A report presented to Parliament by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development revealed a concerning trend: 63 districts across India have a stunting rate exceeding 50% among children. West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand holds the second-highest position in the country, with 59.48% of children under 5 years of age affected by stunting. The report highlights that Maharashtra’s Nandurbar district tops the list, followed by West Singhbhum and then Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot district.
The revelation came in response to questions from CPI MP Sudama Prasad and TDP MP Sribharat Mathukumili on July 25. Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur shared that as of June 2025, 73.6 million children were registered across India on the Anganwadi and Poshan Tracker platforms. Data collected on the height and weight of these registered children showed that 63 districts in 13 states and Union Territories have over 50% of children suffering from stunting. Experts believe that stunting may be due to malnutrition, poor health services, and socio-economic disparities, necessitating stronger measures to address these issues. The problem is particularly pronounced in Uttar Pradesh, where children in 34 districts are affected. Districts like Chitrakoot, Banda, Sambhal, Firozabad, Jaunpur, Hamirpur, Bareilly, Amroha, Sitapur, and Etah are among the top 10 districts with high rates of stunting.
