The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India. Under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) as the nodal agency, it provides essential data on fertility, infant mortality, maternal and child health, and nutrition to guide evidence-based public policy.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her childbearing years. A TFR of 2.1 is considered the ‘replacement level’—the rate at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next, keeping the population size stable. At 2.0, India has crossed this threshold, pointing toward long-term population stabilization.

Demographic transition is the shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a country transitions from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economic system. In India, this transition is visible in falling fertility rates (TFR of 2.0) and longer life expectancies, leading to a temporary ‘demographic dividend’ (a high share of working-age population) before the population begins to age.

Under child malnutrition metrics, stunting represents chronic undernutrition (low height-for-age) reflecting long-term cumulative nutritional deprivation and poor socio-economic conditions. Wasting represents acute undernutrition (low weight-for-height) reflecting recent rapid weight loss or failure to gain weight, often due to illness or acute food shortage. Both metrics are key indicators of national child development and public health.

Institutional deliveries refer to childbirth in medical facilities, reducing maternal and newborn mortality through professional care. Immunization involves vaccinating infants against preventable childhood diseases. In India, programs like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) promote institutional births, while Mission Indradhanush ensures full immunization coverage, both contributing to improved child survival rates.

India’s public health delivery, especially in rural areas, depends heavily on the National Health Mission (NHM). NHM utilizes community workers like ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and Anganwadi workers to deliver targeted health and nutrition schemes (such as POSHAN Abhiyaan and Janani Suraksha Yojana), which has led to measurable improvements in immunization and maternal health.

Exclusive breastfeeding is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as feeding an infant only breast milk for the first six months of life, without any other food or liquid, not even water. It is a critical intervention for child survival and cognitive development, protecting infants from gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, and reducing under-five mortality.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cardiovascular disorders are often called lifestyle diseases because they are linked to rapid urbanization, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and obesity. They now account for over 60% of all deaths in India, creating a heavy burden on the healthcare system and raising household out-of-pocket expenditure.

The double burden of malnutrition refers to the coexistence of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies) alongside overnutrition (obesity, overweight, and associated non-communicable diseases) within the same population, community, or even household. It represents a complex health challenge for developing countries like India, requiring policies that address both deficiencies and excess calorie consumption.