India’s poor nutrition status is well-documented. Pervasive malnutrition / under-nutrition especially in rural parts of the country is actually a hidden or unaccounted cost the country pays.

Undernutrition has long-term negative impact on human health, labour productivity, healthcare costs and general well-being. Perpetual undernutrition results in low resistance to infections and increased morbidity. 

We also have ‘hidden hunger’, a form of malnutrition resulting from chronic deficiency in micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals).

Targeted public distribution system and several welfare programs including midday meal scheme and Integrated Child Development Scheme have been in operation for many years. Yet, as per the last National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-2021), children under five years of age showed unacceptably high levels of stunting and wasting.

Under Saksham Anganwadi and Mission Poshan scheme, supplementary nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years), pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls to beat the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition by adopting a life cycle approach

On March 1, 2021 the government rolled out the ‘Poshan Tracker’ as an important governance tool. It facilitates monitoring and tracking of all anganwadi centres, workers and beneficiaries on defined indicators.

In January 2023, the government revised the old norms that were calorie specific to a new one that are more comprehensive and balanced in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the principles of diet diversity that provides for quality protein, healthy fats and micronutrients.

Under Poshan Tracker, technology is being leveraged for dynamic identification of stunting, wasting, under-weight prevalence among children. It has facilitated near real time data collection for anganwadi services such as opening of anganwadi centres, daily attendance of children, their growth monitoring, delivery of hot cooked meal or take home ration etc.

According to the Ministry of Women and Child development, analysis from Poshan Tracker data of last three years shows improvement in malnutrition indicators among children on stunting, wasting and underweight.

Stunting (low height for age) has declined from 40.5 percent in November 2022 to 32.9 percent in November 2025. Incidence of Wasting (low weight for height) has reduced from 8.5 percent in November 2022 to 4.8 percent in November 2025. Underweight status too has improved from 19.4 percent to 14.0 percent.

These data suggest that the Poshan program is delivering results. Of course, we should not remain complacent about the outcomes as these results are based on sample survey and a large number of children may still be outside the welfare system.

Regular consumption of protein food in whatever form would surely improve the nutrition status of children. When they enter the workforce, their productivity would be better. Of course, this would be subject to other conditions like family circumstances, drinking water, healthy habits and so on. As they say, ‘A healthy mind in a healthy body’.

Future NFHS would be able to capture the ground reality. In our country, there is no dearth of protein rich crops – legumes like pulses, groundnut and soybean. We need to leverage this strength by encouraging increased domestic production and consumption.

These legumes lend themselves to processing and value addition. Corporates should be encouraged to invest in Research and Development to come up with affordable and palatable protein rich foods. A large protein market is waiting to be tapped.