Undernourishment means that a person is unable to acquire enough food to meet the daily minimum dietary energy requirements. Food and Agriculture Organization defines hunger as being synonymous with chronic undernourishment. India has been growing steadily richer in recent years, but it still has more malnourished people, especially children, than any other country. And, this situation has dire outcomes over time.

The risks of mortality are significantly higher for children with stunted growth and wasting and other forms of undernutrition. Sometimes, deficiencies of specific nutrients, such as zinc, iron or vitamins can increase the risk of death or other serious ailments. In addition to mortality risks, malnourishment among children can have severe consequences in their long term development.

On a broader picture, hunger and malnourishment lead to reduced school attendance and educational milestones leading to lower literacy among poor students. People with undernourishment in their early years have been noticed to be under-performers in education and career over the years. Furthermore, studies have identified that stunting is a predictor of grade failure.