Why does India rank low on the Global Hunger Index?

A lot of media reports have been cropping up about India's Global Hunger Index 2021 ranking recently. Our country is ranked at 101 among 116 countries. In 2020, the ranking was 94. India is below its neighbours, i.e. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal are at a comparatively higher rank on the list.  

What is the Global Hunger Index (GHI)?  
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool to measure and track the level of national nutrition globally, going by region and by country. It is prepared by European NGOs of Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The GHI is calculated annually, and the results are published as a report in October every year. From India, one of the leading data suppliers has been the global NGO Oxfam. According to them, India’s lower position unfortunately reflects the reality that hunger has accentuated since the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said that the ranking was shocking for them, and claimed it was not accurate since it did not reflect ground realities and facts.  

How is the GHI figures calculated for India?  
The GHI figures for India are based on the government's own National Family Health Survey (NHFS) data. Malnutrition has always been a major concern in India, and the mid-day meal scheme in schools was one of the measures adopted to deal with this. Between 2015 and 2019, NHFS data shows a fall in the nutrition level for several Indian states, since child nutrition figures have been reducing there.  

What are the government schemes to fight malnutrition among children?  
In 2017, the government of India launched the POSHAN (Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan to improve nutrition among children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The Union budget this year has provisions for discussed increasing allocations to POSHAN 2.0. However, only 0.57% of the current budget is getting actually allocated towards funding the POSHAN scheme due to allocations to other heads in the health and family categories of government departments. Hopefully, the GHI report might increase the allocation in the current year.