NEW DELHI — Despite India racing ahead as the world’s fourth-largest economy by Gross Domestic Product, a new policy debate is emerging over why the nation’s children are being left behind. Recent data from the National Family Health Survey (2019-21) reveals a stark double burden: over one-third of children under five are stunted, and two-thirds are anaemic, while urban adolescents are increasingly struggling with lifestyle diseases like diabetes and high cholesterol.
Experts argue that the root of both crises under-nourished toddlers and sick teenagers lies in a policy outlook that is “stuck in the past,” prioritizing filling stomachs over providing essential nutrition.
Old Schemes, New Failures
Well-intentioned schemes like the Integrated Child Development Services and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, alongside Poshan Abhiyaan, have been criticized for their narrow focus on calories rather than complete nourishment. Rice and dal in a school meal may alleviate immediate hunger, but they do little to fix critical protein and micronutrient deficiencies.
This charitable, rather than investment, mindset toward nutrition was recently highlighted by the Maharashtra government’s decision to withdraw funds for introducing eggs and millet-based sweets in mid-day meals. Critics view this as a shocking failure by one of India’s wealthiest states to prioritize child health.
The result of this policy stagnation is marginal improvement in stunting and a worsening rate of anaemia despite decades of effort.
‘Ayurveda Aahara’ and the Problem of Reach
The recent introduction of the ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ category by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in August 2025 has raised questions about its real-world impact. While it aligns with traditional wisdom, there is compulsion to wonder if this nutritional insight will ever reach the masses, particularly whether it will be successfully inculcated within crucial programs like the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
Meanwhile, urban consumption is worsening the lifestyle disease crisis. The FSSAI, in collaboration with the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), is attempting to address this by recommending new, clearer packaging for packaged foods to better inform consumers.
A Mindset Shift: The Scandinavian Contrast
Experts point to Scandinavia as a model for a necessary mindset change. In Sweden, free, nutritious, universal school meals have been provided for decades, designed to meet strict Nordic Nutritional Standards. Denmark and Norway go further, treating good nutrition not as welfare, but as a public good, by:
• Weaving nutrition counselling into routine child health visits.
• Taxing sugary drinks.
• Strictly policing junk food advertising to children.
Unlike India remedial, targeted schemes, Scandinavia embraces universal, preventive policies based on the understanding that the first thousand days of life are critical to determining adult health and economic productivity.
The Case for Market Intervention
The current market is dominated by ultra-processed foods aggressively marketed to children, compounded by confusing labels and sporadic enforcement. Recognizing this danger, the Economic Survey of India (2025) recommended a health tax on ultra-processed food, a welcome step toward the strict regulation and sugar taxes already in place in Scandinavian nations.
With India high out-of-pocket medical spending already pushing millions into poverty, better child nutrition is viewed as both a necessary health measure and a fundamental equity issue. The call to action remains clear: every rupee invested in child nutrition is a preventative measure that saves many more in future healthcare costs and productivity losses.