. State statistics:

Some of the most backward states in the matters of undernutrition are Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Furthermore, 12 out of 17 states fall into the ‘alarming’ category when it comes to underweight children. A report of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) headed by Arjun Sengupta, says that about 77% of the population in India continues to live on less than Rs. 20 per capita per diem on an average.