The Congress on Saturday attacked the government over the issue of child malnutrition, saying this is a "human tragedy" and India's future was being "gutted before our eyes".

The opposition party's criticism came after the women and child development ministry said on Friday that about 17 per cent children in the age group of 0-5 years are underweight, while 36 per cent are stunted and six per cent wasted.

Stunted, wasted and underweight are key indicators of malnutrition in children aged between 0-5 years.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The non-biological PM's government has admitted that more than 50 per cent of children under the age of five in India suffer from chronic malnutrition. Seventeen per cent are underweight, 36 per cent are stunted, and six per cent are wasted." "This is a human tragedy, and a looming socio-economic disaster. Child malnutrition has severe consequences on long-term health, as well as educational, social, and economic outcomes. India's future is being gutted before our eyes," he said in a post on X.

"Remember that this is the very same government that rejected the extension of midday meals to include breakfast“ at the cost of Rs 4,000 crores - on account of budget constraints," Ramesh said.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi said, according to the Poshan Tracker data for June 2024, around 8.57 crore children under six years were measured, out of whom 35 per cent were found to be stunted, only 17 per cent were found to be underweight and only six per cent children under five years were found to be wasted.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.