Daily
250 words
8/10
Rating

6 July 2026

Maternal health and breastfeeding challenges

The topic provides critical data from the NFHS-6 report regarding maternal health and breastfeeding, which directly relates to flagship government welfare schemes and core GS1/GS2 syllabus themes on women's health and development.

1 min read 2 questions 2 prelims

Notes

  • NFHS-6 (2023-24) data indicates a decline in Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) rates from 63.7% (NFHS-5) to 55.8%.
  • Institutional deliveries have reached 90.6%, yet EBF rates have dropped, with steeper declines observed in rural areas compared to urban areas.
  • Early initiation of breastfeeding has improved from 41.8% to 50.1%.
  • C-section delivery rates have risen from 21.5% to 27.2%, which is identified as a factor complicating early breastfeeding initiation.
  • Key obstacles to EBF include economic pressures, informal employment, lack of maternity protection, erosion of traditional support networks, and inadequate postnatal counselling.
  • The Maternity Benefit Act (1961, amended 2017) provides 26 weeks of paid leave, but these protections are largely limited to the organised sector.
  • Over 16.69 crore women are registered in the unorganised sector on the e-Shram portal as of 2025.
  • Policy interventions include the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Integrated Child Development Services, and the Infant Milk Substitutes Act, which restricts commercial marketing of formula.

Questions

  1. Despite significant improvements in institutional delivery and maternal health indicators, India is witnessing a decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates. Discuss the socio-economic factors contributing to this trend. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. Critically examine the efficacy of existing maternity benefit policies in India in addressing the nutritional needs of infants. How does the divide between the organised and unorganised sectors impact the implementation of exclusive breastfeeding goals? 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. According to the NFHS-6 data, what is the current trend regarding exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in India compared to NFHS-5?

  2. Which of the following legislations in India is primarily aimed at protecting breastfeeding by restricting the commercial marketing of infant milk substitutes?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-07-06/maternal-health-and-breastfeeding-challenges