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More than half of India’s total population (55.6 per cent) is unable to afford a healthy diet, according to the United Nations’ State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published on July 24, 2024.
Although this proportion has seen a continuous decline (except in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic stuck), it was still higher than the average (53.1 per cent) of all south Asian countries and the second highest percentage of population in the region, after Pakistan (58.7 per cent) in 2022. Figures for Afghanistan were not available in the report.
In 2017, the proportion of the population not being able to afford a healthy diet in India was 69.5 per cent.
The report, published by five UN agencies, described a ‘healthy diet’ as comprising four key aspects: diversity (within and across food groups), adequacy (sufficiency of all essential nutrients compared to requirements), moderation (foods and nutrients that are related to poor health outcomes) and balance (energy and macronutrient intake).
In May this year, Global food policy report 2024 released by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)had raised concerns about dietary habits in India, highlighting a significant increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods compared to nutritious options. It had found that at least 38 per cent of the Indian population ate unhealthy foods, while only 28 per cent ate all five recommended food groups, which include at least one starchy staple food, one vegetable, one fruit, one pulse, nut or seed and one animal-source food.
Globally, 35.4 per cent people were unable to afford a healthy diet; 64.8 per cent of these were in Africa and 35.1 per cent in Asia.
Undernourished Indians
- India has 13.7 per cent of the total population as malnourished.
- ‘Undernourishment’ means that a person is not able to acquire enough food to meet the daily minimum dietary energy requirements over a period of one year, as per the Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO’s definition.
- The number of children (under five years) affected by ‘wasting’ was 21.9 million (18.7 per cent); and 36.1 million (31.7 per cent) children were stunted in 2022.
- The FAO describes wasting as ‘low weight-for-height’, a lethal form of malnutrition, whereas stunting is described as ‘low height-for-age’ and is the result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition.
- Overall, Asia had the highest wasting levels among children under five.
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- Anonymity: Darknet allows users to communicate and transact with each other anonymously. Users can maintain their privacy and avoid being tracked by law enforcement agencies or other entities.
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Darknet
Definition:
Darknet, also known as dark web or darknet market, refers to the part of the internet that is not indexed or accessible through traditional search engines. It is a network of private and encrypted websites that cannot be accessed through regular web browsers and requires special software and configuration to access.
The darknet is often associated with illegal activities such as drug trafficking, weapon sales, and hacking services, although not all sites on the darknet are illegal.
Examples:
Examples of darknet markets include Silk Road, AlphaBay, and Dream Market, which were all shut down by law enforcement agencies in recent years.
These marketplaces operate similarly to e-commerce websites, with vendors selling various illegal goods and services, such as drugs, counterfeit documents, and hacking tools, and buyers paying with cryptocurrency for their purchases.
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Artificial Intelligence
Definition:
AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and understanding natural language.
Examples:
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