India is where the largest number of undernourished children in the world live. Despite various ongoing government programmes focusing on maternal and child nutrition, recently released National Family Health Survey – 5 (2019-2020) data show an increase in child wasting in states like Telangana, Kerala, Bihar and Assam, compared to the previous round of the same survey in 2015-16. Moreover, in a few states like Telangana, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Goa, there is an increase in child stunting. While state-specific reasons for this trend need to be understood, this scenario is worrisome as these trends were seen before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country. After that, the impact of the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem.