CURRENT AFFAIRS | MAY 30, 2026
India is getting heavier. The National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, shows a sharp rise in obesity and diabetes since 2019 — a quiet public-health emergency unfolding alongside India’s older challenge of under-nutrition.
Constitutional & Legal Framework
Health is read into the right to life under Article 21. Article 47 (a Directive Principle of State Policy) directs the State to raise the level of nutrition and to improve public health. The National Family Health Survey is conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai — the nodal agency — under the Health Ministry.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Survey | NFHS-6 (2023–24), released by MoHFW |
| Nodal agency | IIPS Mumbai; 6.79 lakh households, 715 districts |
| Obese/overweight women (15–49) | 30.7% vs 24% in NFHS-5 (2019–21) |
| Obese/overweight men | 27.3% vs 22.9% |
| Urban skew | Urban women 42.8% vs rural 25.5% |
Why This Matters for CLAT 2027
NFHS-6, conducted in 2023–24 across 6.79 lakh households in 715 districts, found that overweight or obese women aged 15–49 rose to 30.7% from 24% in NFHS-5, while obese men rose to 27.3% from 22.9%. High blood-sugar levels also climbed, especially in cities. The survey distinguishes itself from indices like the Human Development Index (HDI) or the Global Hunger Index (GHI): NFHS is a household survey, not a ranking. For CLAT, link this to Article 47, the Eat Right India movement, FSSAI front-of-pack labelling, and the National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs.
The CLAT Angle
The ‘double burden’ of malnutrition — under-nutrition and over-nutrition coexisting — is now a constitutional and policy concern under Article 47. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and heart disease are India’s fastest-growing health burden, tested in CLAT through legal-reasoning passages on the right to health and State obligations.
Memory Mnemonic
PLATE — Percentage obese women 30.7, Lakh-household survey (6.79 / 715 districts), Agency IIPS nodal, Twenty-three % urban high blood sugar, Eat Right India response.
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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