Relevance: GS II (Social Justice, Health & Governance) | Source: The Hindu

1. What is the News?

A recent debate in the Gujarat Assembly highlighted a huge gap in how we measure child malnutrition.

• Independent surveys claim nearly 40 out of 100 children in the state are malnourished.
• However, the government claims it is only 11.4%.

2. Why do the Numbers Clash? (The Two Methods)

This confusion happens because the data comes from two very different sources:

• The Ground Reality (NFHS-5): The National Family Health Survey goes door-to-door to check children. It captures the real, unbiased picture of the whole population.
• The Government App (Poshan Tracker): This is an app used by Anganwadi workers to upload daily data.
• The Problem: Anganwadi workers are often under heavy pressure to show “good results” and face bad internet connectivity. Experts say they sometimes enter inaccurate data just to meet targets. This hides the real, painful truth of starving children.

3. The 3 Types of Malnutrition

To understand hunger data, you must know these three simple terms:

1. Stunting: A child is too short for their age. This happens due to chronic (long-term) starvation.
2. Wasting: A child is too thin for their height. This happens due to acute (sudden and severe) lack of food or illness.
3. Underweight: A child is too light for their age. This is a mix of both stunting and wasting.
   [Image explaining the difference between Stunting, Wasting, and Underweight in children]

4. Who Suffers the Most?

• The Tribal Burden: The survey clearly shows that the worst-affected districts in Gujarat are all tribal areas.
• National Picture: According to government data, Central and Eastern states like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh are performing the worst in fighting child malnutrition.

UPSC Value Box

With reference to the measurement of child malnutrition in India, consider the following statements:

1. ‘Wasting’ in children is defined as low height-for-age, indicating chronic, long-term undernutrition.
2. The Poshan Tracker is a real-time monitoring system implemented under Mission Poshan 2.0.
3. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) relies entirely on the data uploaded by Anganwadi workers to calculate national malnutrition rates.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (b)