Author(s): S. MAJI, B. K. BERA AND A. K. NANDI

Abstract: Present food production in India is sufficient to provide everyone with calories enough for maintaining an active and healthy life. Global Hunger Index shows that hunger problem in India is alarming, ranks 67 out of 122 developing countries. The state West Bengal occupies 8th position in the lists of State Hunger. Impressive average growth ranging 8 to 9 per cent seems jailed to take care of food and nutritional security of millions of Indians. The present study based of secondary data collected from various sources reveals that percentage of below poverty line people consuming less than recommended calorie norm (2400 Kcal per capita per day) is accelerating with varying magnitude and the dependence on cereals including cereals substitutes and food grains for supply of needed body energy and protein are marginally decelerating, although remains more than 75 per cent, over the periods under study in both rural and urban areas of West Bengal as well as India. Per capita per day consumption of total cereals, the main source of body fuel, is declined by 17.33 and 9.09 per cent in rural and urban India respectively whereas in West Bengal, over all cereals consumption remains stable though an increase in consumption is observed in periods 1986-87 and 1993-94 by magnitude of 7.14 per cent in rural areas and urban West Bengal witnesses an overall increase of 9.77 per cent.

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