Gujarat Malnutrition Crisis 40 Percent Children Underweight Report

Gujarat malnutrition: In Gujarat, a very shocking report has come out about the condition of children and malnutrition. The latest report of NITI Aayog (NITI Aayog) states that about 40% of children under 5 years of age in Gujarat are underweight or dwarf. Seeing this report, many questions are arising, because Gujarat (Gujarat) comes in the most developed and industrial states of the country. Let’s know the reason for this state’s situation and what the report says …

Paper and truth in Gujarat are different

Anganwadi centers in India are considered to be the backbone for nutrition and education, especially in rural and backward areas. According to the census, 7.8 million children in Gujarat should have been enrolled in these centers, but the CAG report shows only 4.1 million children by 2022-23.

That is, about 48% of children are left away from nutrition. From 2015-16 to 2022-23, 3.7 million children in the state were left out of neutritional supplements. At the same time, only 18.8% of children aged 3-6 years got pre-school education.

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Alert of NITI Aayog

According to SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Index 2023-24, 40% of children under 5 years of age are underweight or dwarf. More than 38% of the population is malnourished. The state’s SDG-2 score has slipped from 49 to 46 in 2018. These figures show that the state is lagging behind in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

What is the truth

According to a recent study, only 2 out of 5 nutrients are present in the plate of tribal families in the state. Ration distribution is also uneven and incomplete. 62.5% of women aged 15 to 49 years are vulnerable to anemia.

What has the government done so far

The Gujarat government started two new schemes in the last few months. The first Chief Minister Nutritional Minority Scheme, in which a budget of ₹ 607 crore was given to the students to give breakfast rich in protein. The second nutrition mission, in which ₹ 75 crore was allotted for the care of mother and child. Despite this, the ratio of underdeveloped children has come down from 53.6% in 2022 to 40.8% in 2024. The number of low weight children has come down from 23.1% to 21%, which is a very slow improvement.