P.V. Sukhatme: A Pioneer in the Application of Statistics to Agriculture and Nutrition

Authors

  • Kharade RN Department of Statistics, Shahajiraje Mahavidyalaya Khatav, Shivaji University, Kolhapur. MS, India.
  • Shinde MB Department of Mathematics, Shahajiraje Mahavidyalaya, Khatav, Shivaji University, Kolhapur. MS, India

Keywords:

P. V. Sukhatme, crop-cutting surveys, stratified multi-stage sampling, intra-individual variation, FAO undernourishment, IASRI, agricultural statistics, energy requirements

Abstract

A pivotal figure in twentieth-century statistics, Pandurang Vasudeo Sukhatme significantly impacted national systems and international politics through his advancements in human nutrition and agricultural survey methods. The General Crop Estimation Surveys in India and other national programs that have been adopted throughout Asia and Africa were made possible by his leadership at ICAR, which formalized crop-cutting surveys and stratified multi-stage sampling for yield estimation. The lower-cutoff approach in FAO's Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) methodology, which continues to be refined today, was influenced by his stochastic model of intra-individual energy requirements, which reframed the measurement of undernourishment and sparked the shift from protein-centric narratives to energy adequacy. This study examines the methodological foundation of Sukhatme's work, its institutional dissemination, scientific criticisms, and policy implications, emphasizing its ongoing significance for nutrition and food security statistics.

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References

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Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Kharade RN, & Shinde MB. (2025). P.V. Sukhatme: A Pioneer in the Application of Statistics to Agriculture and Nutrition. International Journal of Life Sciences, 13(4), 473–476. Retrieved from https://ijlsci.in/ls/index.php/home/article/view/1545

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 4 (2025): International Journal of Life Sciences

Section

Research Articles

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