the National Sample Survey.

This article reports on mean consumption, poverty (all three FGT measures) and inequality during 2004 for rural India using National Sample Survey (NSS) data for the 60th Round. Mean consumption at the national level is much higher than the poverty line. However, the Gini coefficient is higher than in recent earlier rounds. The headcount ratio is 22.9 per cent. Mean consumption, all three measures of poverty and the Gini coefficient are computed at the level of 20 states and 63 agro-climatic zones in these 20 states. It is surmised that despite impressive growth rates deprivation is pervasive, pockets of severe poverty persist, and inequality is rampant.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, poverty and prices in rural India.

The objective of this analysis is mainly to construct an intuitive measure of the performance of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in India. The focus is on divergence between demand and supply at the district level. Some related issues addressed are: (i) whether the gap between demand and supply responds to poverty; and (ii) whether recent hikes in NREGS wages are inflationary. Our analysis confirms responsiveness of the positive gap between demand and supply to poverty. Also, apprehensions expressed about the inflationary potential of recent hikes in NREGS wages have been confirmed. More importantly, higher NREGS wages are likely to undermine self-selection of the poor in it.

"Double Burden of Malnutrition": Reexamining the Coexistence of Undernutrition and Overweight Among Women in India.

India has one of the highest rates of underweight burden, with signs of rising obesity. Coexistence of underweight and overweight persons is symptomatic of the "double burden of malnutrition." The present study throws new light on the "double burden of malnutrition" among Indian women in the age group 22-49 years. The analysis is based on a nationally representative household survey, India Human Development Survey. Our results indicate the continuing pattern of socioeconomic segregation of underweight and overweight/obese women, with a large concentration of underweight women among the low socioeconomic group and of overweight/obese women among the high socioeconomic group. Further, relative food prices of food items like cereals and vegetables are significantly associated with the risk of being underweight and overweight/obese. Additionally, we find notable rural/urban differences. The relationship between socioeconomic factors and the probability of being underweight and overweight/obese is stronger in urban than in rural areas. Given that the health implications of being underweight and overweight/obese are equally grim, provision of healthy food items at affordable prices and implementation of programs for preventive and curative care of plausible illnesses related to underweight and overweight/obese are imperative.