The status of malnutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight) in the country amongst children under 5 years is provided by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted periodically by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW). The recently released report of NFHS-5 (2019-21) has shown improvement in key nutrition indicators as compared to NFHS-4 (2015-16). Among children under 5 years of age, Stunting has reduced from 38.4% to 35.5%, while Wasting has reduced from 21.0% to 19.3% and Underweight has reduced from 35.8% to 32.1%.
The prevalence of Stunting among Children under 5 years in 235 districts which were included under POSHAN Abhiyaan in 2018-19 is at Annexure I.
The Government has accorded high priority to the issue of malnutrition and is implementing several schemes/programmes of different Ministries/Departments through States/UTs to address various aspects related to nutrition. This Ministry is implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Anganwadi Services Scheme and Scheme for Adolescent Girls under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country. Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition are treated at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
POSHAN Abhiyaan launched on 8th March 2018, aims to reduce malnutrition in the country in a phased manner by adopting a synergised and result oriented approach. The Abhiyaan is being implemented pan India covering all the Districts. The goals of POSHAN Abhiyaan are to achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers in a time bound manner with fixed targets.
Mission Poshan 2.0, an integrated nutrition support programme has been announced in budget 2021-2022 for all States/UTs. It seeks to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcomes with focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition. Steps have been taken to improve nutritional quality, strengthen delivery and leverage technology to improve governance under Poshan Tracker, a robust ICT platform, to improve governance with regard to real time monitoring of provisioning of supplementary nutrition for prompt supervisions and management of services. Government has advised States/UTs to ensure that the quality of supplementary nutrition conforms to prescribed standards laid down under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and regulations made thereunder. States/UTs have also been advised to promote use of AYUSH systems for prevention of malnutrition and related diseases. A programme to support development of Poshan Vatikas at Anganwadi centers to meet dietary diversity gap leveraging traditional knowledge in nutritional practices has also been taken up. Further, Streamlined Guidelines were issued on 13.01.2021 for transparency and accountability in delivery of supplementary nutrition and to track nutritional outcomes.
This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Lok Sabha
Annexure I
Prevalence of Stunting among children under 5 years in 235 districts of States/UTs covered in Phase II (Year 2018-19) as per NFHS 5
| State/UT | District Name | Stunting (%) |
| NFHS 5 (2019-21) | ||
| Andaman & Nicobar | Nicobar | 21.6 |
| South Andaman | 21.1 | |
| Total | 2 | |
| Andhra Pradesh | Guntur | 23.8 |
| Krishna | 29.8 | |
| Spsr Nellore | 29.2 | |
| Total | 3 | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Anjaw | 23.6 |
| Dibang Valley | 16.9 | |
| Kra Daadi | 28.8 | |
| Kurung Kumey | 29.2 | |
| Longding | 15.8 | |
| Lower Subansiri | 30.7 | |
| Namsai | 28.7 | |
| Tirap | 38.6 | |
| West Siang | 24.5 | |
| Total | 9 | |
| Assam | Baksa | 41.2 |
| Bongaigaon | 46.2 | |
| Cachar | 28.7 | |
| Charaideo | 39 | |
| Chirang | 42.7 | |
| Dhemaji | 37.2 | |
| Dibrugarh | 27.3 | |
| Dima Hasao | 30.6 | |
| Golaghat | 26.3 | |
| Hailakandi | 42.9 | |
| Hojai | 39.3 | |
| Kamrup | 22.6 | |
| Kokrajhar | 34.6 | |
| Marigaon | 43.2 | |
| Nagaon | 38.9 | |
| Sivasagar | 26.1 | |
| South Salmara Mancachar | 38.9 | |
| Tinsukia | 32.8 | |
| Udalguri | 33.8 | |
| Total | 19 | |
| Bihar | Siwan | 36.7 |
| Total | 1 | |
| Chhattisgarh | Balod | 33.6 |
| Baloda Bazar | 40.9 | |
| Balrampur | 35.1 | |
| Bemetara | 38.4 | |
| Bilaspur | 25.7 | |
| Dhamtari | 30.5 | |
| Gariyaband | 28.9 | |
| Janjgir-Champa | 32.5 | |
| Kondagaon | 37.6 | |
| Korea | 32.1 | |
| Mungeli | 30.1 | |
| Raigarh | 39.1 | |
| Sukma | 41.8 | |
| Surajpur | 27.6 | |
| Surguja | 29.4 | |
| Total | 15 | |
| Daman & Diu (UT) | Daman | 30 |
| Total | 1 | |
| Gujarat | Amreli | 35.3 |
| Arvalli | 47.1 | |
| Banas Kantha | 39 | |
| Bharuch | 40.9 | |
| Chhotaudepur | 48.6 | |
| Gandhinagar | 38.1 | |
| Kachchh | 37.5 | |
| Mahesana | 31 | |
| Mahisagar | 43.4 | |
| Morbi | 32.9 | |
| Navsari | 36.8 | |
| Panch Mahals | 47.1 | |
| Patan | 50.5 | |
| Rajkot | 38.9 | |
| Surat | 36.1 | |
| Tapi | 41.7 | |
| Total | 16 | |
| Haryana | Bhiwani | 29 |
| Charki Dadri | 23.9 | |
| Gurugram | 22.1 | |
| Kaithal | 29.9 | |
| Karnal | 29.2 | |
| Kurukshetra | 24.9 | |
| Palwal | 31 | |
| Rohtak | 28.9 | |
| Sirsa | 25 | |
| Sonipat | 23.6 | |
| Yamunanagar | 27.7 | |
| Total | 11 | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Una | 24.7 |
| Total | 1 | |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Badgam | 26.8 |
| Baramulla | 23.2 | |
| Doda | 32.7 | |
| Kargil | District in Ladakh (36.5) | |
| Kathua | 21.8 | |
| Kupwara | 24.9 | |
| Rajauri | 30.3 | |
| Ramban | 25.7 | |
| Total | 8 | |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro | 36.2 |
| East Singhbum | 35.9 | |
| Khunti | 38.5 | |
| Ramgarh | 35.3 | |
| Ranchi | 28.3 | |
| Simdega | 42.2 | |
| Total | 6 | |
| Karnataka | Belgaum | 32.8 |
| Chamarajanagar | 32.2 | |
| Chikballapur | 31.3 | |
| Dharwad | 45.2 | |
| Gadag | 45.2 | |
| Kodagu | 30.4 | |
| Kolar | 31.1 | |
| Raichur | 39.8 | |
| Shivamogga | 29 | |
| Uttar Kannad | 29.6 | |
| Total | 10 | |
| Kerala | Kasaragod | 25.3 |
| Total | 1 | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Agar Malwa | 40.3 |
| Anuppur | 24 | |
| Balaghat | 41.9 | |
| Betul | 30.8 | |
| Harda | 38.8 | |
| Hoshangabad | 34.8 | |
| Mandla | 32.1 | |
| Narsinghpur | 32 | |
| Rewa | 37 | |
| Sagar | 42.7 | |
| Satna | 49.4 | |
| Sehore | 21.9 | |
| Seoni | 23.5 | |
| Shahdol | 44 | |
| Total | 14 | |
| Maharashtra | Akola | 31.8 |
| Aurangabad | 34.2 | |
| Bhandara | 31.3 | |
| Latur | 43.2 | |
| Palghar | 33 | |
| Raigad | 35.8 | |
| Thane | 40.8 | |
| Total | 7 | |
| Manipur | Noney | NA (Not available in NFHS-5) |
| Prherzawl | NA | |
| Kamjong | NA | |
| Kakching | NA | |
| Kangpokpi | NA | |
| Churachandpur | 25.1 | |
| Senapati | 27.3 | |
| Tamenglong | 27.1 | |
| Thoubal | 31.5 | |
| Imphal West | 15.6 | |
| Ukhrul | 27.1 | |
| Total | 11 | |
| Meghalaya | East Garo Hills | 39.7 |
| North Garo Hills | 35.6 | |
| South Garo Hills | 29.8 | |
| South West Garo Hills | 32.2 | |
| South West Khasi Hills | 51.4 | |
| West Garo Hills | 39.5 | |
| Total | 6 | |
| Mizoram | Aizwal | 25.3 |
| Champhai | 27.2 | |
| Mamit | 26.4 | |
| Total | 3 | |
| Nagaland | Mokokchung | 31.4 |
| Mon | 35.5 | |
| Peren | 34.9 | |
| Zunheboto | 44 | |
| Total | 4 | |
|
NCT Of Delhi |
Central | 33.5 |
| North East | 38.7 | |
| South | 33.4 | |
| South East | 21.7 | |
| South West | 27.1 | |
| Total | 5 | |
| Orissa | Anugul | 28.1 |
| Baleshwar | 24.4 | |
| Bhadrak | 32.3 | |
| Cuttack | 20.4 | |
| Deogarh | 28.4 | |
| Dhenkanal | 33.3 | |
| Gajapati | 43.4 | |
| Ganjam | 23.9 | |
| Jajapur | 25.5 | |
| Jharsuguda | 27.1 | |
| Kalahandi | 33 | |
| Kandhamal | 34.2 | |
| Nuapada | 43.1 | |
| Sundargarh | 32.9 | |
| Total | 14 | |
| Puducherry | Mahe | 48.2 |
| Total | 1 | |
| Punjab | Firozepur | 30 |
| Taran Taran | 23.8 | |
| Moga | 22 | |
| Total | 3 | |
| Rajasthan | Bhilwara | 22.6 |
| Bikaner | 22.8 | |
| Bundi | 30 | |
| Ganganagar | 24.5 | |
| Hanumangarh | 24.2 | |
| Jaisalmer | 25.5 | |
| Jhalawar | 34 | |
| Nagaur | 31.5 | |
| Sikar | 23.1 | |
| Total | 9 | |
| Sikkim | East District | 17.8 |
| North Sikkim | 31.8 | |
| South District | 24.8 | |
| Total | 3 | |
| Tamil Nadu | Ramanathapuram | 26.4 |
| Thiruvallur | 18.1 | |
| Tiruchirappalli | 27.6 | |
| Tirunelveli | 29.4 | |
| Kannya Kumari | 17.3 | |
| Virudhunagar | 29.2 | |
| Total | 6 | |
| Telangana | Jayashankar Bhupalapally | 32.5 |
| Jogulamba Gadwal | 49.7 | |
| Kamareddy | 33.4 | |
| Karimnagar | 30.3 | |
| Khammam | 22.2 | |
| Kumuram Bheem Asifabad | 38.1 | |
| Mancherial | 25.9 | |
| Medak | 36.4 | |
| Nagarkurnool | 35.1 | |
| Nalgonda | 31.7 | |
| Nirmal | 31.7 | |
| Nizamabad | 30.5 | |
| Sangareddy | 32.9 | |
| Siddipet | 28.1 | |
| Wanaparthy | 40.4 | |
| Warangal Urban | 29.5 | |
| Total | 16 | |
| Tripura | West Tripura | 30.3 |
| Total | 1 | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Amethi | 35.8 |
| Ballia | 43.8 | |
| Deoria | 36.8 | |
| Gautam Buddha Nagar | 25.5 | |
| Hapur | 30.2 | |
| Lalitpur | 46.6 | |
| Mathura | 31.6 | |
| Pratapgarh | 35.5 | |
| Saharanpur | 28.8 | |
| Sambhal | 51.6 | |
| Shamli | 28.6 | |
| Total | 11 | |
| Uttarakhand | Almora | 26 |
| Champawat | 24.9 | |
| Nainital | 23.2 | |
| Pithoragarh | 25.6 | |
| Rudra Prayag | 25.2 | |
| Tehri Garhwal | 29.3 | |
| Total | 6 | |
| West Bengal | Alipurduar | NA (newly formed) |
| Bankura | 30.3 | |
| Coochbehar | 28.7 | |
| Darjeeling | 34.3 | |
| Dinajpur Dakshin | 31.9 | |
| Hooghly | 28.9 | |
| Jalpaiguri | 28.9 | |
| Medinipur East | 25.8 | |
| Medinipur West | 31.1 | |
| Nadia | 26.1 | |
| Paschim Bardhaman | 39.7 | |
| Purba Bardhaman | 32.7 | |
| Total | 12 | |
| Grand Total | 235 |
