New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said that India is ranked "very poorly" on the human development index, adding that if the situation remains the same then India "cannot grow for a long period of time".

Kant's comments come while addressing a session on the development of Aspirational Districts by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) here in the national capital.

"We are still ranked very poorly on the human development index - that is 131 out of 188 nations. You can't have growth in some parts of India while complete backwardness in the other parts. If this continues then India cannot grow for a long period of time," Kant said.

"Unless we don't improve in key areas, the pace of growth in some of these states will be very slow," he added.

Kant asserted that providing proper nutrition to the population is a big challenge and it is a matter of concern that children in the country are malnourished. (ANI)