New Delhi: As many as 63 districts across 13 states and Union territory, including 34 in Uttar Pradesh, have reported that more than 50 per cent of children enrolled in anganwadis are stunted, according to an analysis of multiple documents submitted in Parliament.
The analysis also showed that 199 districts reported stunting levels between 30 per cent and 40 per cent.
Stunting is a form of chronic undernutrition that occurs when children do not receive adequate nutrition over a long period of time.
According to the data based on the ministry of women and child development’s Poshan Tracker for June 2025, some of the worst-affected districts with highest level of stunting include Nandurbar in Maharashtra (68.12 per cent), West Singhbhum in Jharkhand (66.27 per cent), Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh (59.48 per cent), Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh (58.20 per cent), and Bongaigaon in Assam (54.76 per cent).
Uttar Pradesh leads the list with 34 districts showing stunting levels above 50 per cent, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Assam.
In response to multiple questions, the women and child development ministry said that 35.91 per cent of the 8.19 crore children aged 0-6 years measured across anganwadis were stunted and 16.5 per cent were underweight. Among children below five years of age, the prevalence of stunting was even higher at 37.07 per cent.
The situation is equally serious in terms of underweight children.
Nandurbar in Maharashtra recorded 48.26 per cent underweight prevalence, the highest in the country, followed by districts like Dhar (42 per cent), Khargone (36.19 per cent) and Barwani (36.04 per cent) in Madhya Pradesh, Dang in Gujarat (37.20 per cent), Dungarpur (35.04 per cent), and Sukma in Chhattisgarh (34.76 per cent).
Wasting, which indicates acute malnutrition, was highest in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, at 17.15 per cent, followed by Bijapur in Chhattisgarh (15.20 per cent) and Mon in Nagaland (15.10 per cent).
Madhya Pradesh has multiple districts with stunting above 50 per cent, including Shivpuri (58.20 per cent), Khargone (55.02 per cent) and Guna (52.86 per cent).
Assam also has multiple districts with stunting above 50 per cent, including Cachar (54.11 per cent), Darrang (51.65 per cent), and South Salmara-Mankachar (52.67 per cent). Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap (52.74 per cent) and Upper Subansiri (52.10 per cent) also figure among the worst hit.
Karnataka’s Raichur (52.76 per cent) and Bagalkot (51.61 per cent), Rajasthan’s Salumbar (52.95 per cent), and Gujarat’s Narmada (50.71 per cent) further have high prevalence of stunting.
Among UTs, Mahe in Puducherry had a stunting rate of 57.38 per cent, the highest among UTs.
Responding to another question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur stressed that nutrition is not just about food but involves factors like sanitation, safe drinking water, and education.
“As malnutrition requires a multi-sectoral approach, it is crucial to address the issue in a convergent manner,” she said in a written response.
She added that the government is implementing ‘Mission Saksham Anganwadi’ and ‘Poshan 2.0’, an umbrella scheme that integrates anganwadi services, ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’, and adolescent nutrition programmes.
The scheme focuses on community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM), the use of fortified rice, and the inclusion of millets in meals.
