Score:
9/15
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Topper’s Copy
GS1
Modern History
15 marks
India is experiencing a paradox of rising food expenditure alongside declining nutritional quality. Discuss the key factors behind this trend and suggest policy measures to address the emerging nutrition crisis.
Student’s Answer
Evaluation by SuperKalam
Demand of the Question
- Discuss factors behind rising food expenditure with declining nutritional quality
- Suggest policy measures to address the nutrition crisis
- Address the paradox - explain the contradiction between spending more but getting less nutrition
What you wrote:
India is one of the world's leading food exporters. However, India is experiencing a paradox of rising food expenditure alongside declining nutritional quality. (NSSO's latest quinquennial survey).
Paradox:- This food paradox is a relationship between expenditure and nutrition of food.
[GRAPH: A line graph with the y-axis labelled "Expenditure" and the x-axis labelled "expenditure on food". A curve starts from the bottom left and rises towards the top right, indicating a positive correlation.]
India is one of the world's leading food exporters. However, India is experiencing a paradox of rising food expenditure alongside declining nutritional quality. (NSSO's latest quinquennial survey).
Paradox:- This food paradox is a relationship between expenditure and nutrition of food.
[GRAPH: A line graph with the y-axis labelled "Expenditure" and the x-axis labelled "expenditure on food". A curve starts from the bottom left and rises towards the top right, indicating a positive correlation.]
Suggestions to improve:
- Could define the paradox more precisely (e.g., "Despite food expenditure rising by 23% between 2011-2023, malnutrition affects 35% of children under 5, indicating spending more but achieving less nutritional outcomes")
What you wrote:
Factors behind the trend :-
(1) Rising household income: leading to increasing expenditure on food. But without focusing on quality of food (nutrition).
(2) Spending of processed food increased.
(3) ICMR-INDIAB dietary study shows that 62% of total energy in Indian diet comes from low-quality carbohydrates (refined cereals & sugar) + overuse of fertilizers during production.
(4) Cereals consumption of rural population increased. Top 5% of rural population spends almost 3 times more than bottom 5% on food.
(5) People prefer ready-to-eat food and ready to spend far more too for work-life balance.
(6) Reduced availability of home-cooked food that depends on women's unpaid or less paid domestic labour. This reflects expenditure ↑ and Nutrition ↓.
(7) Online food delivery options available in less time but little more cost which people prefer. Eg- Swiggy, Zomato.
Factors behind the trend :-
(1) Rising household income: leading to increasing expenditure on food. But without focusing on quality of food (nutrition).
(2) Spending of processed food increased.
(3) ICMR-INDIAB dietary study shows that 62% of total energy in Indian diet comes from low-quality carbohydrates (refined cereals & sugar) + overuse of fertilizers during production.
(4) Cereals consumption of rural population increased. Top 5% of rural population spends almost 3 times more than bottom 5% on food.
(5) People prefer ready-to-eat food and ready to spend far more too for work-life balance.
(6) Reduced availability of home-cooked food that depends on women's unpaid or less paid domestic labour. This reflects expenditure ↑ and Nutrition ↓.
(7) Online food delivery options available in less time but little more cost which people prefer. Eg- Swiggy, Zomato.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could examine urbanization effects (e.g., 70% urban population consuming more processed foods vs traditional diets)
- Could analyze supply chain issues (e.g., 40% post-harvest losses in fruits/vegetables leading to reduced fresh food availability)
- Could discuss marketing influence (e.g., ₹1,000 crore annual advertising by processed food companies targeting children)
What you wrote:
Less-Nutrition led to:
Obesity
Malnutrition
Non-communicable diseases → Cancer, diabetes ↑, Fatty liver, acid ↑
Less-Nutrition led to:
Obesity
Malnutrition
Non-communicable diseases → Cancer, diabetes ↑, Fatty liver, acid ↑
Suggestions to improve:
- Could add statistical evidence (e.g., India ranks 107th out of 121 countries in Global Hunger Index 2023)
- Could mention double burden of malnutrition (undernutrition coexisting with obesity in same households)
What you wrote:
Policy Measures:-
(1) Increase taxes on ultra-processed foods.
(2) FSSAI's 2025 packaging of labelling rules that focus on clearer consumer information (like sugar/fats/carbohydrates) mandatory. This rule should be implemented efficiently.
(3) Rewarding farmers for nutrition-based production and organic farming.
(4) Subsidies for harmful fertilizers and pesticides should be reduced.
(5) Creating awareness among the people about diet & nutrients.
(6) Promoting diversification of diet like (vegetables, pulses, fruits etc).
(7) Investment in research of development food processing.
(8) Promoting food processing companies to invest in affordable & culturally appropriate healthy products.
Policy Measures:-
(1) Increase taxes on ultra-processed foods.
(2) FSSAI's 2025 packaging of labelling rules that focus on clearer consumer information (like sugar/fats/carbohydrates) mandatory. This rule should be implemented efficiently.
(3) Rewarding farmers for nutrition-based production and organic farming.
(4) Subsidies for harmful fertilizers and pesticides should be reduced.
(5) Creating awareness among the people about diet & nutrients.
(6) Promoting diversification of diet like (vegetables, pulses, fruits etc).
(7) Investment in research of development food processing.
(8) Promoting food processing companies to invest in affordable & culturally appropriate healthy products.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could suggest strengthening POSHAN Abhiyaan with nutrition-sensitive agriculture components
- Could propose Public Distribution System reforms (e.g., including millets and fortified foods beyond rice/wheat)
- Could recommend school meal program enhancement (e.g., PM POSHAN scheme covering 11.8 crore children with diversified menus)
What you wrote:
Owing to such measures, India needs to have whole of society engagement for focusing on diet. India needs to be healthier along with becoming wealthier.
Owing to such measures, India needs to have whole of society engagement for focusing on diet. India needs to be healthier along with becoming wealthier.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could strengthen with specific targets (e.g., "Achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) requires reducing malnutrition by 50% by 2030 through coordinated nutrition-agriculture policies") and mention successful international examples (e.g., Brazil's Zero Hunger program)
Strong analytical approach with good use of data and current affairs. The graph visualization adds value, though policy measures section could benefit from more implementation-focused suggestions. Well-structured answer covering most key demands effectively.
Demand of the Question
- Discuss factors behind rising food expenditure with declining nutritional quality
- Suggest policy measures to address the nutrition crisis
- Address the paradox - explain the contradiction between spending more but getting less nutrition
What you wrote:
India is one of the world's leading food exporters. However, India is experiencing a paradox of rising food expenditure alongside declining nutritional quality. (NSSO's latest quinquennial survey).
Paradox:- This food paradox is a relationship between expenditure and nutrition of food.
[GRAPH: A line graph with the y-axis labelled "Expenditure" and the x-axis labelled "expenditure on food". A curve starts from the bottom left and rises towards the top right, indicating a positive correlation.]
India is one of the world's leading food exporters. However, India is experiencing a paradox of rising food expenditure alongside declining nutritional quality. (NSSO's latest quinquennial survey).
Paradox:- This food paradox is a relationship between expenditure and nutrition of food.
[GRAPH: A line graph with the y-axis labelled "Expenditure" and the x-axis labelled "expenditure on food". A curve starts from the bottom left and rises towards the top right, indicating a positive correlation.]
Suggestions to improve:
- Could define the paradox more precisely (e.g., "Despite food expenditure rising by 23% between 2011-2023, malnutrition affects 35% of children under 5, indicating spending more but achieving less nutritional outcomes")
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