New Delhi

Union Health Minister J P Nadda hit back at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday over his criticism of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 findings, saying "half-knowledge is dangerous" and asserting that the latest data reflects significant improvements in India's healthcare indicators under the Modi government.

The remarks came after Kharge, in a social media post two days ago, alleged that the NFHS-6 data has exposed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's "absolute incompetence" and accused it of deliberately hiding crucial data that brings to light its failures in healthcare and nutrition.

Responding to the Congress chief's remarks, Nadda accused him of selectively reading the survey findings for political purposes and said the data demonstrates the "remarkable transformation" in India's health ecosystem under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Shri Kharge ji's half-knowledge is dangerous. Public health is too important to be reduced to political rhetoric. Selective reading may serve politics, but facts serve the nation," Nadda said in a post on X.

Citing improvements in maternal healthcare indicators since NFHS-3 (2005-06), he said first-trimester antenatal registration rose from 43.9 per cent to 76.2 per cent, institutional deliveries increased from 38.7 per cent to 90.6 per cent and births attended by skilled health personnel climbed from 46.6 per cent to 91.3 per cent.

The minister said the gains reflect better access to healthcare services for women across the country.

"These are not mere statistics. They represent millions of mothers receiving timely care, safer deliveries and better health outcomes. The real story of India's healthcare journey is one of progress, not pessimism," he said.

In another post, Nadda compared the latest survey findings with those recorded during the Congress-led UPA era and said the gains reflected in NFHS-6 extend far beyond maternal healthcare and stand in sharp contrast to the poor outcomes witnessed during that time.

"Compared to NFHS-3 (2005-06), conducted during the UPA regime: Full immunisation coverage in the NFHS-6 has increased to 87.1 per cent. Health insurance coverage has surged from 4.9 per cent to 60.2 per cent. Use of hygienic menstrual protection has risen to 79.2 per cent. Child stunting has declined from 48.0 per cent to 29.3 per cent," he said.

He attributed the improvements to sustained investments made over the last 10 years in healthcare, nutrition, sanitation and last-mile service delivery.

"These improvements highlight the difference between years of neglect and a decade of focussed governance.

"Behind every percentage point are millions of Indians with better health, greater security and improved quality of life. NFHS-6 is not merely a set of statistics -- it is evidence of the transformative outcomes achieved through sustained policy action and effective implementation," Nadda said.

In a third post, the health minister accused the Congress of ignoring the shortcomings of previous governments and said the latest survey reflects greater access to healthcare and wider social protection.

"What is most revealing is what the Congress leadership chooses not to acknowledge. For decades, India struggled with poor health outcomes, inadequate healthcare access and weak delivery systems despite repeated promises. The consequences of that prolonged policy failure were visible across generations," he said.

While acknowledging that challenges remain, Nadda said the BJP-led government continues to address those with urgency, but dismissing the progress recorded in the survey does a disservice to the efforts of health workers and beneficiaries who have contributed to the improvements.

"But denying progress does a disservice to the millions of frontline health workers and beneficiaries who have driven this transformation. Facts matter. Outcomes matter. NFHS-6 speaks for itself," he said.

In a post on X on Thursday, Kharge had said the "absolute incompetence" of the BJP has been unmasked by the NFHS-6 data.

"BJP's five-step formula to hide its sins is to bury selected data, abandon the vulnerable, advertise 'Sabka Saath' and 'Amrit Kaal', manipulate the narrative and protect Modi ji's PR at all costs," he said.

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The Congress chief claimed that the data showed one in five children suffers from acute malnutrition and one-third of India's children are underweight.

"More than 84 per cent of children aged 6 to 23 months do not receive adequate nutrition, while 57 per cent of women between 15 and 49 years are anaemic as per NFHS-5. One in five women is undernourished," he said.