Bhopal, June 2 -- A month ago, four-month-old Priyanshi lost her life to severe acute malnutrition in Madhya Pradesh's Majhganwa Community Health Centre in Satna. A week ago, five-year-old Pawan was found severely malnourished in Chitrakut.

The latest findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) show that Madhya Pradesh has reported highest malnutrition for any state in the country. Worse, malnourishment has increased by about four percentage points in the last five years.

Madhya Pradesh now has the highest proportion of wasting (weight for height) children in India- 23.8%, up from 18.9% in NFHS-5. In the last survey, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Bihar were the worst performers. The three states have improved.

In the underweight...