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Published on Jun 1, 2026
Current Affairs
NFHS-6: The Changing Face of Indian Women
NFHS-6: The Changing Face of Indian Women

The newly released NFHS-6 survey reveals a fascinating shift for Indian women, showing a massive explosion in digital and literacy access alongside deep, lingering gaps in economic and social independence.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) data paints a highly detailed picture of where Indian women stand today—showing massive wins in some areas alongside stubborn structural gaps.

The Major Wins

  • Digital Explosion: Female internet usage has nearly doubled, sky-rocketing from 33.2% to 64.3%.
  • Education Boost: Women with over 10 years of schooling jumped from 41% to 46.4%, while overall school attendance ticked up to 73.7%.
  • Safer Households: At the national level, spousal violence dropped significantly from 29.2% to 22.3%.

The Persistent Gaps

  • Low Asset Ownership: Independent or joint property ownership among women remains low at just 18.8%.
  • Social Realities: Underage marriage still impacts 20.1% of women aged 20-24, and female sterilization remains the dominant family planning burden at 36.5%.
  • The Kerala Anomaly: While domestic violence dropped nationwide, Kerala saw a sharp, unexpected spike from 9.8% to 17.7%. Bihar (36.1%) and Telangana (30.8%) maintain the highest rates.

Public Health Check Substance use among adults (15+) is on a steady decline. Tobacco use stands at 34.6% for men vs. 7.2% for women, while alcohol consumption rests at 18.2% for men vs. 0.7% for women

Ultimately, NFHS-6 proves that while policy pushes are successfully opening doors to classrooms and digital spaces, the real challenge lies ahead. True empowerment will only happen when these soaring literacy and internet numbers convert into real financial independence, safer households, and shared domestic responsibilities across every state.

Try this :
Consider the following statements regarding NFHS-6 findings on Indian women:

  1. Female internet usage has nearly doubled compared to the previous survey.
  2. Incidence of spousal violence has increased at the national level.
  3. Women's ownership of assets remains limited despite improvements in education and digital access.
  4. Female sterilization continues to constitute a major share of family planning practices.

Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 3 and 4 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4