38.9% children under 5 years of age in anganwadis found stunted: Govt data

Over a third of children under five years of age enrolled in anganwadis across India are stunted, the government has told the Rajya Sabha.

In response to a question in Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister of State Savitri Thakur said 7.54 crore children up to five years of age are enrolled in anganwadis and registered on the Poshan Tracker.

Of these, 7.31 crore were measured for growth parameters, and findings show that 38.9 per cent of children are stunted, 17 per cent are underweight, and 5.2 per cent are wasted.

Stunting, wasting, and underweight are all types of malnutrition, which is a condition caused by an imbalance in a person's energy or nutrient intake.

For the broader age group of 06 years, the data shows similar concerns.

Of the 16.1 crore projected population of children up to six years in 2021, 8.82 crore are enrolled in anganwadis. Measurements of 8.55 crore children in this group indicate that 37 per cent are stunted, while 17 per cent are underweight, according to ministry's response released on Thursday.

The WCD Ministry's Poshan Tracker is a digital platform aimed at monitoring nutritional outcomes and tracking the delivery of services at anganwadi centers.

A child is considered stunted if their height is below the recommended level for their age. A child is considered wasted if their weight is below the recommended level for their height while a child is considered underweight if their weight is below the recommended level for their age.