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6 Jul 2026SOCIETY & SOCIAL ISSUES3 questions

The Missing Link in India's Maternal Health Story

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Article summary

NFHS-6 data reveal that exclusive breastfeeding rates in India have declined even as institutional delivery rates and maternity programme coverage have improved, exposing a critical gap in the postnatal continuum of care. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is the single most cost-effective child survival intervention, yet India's rate dropped from 64.9% (NFHS-5, 2019-21) to approximately 60% (NFHS-6, 2024), reversing hard-won gains. The decline is attributed to inadequate postnatal counselling, weak enforcement of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2017, absence of lactation support in workplaces, and aggressive formula-milk marketing that violates the Infant Milk Substitutes (IMS) Act 1992. India's flagship nutrition programme, POSHAN Abhiyaan, has focused heavily on antenatal and delivery-side metrics while postnatal breastfeeding support remains structurally underfunded. For UPSC, this issue sits at the intersection of GS2 social justice, GS3 inclusive growth, and the broader SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health) framework.

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recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.
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applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.
1Q
analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.
1Q

Sample questions — answers revealed after test

SOCIETY & SOCIAL ISSUESRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, which of the following statements is correct?

AIt prohibits advertising of infant formula to the general public, bans free samples to mothers, and makes violations cognisable offences enforced by state governments.
BIt prohibits advertising of infant formula to the general public, and enforcement responsibility rests with the Central Government's Drug Controller General of India.
CIt was enacted in 1992 and remains unamended, with penalties set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the national level.
DIt bans the sale of infant formula entirely in India, in compliance with the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, 1981.
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SOCIETY & SOCIAL ISSUESApplicationMedium

Q2. Savitri works as a daily-wage agricultural labourer in rural Bihar and delivers her first child at a government hospital. Her employer runs no formal establishment. Considering India's statutory framework for maternal and breastfeeding support, which of the following combinations of entitlements is she most accurately eligible for?

A26 weeks of paid maternity leave under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, and ₹5,000 cash transfer under PMMVY.
B₹5,000 conditional cash transfer under PMMVY linked to early registration and breastfeeding counselling, but not statutory paid maternity leave under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017.
C12 weeks of paid maternity leave under the unamended Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and ₹6,000 cash transfer under PMMVY.
DCrèche facility entitlement under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, and ₹5,000 cash transfer under PMMVY.
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SOCIETY & SOCIAL ISSUESAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding India's breastfeeding promotion architecture and the findings of NFHS-6 (2024): 1. NFHS-6 recorded an increase in exclusive breastfeeding rates to approximately 60%, reversing the decline observed in NFHS-5. 2. POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018) operates under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, while the IMS Act, 1992 is enforced by state governments — reflecting a fragmented institutional responsibility for breastfeeding outcomes. 3. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) provides a conditional cash transfer of ₹5,000 for the first live birth and is linked to early registration and breastfeeding counselling. 4. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 mandates crèche facilities for establishments with 10 or more employees. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A2 and 3 only
B1, 2 and 3 only
C3 and 4 only
D1 and 4 only
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