Economics and Social Development

1. Introduction

  1. The National Health Policy (NHP) serves as a guiding framework for improving the health sector in India.
  2. The latest policy, NHP 2017, emphasizes universal access to quality health care and reducing health disparities.
  3. Focuses on achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  4. Aims to provide affordable and accessible health care to all citizens.

2.

  1. Literacy is the ability to read and write with understanding in any language.
  2. It is a key indicator of social development and plays a vital role in economic progress.
  3. India's literacy rate has seen significant improvement, rising from 18.33% in 1951 to over 77.7% in 2021 (Census data).
  4. There is a gender gap in literacy, with male literacy at 84.7% and female literacy at 70.3% (Census 2011).
  5. The Kerala model of education
  1. Inflation measurement involves tracking the change in price levels of goods and services over a specific period.
  2. Common indicators for measuring inflation include the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), Consumer Price Index (CPI), and GDP Deflator.

Wholesale Price Index (WPI)

  1. WPI measures the average change in the price of goods at the wholesale level.
  2. It is focused on bulk transactions and excludes retail prices.
  3. The WPI includes prices of
  1. Inflation refers to the sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services over time.
  2. It leads to a decline in the purchasing power of money.
  3. There are two main types of inflation: Demand-pull inflation and Cost-push inflation.

Demand-pull Inflation

  1. Demand-pull inflation occurs when the aggregate demand in an economy exceeds its aggregate supply.
  2. This type of inflation is often described as "too much money chasing too few goods."
  1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), launched in 2005, aims to enhance livelihood security by guaranteeing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to rural households.
  2. MGNREGA is demand-driven, ensuring work for those who seek employment under the scheme.
  3. The scheme focuses on creating durable assets such as water conservation structures, rural roads, and irrigation facilities.
  4. It provides a safety net for rural households and contributes to
  1. Unemployment is defined as the condition where individuals are willing to work at the prevailing wage rate but cannot find jobs.
  2. The measurement of unemployment in India is conducted by organizations like the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
  3. The unemployment rate is the percentage of the labor force that is unemployed.
  4. Labor force participation rate (LFPR) indicates the proportion of the working-age population that is either emplo
  1. Unemployment refers to the situation where individuals are willing to work at the prevailing wage rate but cannot find jobs.
  2. Structural Unemployment: Occurs due to a mismatch between skills available in the labor market and the skills demanded by employers.
  3. Structural unemployment is often caused by technological changes, industrial shifts, or lack of education and training.
  4. Cyclical Unemployment: Results from the fluctuations in the economy, typically during a recession or econ