According to current statistics and estimates, approximately 36 per cent of the people of North-East India are below the poverty level. In Meghalaya, for instance, 50 per cent of the households are below the poverty level. This, according to the editors of this volume, implies that these who live below poverty level are unable to buy enough food. In almost all the states of North-East India the availability of all the food items taken together are much below the standard as recommended for a healthy life. The immediate objective of policy makers and official agencies is, thus, to make standard food available to the people. Unfortunately, this remains uncertain in North-East India, and the situation is alarming. A natural corollary of this situation is widespread nutrition deficiency and at least 250 million people in India suffer from varying degrees of malnutrition: out of 100 deaths in rural India, 58 are of children and seven million children are affected by blindness because of nutrition deficiency. The picture of North-East India is dismal in this context. In view of the above sate of affairs the public distribution system has an important role which has, so far, failed to reach the target groups in the countryside. This volume contains 37 papers from eminent experts on aspects of public distribution system, the overall agricultural scenario, food security, nutritional security and the related population and health issues in different parts of North-East India. Some case studies of various constituents of the region throw adequate light on the existing conditions and are useful in finding solutions to the very acute problems in North-East India in the context of the issues covered by this comprehensive book.
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