Kannan Srinivasan of Melbourne, Australia has the measure of the significance here. We have been told for years that the new free trade order is lifting millions out of poverty. I, too, have wondered all along whether the averages quoted so triumphantly are skewed by the rise of the rich. This study suggests it is so.

Kerryn Higgs, Wauchope NSW, Australia

This is absolutely pathetic, but unsurprising. A lack of will power on behalf of the government, improper dietary habits in Indian food culture and a callous disregard for the poor is definitely to blame. However, there is another factor -- there is no enforcable family planning/ population control policy in India. The onus of restricting the family size then falls upon the individual. All too often, the Indian poor do not see either education or nutrition as a child's basic right . Instead, the child is regarded as an immediate source of additional income -- witness the number of child labourers in India. Thus, even in districts where school (or government sponsored child care) meal programs exist, malnutrition among children (especially girls) prevails, because the child is instead put to work. Capitalist India desperately needs to control its population and increase social awareness, otherwise all progress will be rendered insignificant by the deep-rooted social inequalities.

F. Sutaria, Calcutta , India.

Problem of mal nutrition is not a health problem. It is glaring proof of abysmal poverty in which half of India’s population live. The problem of malnutrition is a product of lack of attention and government spending on health sector but in a larger perspective it highlights the limitations of neo liberal policy framework that India has been in rush to adopt, adhere and acclaim. The model which systematically undermines public spending on the merit goods such as health and education is much to blame for such miserable situations. The excessive rush for privatization and liberalization without due consideration to the poor will further worsen the condition of poor. The problem says loud and clear that impressive growth rate figures are not going to come for rescue unless the mechanisms to share the growth and channel it to the poor are in place.

Satlaj Dighe, Pune, India

Laurence Tenney:
You do lay yourself bare not to religious bigotry but to understandable ignorance. The caste system while often linked to the Hindu religion is not a construct of it. It's a cyst that developed in the Hindu society over a long period of time and is cancerous to India's well being but it is completely inaccurate to say it is a part of the religion itself.

You and I dare say many Indians would do well to understand a religion before commenting on it. I say this with no offence taken, just a sadness at the trigger happiness that many people display when it comes to religion.

I was born a Hindu but I don't know if I am. I am trying to understand the religion for the past two years and hope to have a n answer soon. Then, I will see if I am a Buddhist, Christion or a Muslim too!

David Jackson: I agree. Shame on India.

Rakesh, Bangkok, Thailand

Stupid, why the comparison. Is Ethiopia a measuring unit for malnutrition?

Franco, Lon, Eng

The various Govt. in India have only worked to increase their vote bank and personal bank accounts. Why should they care for children who are not a immideate vote bank. I am from India and I dont recollect even a single solid plan to ensure that our children the future of our country dont go to bed empty stomach and have a secure future. Not a single political party has come up with a election manifesto for chidren. Its time now for our politicians to start investing in our children the future of India.

I walk with shame and my head lowered. No pride in my Indianess today.

S.Vijay, Mumbai, Maharashtra

I think we face this problem world-over, but in India, the disparity between those "with" and those "without" is just more apparent (I do not include China in this comparison because of the political structure differences between the countries). Those "with" never want to share their personal wealth, and the Government in India, unfortunately, has a serious problem with corruption at all levels. This does not make it right and it deeply saddens me to read this. It is a very poor state of affairs. However, I think the fact that the NHS is outsourcing some of its jobs to India is entirely irrelevant to this issue and is a very insensitive comment to make as part of this discussion. How these children are starving at "the expense of British jobs" is a mystery to me. I am proud to be British, but please do not blame actions that our Government takes on the people of India. Remember that we are only too happy to enjoy the benefits of outsourcing (e.g. cheaper services) until it affects us directly.

D, New York, New York

As an Indian living abroad, I must say that this article is relatively accurate. I visit India only infrequently and everytime I do, I am struck by how wretched the lives of the poor continue to be. And I make this observation from relatively prosperous cities like Bangalore, so the countryside is far worse.
Unfortunately while there are a multitude of social programs promoted by the Government, their impact is very limited as they get caught up in corruption and red tape.
The plight of the poor and an expanding population is an omnious portent for the future of India.

To the gentleman from Ethiopia I say you better believe it. There are plenty of people whose plight is as bad as those from Sub-Saharan Africa.

India's economic miracle is almost jobless when you consider the amount of jobs created wrt the population and the trickle down dissipation of wealth is happening way to slowly.

AR, Bangalore, India

I am an Ethiopian and I am shocked to learn that malnutrition in India is worse than in my country. In rural Ethiopia, there is barely enough to eat!
The article does not give enough explanations. Perhaps an Indian can elaborate? My guess is dietary practices plus the extreme poverty of the lower castes. I still can't imagine anyone poorer than rural Ethiopians.

Mohammed, Jersey City, NJ

I wonder how could those low caste Indians put up with this for so long. I guess the problem is not with money as addressed in the article, but with the poor people who don't spare enough effort to strive for their equal rights of the social wealth. Had this happen in China, a social trubulence would have happened much earlier.

Li, Chongqing, China

This is at the expense of British jobs. My daughter will lose her job in the NHS to India in June. To think that it will line the pockets of the already relatively wealthy is sickening. Our Government are immoral and so it would seem are the Indians.

judy, liverpool, england

In the past i had gone to country side of india for conducting due diligence of NGOs who are working for the benefits of the poor rural people. Based on the interaction with those people and NGO workers, i came to know that those people are themselves responsible for their sorry state.

vish, mumbai,

At the not inconsiderable risk of laying myself open to an accusation of religious bigotry (and no -- despite my geographical location I'm neither Christian nor even Judeo-Christian), I would like to suggest that the underlying problem may well be the licence, and even approbation, that Hinduism, and its caste system, gives the wealthy, presumably upper-caste élite to ignore the hardships of their poorer, lower-caste landsmen. For so long as 'karma" can be blamed as the "real" cause, the real world causes, and practicable solutions, will continue to be ignored.

Laurence Tenney, San Francisco,

Shame on India!

David Jackson, New York, USA

How long it has taken to acknowledge this! Although economists such as Utsa Patnaik have warned of mass starvation since the very outset of the so called reforms, the World Bank and the IMF and the Government of India have hidden their heads in the sand. And we know this survey is bound to be immediately disputed, or met with cries that privatisation should be stepped up in order to fund a safety net. Mass poverty is the outcome of cuts in all expenditure, not merely relief or charity. For two centuries of British rule we saw large scale starvation; we are now returning to that nightmare world.

Kannan Srinivasan, Melbourne , Victoria Australia

Having lived and worked in South India in 2005 ,I can confirm that as far as poverty is concerned,then the Country is "broken". The intention to fix it isn,t there,they were comfortable with it and accept it,I got the feeling they would prefer not to change the status as it works quite well for the ruling elites of India,despite the new found $Billions.

Derek McDonald, Saigon, Vietnam

One aspect which is often ignored is that some Indian practices re infant feeding may actually be causing malnutrition, even in children who should otherwise be healthy, specifically the overreliance on milk and the exclusion of meat and other protein sources from the diet. An earlier study showed that this was an issue even for middle class kids in India.

Excluding meat and even eggs can cause malnutrition in children in wealthy milieus if alternative protein sources are not used.

I hope studies do not make the mistake of being too sensitive to perceived cultural norms to investigate this further.

H Trivedi, London, UK,

Yes,I agree with below buddy.Above article says only 8% poverty in China.I guess mainly in rural areas.It's really a huge distance between rich and poor,far to reach.Some live in urban areas,when sometimes they go to rural areas for travel,they say:Oh,look!Pure water flowing in the stream.Have a breath,what a fresh air it is!Wow,It's really a nice world,It would be nice if I could live here.To be exempted from big stress in the city.But they only see hill,stream,see big nature,but not the poor.

Green, Shanghai, China

Our leaders and most of the think tanks are focused on economic growth graphs,stock market fluctuations and marketing india in affluent nations rather than worrying about poverty of the poor marginalised citizens who live mainly in villages and urban slums. Because these people never exist in their world.
Malnutrition is not an idependent entity but an inseparable component of poverty.
I too share the shame on my country
Dr.S.A.Hafiz
MSc Intl.Health Policy student
London School of Economics

Dr.S.A.Hafiz, london, uk