Parliament Question: Child undernutrition in Maharashtra

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1439 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026 CHILD UNDERNUTRITION IN MAHARASHTRA

1439. SHRI DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has taken note of the latest data on child undernutrition, stunting and wasting in Maharashtra, including district-wise trends and high-burden tribal, rural and urban slum areas, and if so, the details thereof; and

(b) the specific, time-bound interventions initiated during 2025–26 in the State of Maharashtra to reduce stunting and wasting, particularly in aspirational and tribal districts, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) Various rounds data of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Poshan Tracker data of the Ministry of Women and Child Development provide information on malnutrition indicators in children (0-5 years of age) in the country. Both of the data sets have shown improvement over the years in the malnutrition indicators. The details

are as below:

NFHS Survey (Maharashtra) Stunting % Underweight % Wasting % NFHS-1 (1992-93)* 47 32.7 27.6 NFHS-2 (1998-99)** 47.1 44.8 23.6 NFHS-3 (2005-6)*** 44.0 47.3 17.2 NFHS-4 (2015-16)*** 34.4 36 25.6 NFHS-5 (2019-20)*** 35.2 36.1 25.6 Maharashtra (Poshan Tracker, January 2026) 26.85 10.51 2.57 India (Poshan Tracker, January 2026)*** 31.38 13.12 4.36 *Under 4 years, ** Under 3 years, *** Under 5 yearsFurther details of the State of Maharashtra are available at: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics

(b) Steps taken from time to time to reduce stunting and wasting under Mission Poshan 2.0 in all the States/UTs including aspirational and tribal districts of Maharashtra are mentioned below: • Under Mission Poshan 2.0, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years), Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls. Supplementary nutrition is provided in accordance with the nutrition norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act. These norms have been revised and upgraded in January

2023. The old norms were largely calorie-specific; however, the revised norms are more comprehensive and balanced in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the principles of diet diversity that provides for quality protein, healthy fats and 7 essential micronutrients (Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Dietary Folate, Vitamin-A, Vitamin-B6 and Vitamin B-12).

• Further, fortified rice is supplied to Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) to meet the requirement of micro-nutrients and to control anaemia among women and children. Greater emphasis is laid on the use of millets at least once a week for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal and Take-Home Ration at AWCs.

• The ‘Poshan Tracker’ application was rolled out as an important governance tool.

Technology under Poshan Tracker is being leveraged for dynamic identification of stunting, wasting, underweight prevalence among children. It has facilitated near real time data collection for Anganwadi Services such as, opening of AWCs, daily attendance of children, ECCE activities, Growth Monitoring of children, Provision of Hot Cooked Meal

(HCM)/Take Home Ration (THR-not raw ration), Growth Measurement etc. • Streamlining Guidelines have been issued by MWCD on Quality Assurance, Roles and Responsibilities of Duty Holders, procedure for procurement, integrating AYUSH concepts and Data Management and Monitoring through Poshan Tracker for transparency, efficiency and accountability in delivery of Supplementary Nutrition. Nutritional Status and Quality Standards of food items under Supplementary Nutrition are being monitored at State, District and Village Level.

• The PM JANMAN Mission launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs aims for targeted development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) residing in 18 States and a UT. This Mission focuses on 11 critical interventions related to 9 key Ministries including Ministry of Women and Child Development. As on 30th November 2025, a total of 2500 AWCs have been approved for construction under PM JANMAN across the country. A total of 178 AWCs have been approved for construction under PM JANMAN in the State of Maharashtra.

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Unnat Abhiyan

(DAJGUA) aimed at improving the socio-economic condition of tribal communities byadopting saturation coverage of tribal families in tribal majority areas and Aspirational Block ST villages. • Under this Mission, one of the major activities undertaken is Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy to educate people on nutritional aspects as adoption of good nutrition habit requires sustained efforts for behavioural change. State and UTs are conducting and reporting regular sensitisation activities under Jan Andolans during Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada celebrated in the months of September and March-April respectively.

Community Based Events (CBEs) have served as a significant strategy in changing nutritional practices and all Anganwadi workers are required to conduct two Community Based Events every month. *****