04 June,2026 01:22 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. File Pic
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Centre over the findings of the sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), alleging that the government has failed to adequately address issues related to nutrition and healthcare among women and children.
Kharge claimed that the latest survey data exposed serious shortcomings in the government's welfare efforts and accused the Centre of concealing information that reflects poorly on its performance.
In a post on social media platform X, the Congress chief said the findings of the NFHS-6 highlighted persistent challenges in child nutrition and maternal health across the country.
Referring to survey figures, Kharge alleged that one in five children suffers from acute malnutrition and that nearly one-third of Indian children remain underweight. He also claimed that more than 84 per cent of children between six and 23 months of age do not receive adequate nutrition.
The Congress leader further pointed to concerns regarding women's health, citing earlier survey data which showed a high prevalence of anaemia among women aged between 15 and 49 years. He also claimed that a significant proportion of women continue to face undernourishment.
Kharge alleged that the BJP government follows a pattern of suppressing information that highlights policy shortcomings. According to him, the government focuses on publicity campaigns while failing to adequately address challenges faced by vulnerable sections of society.
The Congress president argued that critical health and nutrition indicators require greater policy attention and called for transparency in the publication and interpretation of official data.
His remarks come amid a political debate over the findings of the latest health survey and the effectiveness of government programmes aimed at improving nutrition, healthcare access and maternal welfare.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) was conducted during 2023-24 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the International Institute for Population Sciences serving as the nodal agency for the exercise.
The survey covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts and collected extensive data on population trends, family welfare, nutrition, reproductive health and healthcare indicators.
NFHS findings are widely used by policymakers, researchers and state governments to assess social development indicators and design welfare programmes at both national and district levels.
While opposition parties have raised concerns over certain indicators, the Union Health Ministry has highlighted several positive outcomes from the latest survey.
According to the ministry, NFHS-6 data shows notable improvements in child health indicators, including higher immunisation coverage and better nutritional outcomes in several areas. The government has also stated that India continues to make progress towards achieving universal immunisation coverage.
Officials maintain that sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, vaccination drives and nutrition-related programmes have contributed to improvements recorded in the latest survey.
Kharge's criticism has added to the ongoing political debate surrounding the interpretation of NFHS-6 data. While the Congress has used the findings to question the government's record on nutrition and healthcare, the Centre has pointed to improvements in key indicators as evidence of progress.
(With inputs from PTI)
