Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Saturday, 6 June sharply rebutted Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's criticism of the Narendra Modi government on healthcare and nutrition, asserting that the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) data demonstrates measurable improvements in India's public health outcomes over the past decade. Nadda accused Kharge of presenting a selective reading of survey findings, warning that political rhetoric on public health serves no one.

What Nadda Said

Responding through a series of posts on X, Nadda was unsparing in his assessment of the Congress leader's remarks. 'Shri Kharge ji's half-knowledge is dangerous. Public health is too important to be reduced to political rhetoric. Selective reading may serve politics, but facts serve the nation,' he said.

The minister maintained that NFHS-6 data reflects genuine, ground-level progress — not a statistical artefact — and cautioned that denying these gains would undermine the efforts of frontline health workers and beneficiaries across the country.

Key NFHS-6 Figures Cited

Comparing NFHS-6 with NFHS-3 (conducted in 2005–06), Nadda pointed to a sharp rise in first-trimester antenatal registration — from 43.9% to 76.2%. Institutional deliveries climbed from 38.7% to 90.6%, while births attended by skilled health personnel rose from 46.6% to 91.3%.

Additional indicators cited by the minister include full immunisation coverage reaching 87.1%, health insurance coverage expanding dramatically from 4.9% to 60.2%, and the use of hygienic menstrual protection touching 79.2%. Child stunting, he noted, has declined from 48% to 29.3% over the same period.

'These are not mere statistics. They represent millions of mothers receiving timely care, safer deliveries and better health outcomes. The real story of India's healthcare journey is one of progress, not pessimism,' Nadda said.

What Kharge Had Alleged

The exchange was triggered by a post on X by Kharge on Thursday, in which the Congress president accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of concealing crucial health data and failing women and children. Kharge claimed that one in five children suffers from acute malnutrition, one-third of children are underweight, and over 84% of children aged 6 to 23 months do not receive adequate nutrition.

He also cited NFHS-5 figures, alleging that 57% of women aged 15 to 49 are anaemic and one in five women is undernourished — figures the Congress has repeatedly deployed to challenge the government's public health narrative.

The Political Backdrop

Nadda contrasted the NFHS-6 improvements with what he described as poor outcomes during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) years, alleging that decades of policy failures had left India with weak healthcare infrastructure and poor health indicators. This comes amid a broader political contest over data ownership — both sides invoking the same survey series while drawing opposing conclusions.

Notably, the NFHS-6 and NFHS-5 datasets cover different reference periods, which critics argue makes direct comparisons between the two politically convenient but methodologically selective. The government has attributed gains to schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, the Poshan Abhiyaan, and expanded sanitation drives under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

With both parties staking claim to the same survey data, the NFHS series has become an unlikely political battleground — and the debate is unlikely to end here.