According to NFHS V (2019-20), percent of children under 5 years who are stunted in India are:

Correct option is A

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Round 5 conducted in 2019-20, 35.5% of children under the age of 5 in India are stunted. Stunting is a measure of chronic malnutrition where children have low height for their age, indicating prolonged undernutrition or repeated infections. It reflects poor health and nutritional status and has long-term consequences on physical growth and cognitive development.
Information Booster: Stunting among children is a critical public health issue as it not only affects immediate health but also impacts the child's future learning ability, productivity, and economic potential. The NFHS data shows some improvement compared to previous rounds, but the high percentage indicates that India still faces significant challenges related to child nutrition, sanitation, maternal health, and poverty. Efforts such as improving maternal nutrition, promoting breastfeeding, timely introduction of complementary feeding, and ensuring access to clean water and sanitation are vital to reduce stunting rates.
Additional Knowledge:
· Option (b) 38.4% represents a higher figure than the actual reported rate and may correspond to older data or other regions but is not correct for NFHS 5.
· Option (c) 25.5% is lower than the reported figure and underestimates the prevalence of stunting in India.
· Option (d) 28.4% also underestimates the actual percent and is therefore incorrect.