Recent government data presented in Parliament indicates that malnutrition among children under five years remains a significant issue in India, despite gradual improvements shown through real-time monitoring. This information is derived from the Poshan Tracker system, which collects data on children enrolled in Anganwadi centres across the country.
According to the latest records from the Poshan Tracker, over 6.44 crore children have been assessed for height and weight. The analysis reveals concerning statistics: 33.54% of children are stunted, indicating chronic undernutrition; 14.41% are underweight; and 5.03% are wasted, reflecting acute growth deficiency. These indicators provide a real-time snapshot of the nutritional status of children, monitored through community-based surveillance.
A comparison with earlier data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21) shows marginal improvements. NFHS-5 reported 35.5% stunting, 32.1% underweight, and 19.3% wasting among children under five. Officials attribute these reductions to enhanced service delivery and increased community engagement through behaviour-change initiatives.
A 2021 survey conducted by the World Bank across 11 high-burden states highlighted that women participating in Poshan Abhiyaan activities—such as home visits, counselling, and community events—exhibited improved nutrition practices. The outreach achieved over 80% message penetration and recorded exclusive breastfeeding rates of 81% among respondents. These trends underscore the effectiveness of awareness-based interventions in improving health outcomes.
Under the Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 initiatives, the government has integrated core nutrition programmes to enhance service delivery. The Poshan Tracker, launched in March 2021, serves as a central governance tool for identifying cases of stunting, wasting, and underweight. This enables timely counselling and targeted actions aimed at reducing malnutrition across various states.
Q1. What is the current status of child malnutrition in India?
Answer: Recent data shows that about 33.54% of children under five in India are stunted, 14.41% are underweight, and 5.03% are wasted, highlighting ongoing malnutrition challenges.
Q2. How does the Poshan Tracker contribute to addressing malnutrition?
Answer: The Poshan Tracker monitors children's growth and nutritional status, enabling timely interventions and targeted actions to combat malnutrition nationwide.
Q3. What improvements have been observed compared to previous surveys?
Answer: Compared to NFHS-5, recent data indicates slight improvements in stunting and underweight rates, suggesting better service delivery and community engagement.
Q4. What role does the Poshan Abhiyaan play in nutrition outcomes?
Answer: The Poshan Abhiyaan engages communities through awareness initiatives, resulting in improved nutrition practices and higher exclusive breastfeeding rates.
Q5. What policies are in place to combat malnutrition in India?
Answer: Government initiatives like Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 aim to strengthen nutrition programmes, ensuring effective service delivery and monitoring.
Question 1: What percentage of children under five in India are reported as stunted according to the latest Poshan Tracker?
A) 14.41%
B) 33.54%
C) 5.03%
D) 35.5%
Correct Answer: B
Question 2: What initiative aims to improve nutrition practices among women in India?
A) Mission Saksham Anganwadi
B) Poshan Abhiyaan
C) National Family Health Survey
D) Anganwadi Services
Correct Answer: B
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of the Poshan Tracker?
A) To assess health outcomes
B) To monitor nutritional status
C) To collect demographic data
D) To conduct health surveys
Correct Answer: B
Question 4: Which of the following is a significant finding from the World Bank survey on Poshan Abhiyaan?
A) Decreased message penetration
B) Improved breastfeeding rates
C) Reduced community participation
D) Increased stunting rates
Correct Answer: B
Question 5: What is the reported percentage of exclusive breastfeeding among respondents in the World Bank survey?
A) 70%
B) 81%
C) 60%
D) 90%
Correct Answer: B
Kutos : AI Assistant!
