Thali Index Shows Hidden Hunger Despite Falling Poverty Estimates
iasparliament
July 02, 2025
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Social Development
Why in new?
Recent findings show that discrepancies in poverty estimation highlight hidden food deprivation.
Thali Index– It is a proposed measure to assess the standard of living based on food affordability in India.
It uses the price of a basic vegetarian thali (meal) as a practical metric.
It represents a culturally familiar, nutritionally balanced unit comprising rice/roti, lentils, vegetables, and optionally dairy/meat/fish.
Thaliprice reference – Price of a vegetarian thali taken as ₹30, based on data from Crisil, considering regional variations across India.
Shiftfrom Calorie-based measurement – The Thali Index reflects actual food consumption patterns that consider nutrition, cultural norms, and satisfaction, not just calories.
It provides a more relatable and tangible measure for the general public.
Key Findings Using Thali Index (2023-24)
Affordability – Up to 40% of the rural population could not afford two vegetarian thalis a day.
In urban areas, up to 10% of the population faced the same deprivation.
It indicates higher food deprivation than suggested by official poverty estimates from SBI or World Bank.
Policy implications – Current poverty estimates may understate the need for food subsidies.
Thali Index suggests food subsidies should not be eliminated but rationalised.
Thali Index offers a goods-based, realistic measure of food security.
It is compatible with nutritional and calorific assessments, making it a comprehensive tool for evaluating poverty and deprivation.
