Social Sector – Health, Education & Social Security
🟠 Topic 22: Social Sector – Health, Education & Social Security
📌 Introduction
The social sector plays a vital role in ensuring inclusive and sustainable development. It encompasses health, education, and social security systems, which together form the foundation for human development. For a country like India, with a large population and significant socio-economic disparities, strengthening the social sector is essential for achieving economic growth, equity, and social justice.
1️⃣ Health Sector in India
📖 Importance of Health
✔️ Good health enhances productivity and income-earning capacity.
✔️ Healthy populations reduce healthcare costs and increase life expectancy.
✔️ Strong health systems are crucial for disaster preparedness (pandemics like COVID-19).
Key Health Indicators (2023)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Life Expectancy | ~70 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) | ~28 per 1000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) | ~97 per 1 lakh live births |
| Public Health Expenditure (2023) | ~2.1% of GDP |
⚠️ Major Challenges in Health Sector
1️⃣ Low Public Investment
- India spends only 2.1% of GDP on health, far below the global average of ~6%.
2️⃣ Inadequate Infrastructure
- Shortage of doctors, nurses, and healthcare facilities, especially in rural areas.
3️⃣ High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE)
- Over 60% of healthcare expenses are borne directly by households, pushing many into poverty.
4️⃣ Unequal Access
- Urban-rural and rich-poor divides in healthcare access and quality.
5️⃣ Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- Rising burden of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancers.
Government Schemes for Health
| Scheme | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Ayushman Bharat | Health insurance for 10 crore families |
| PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission | Strengthening health infrastructure |
| Mission Indradhanush | Immunization for children & pregnant women |
| POSHAN Abhiyaan | Nutrition improvement program |
| Janani Suraksha Yojana | Safe motherhood |
2️⃣ Education Sector in India
📖 Importance of Education
✔️ Education is a fundamental right under Article 21A.
✔️ Enhances employability, innovation, and economic growth.
✔️ Reduces poverty and gender inequality.
✔️ Builds informed and responsible citizens.
Key Education Indicators (2023)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Literacy Rate (2023) | ~77% |
| Gross Enrolment Ratio (Higher Education) | ~27% |
| Gender Parity Index (GPI) | ~0.96 (near parity) |
| Public Education Expenditure | ~3.1% of GDP |
⚠️ Major Challenges in Education
1️⃣ Access and Quality Gap
- Regional and gender disparities in school enrolment, particularly at secondary level.
- Learning outcomes are poor despite high enrolment (ASER reports).
2️⃣ Infrastructure Deficiency
- Lack of toilets, drinking water, libraries, and digital access in government schools.
3️⃣ Teacher Shortage and Training Issues
- High pupil-teacher ratios.
- Need for continuous teacher training.
4️⃣ Affordability Issues
- High cost of private education, especially in higher education.
5️⃣ Skill Mismatch
- Curricula not aligned with 21st-century skills and industry demands.
Government Schemes for Education
| Scheme | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan | Holistic school education |
| PM e-Vidya | Digital learning |
| Beti Bachao Beti Padhao | Promoting girl child education |
| Mid-Day Meal Scheme (PM POSHAN) | School nutrition |
| National Education Policy (NEP 2020) | Education reforms |
3️⃣ Social Security System in India
📖 Importance of Social Security
✔️ Provides financial protection against risks like old age, illness, disability, unemployment.
✔️ Ensures economic stability for vulnerable sections.
✔️ Reduces poverty and income inequality.
Key Social Security Schemes
| Scheme | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| EPFO (Employees’ Provident Fund) | Retirement savings |
| ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance) | Health and maternity benefits for workers |
| PM Jan Dhan Yojana | Financial inclusion |
| PM Kisan Maandhan Yojana | Pension for small farmers |
| Atal Pension Yojana | Pension for unorganized sector |
⚠️ Challenges in Social Security
1️⃣ Low Coverage
- Vast sections of informal sector workers lack any formal social security coverage.
2️⃣ Fragmented Schemes
- Multiple schemes with overlaps, but many potential beneficiaries remain uncovered.
3️⃣ Low Contribution Levels
- Inadequate contributions in pension and insurance schemes, resulting in low benefits.
4️⃣ Awareness and Accessibility
- Many rural and informal sector workers are unaware of schemes or find processes complex.
🔹 Integrated Approach: Health, Education & Social Security
Why Integration Matters
✔️ Better health ensures higher educational attainment.
✔️ Higher education enhances employment and incomes, improving social security contributions.
✔️ Stronger social security ensures access to healthcare and education for all.
Real-Life Example: Kerala Model
- High public investment in health and education.
- Strong social welfare programs.
- Resulted in high HDI despite moderate economic growth.
📊 Summary Table – Key Indicators (2023)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | ~2.1% |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | ~3.1% |
| Literacy Rate | ~77% |
| Infant Mortality Rate | ~28 per 1000 live births |
| Coverage under Social Security | ~25% of workforce |
📚 Practice MCQ
1️⃣ Consider the following statements regarding Ayushman Bharat:
- It provides health coverage to rural and urban poor families.
- It covers both preventive and curative care.
- It is implemented by NITI Aayog.
- It provides a health cover of ₹10 lakh per family per year.
Which of the above statements are correct?
✅ Options:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 only
2️⃣ Which of the following is the flagship scheme for school education?
✅ Options:
(a) Skill India
(b) Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
(c) Ayushman Bharat
(d) Startup India
3️⃣ Consider the following statements about PM Jan Dhan Yojana:
- It aims to provide universal access to banking.
- It offers an overdraft facility.
- It covers insurance benefits.
Which of the above statements are correct?
✅ Options:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
