Hunger levels 'alarming' in many states

New Delhi: A number of Indian states have "alarming" levels of hunger while the situation is "extremely alarming" in Madhya Pradesh.

According to the first-ever India State Hunger Index (ISHI), Madhya Pradesh has the most severe level of hunger in the country, followed by Jharkhand and Bihar. Punjab and Kerala scored the best on the index.

The ISHI measures hunger on prevalence of child malnutrition, rates of child mortality, and the proportion of people who are calorie deficient.

The ISHI analyses hunger levels in 17 major states. State hunger index scores range from "serious" to "extremely alarming".