Anganwadi Center
New Delhi: More than a third of children under five years of age enrolled in Anganwadis across India have been found to be stunted, the government told Rajya Sabha. In a written reply to a question in the Upper House, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said that 7.54 crore children up to five years of age are enrolled in Anganwadis and registered on the nutrition tracker.
What is the reason for children becoming dwarf?
He said that out of these, 7.31 crore children were measured for growth parameters and the findings show that 38.9 per cent children are stunted, 17 per cent children are underweight and 5.2 per cent children are wasted. He explained that stunting, wasting and being underweight are all types of malnutrition, caused by an imbalance in a person’s energy or nutrient intake. In 2021, out of an estimated 16.1 crore population of children up to six years of age, 8.82 crore children are enrolled in Anganwadis.
37% children are stunted, 17% underweight
According to the ministry’s response released on Thursday, measurements of 8.55 crore children in this group show that 37 per cent are stunted, while 17 per cent are underweight. Nutrition Tracker of the Ministry of Women and Child Development is a digital platform aimed at monitoring nutrition outcomes and tracking the delivery of services at Anganwadi Centres. If a child’s height is less than the recommended level for his age, he is considered underdeveloped. If a child’s weight is below the recommended level for his height then he is considered wasted whereas if a child’s weight is below the recommended level for his age then he is considered underweight. (with language inputs)
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