Nutrition and health in India : 1950-2000 A.D.

The causes and consequences of nutritional deficiency in India and the prospects of filling the existing nutritional gaps during the next 25 years or so, constitute the main concern of this paper. The average Indian diet is deficient in almost all respects, including calorie requirements. The most prominent deficiency is however, protein. The diet is also short of vitamins, especially B-complex. Total calories derived from Indian food amount to only 1945 as against the prescribed minimum of 2300. A survey of food production for the last few decades reveals that India is almost self-sufficient in cereals to meet the calorie requirements. But it is deficient in pulses and almost all other foods except sugar. The prospects of bridging the gaps in these foods, given the present food policies, do not appear to be bright and the existing gaps are likely to prevail for the rest of this century