Malnutrition challenge: No room for compromise on children’s health

THE government claims that building a healthier and more productive nation is integral to its vision of Viksit Bharat-2047. However, things are not looking very bright for India’s youngest citizens on the nutritional front. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has informed the Rajya Sabha that about 37 per cent of the children under five were found to be stunted (low height for their age), nearly 16 per cent underweight (low weight for their age) and 5.46 per cent wasted (low weight for their height) among those registered on the Poshan Tracker app. The obvious deficiencies don’t augur well for the future of these kids — and of the nation as well. They will be in their mid-twenties when the centenary of Independence arrives, but there won’t be much to celebrate for them if their health and wellbeing are not prioritised today.