India, Oct. 24 -- India is booming but its children are starving. Here is a remarkable tolerance of inequity and human suffering. Despite the spectacular strides made in economic growth and the technological boom, the country still continues to struggle to attain freedom from hunger. It is bearing witness to a triple burden of malnutrition - the coexistence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overnutrition.

India has slipped from 95th rank in 2010 to 102nd in 2019 on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), with the increase in prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) among children under five contributing the most to the country's poor performance. Over a longer-term horizon, the fall in the country's rank is sharper: From 83rd...