Economic Survey 2022 – Detailed Analysis Chapter 9,10,11

Social Infrastructure and Employment

Introduction

The need for a strong and resilient social infrastructure became even more important during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. India, adopted a multi-pronged approach to save lives and livelihoods.

Other Initiatives taken to fight against COVID-19

Laboratory network: India conducted more than 70 crore total COVID tests.
Medical Oxygen Plants: These plants were designed and developed based on the spin-off technology of Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) of India’s indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas.
Oxy-Care System: DRDO developed SPO2 based Oxygen Cylinder Controller (SPOCC) based Medical Oxygen Cylinders to optimally use the available medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients. This system supplies quantity of oxygen based on individual’s SPO2 levels.
Anti-COVID Drug: Drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2- DG) in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad was formulated.

Trends in Social Sector Expenditure

In 2021-22 (BE), Centre and State governments earmarked an aggregate of ` 72 lakh crore (27 percent of the total Government expenditure) for spending on social service sector an increase of 9.8 percent over 2020-21.
Social services accounted for about 25 percent of the total Government expenditure (Centre and States taken together) during the last five years.
As a percentage of GDP, expenditure on social services (health, education and others) increased from 2% in 2014-15 to 8.6% in 2021-22 (BE) by Centre and States.

Education

Expenditure on education sector increased by nearly 20 percent in 2020-21 (presently, 3.1 % of GDP).

Primary and Secondary Education

School Infrastructure
Major Achievements:

Toilets (girls or boys), drinking water, and hand-washing facilities are now available in most of Government schools (10.32 lakh).
Establishment of smart classrooms, and ICT labs in schools, including support for hardware, educational software and e-content for teaching.
Availability of teachers, measured by Pupil Teacher Ratio, has improved at all levels continuously from 2012-13 to 2019-20.

School Drop Outs

As per UDISE+ database, dropout rates declined at primary, upper-primary, and secondary levels in 2019-20. Since the data from Ministry of Education is only available up to 2019-20, data from Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2021, have been taken for reference to assess the impact during pandemic for the education sector in rural areas. As per the report,
During pandemic, children (age 6-14 years) ‘not currently enrolled in schools’ increased from 2.5 percent in 2018 to 4.6 percent in 2021.
Children in rural areas have moved out of private to government schools due to reasons such as shut down of low-cost private schools, financial distress of parents, and families migrating back to villages.
Students in lower grade found it difficult to do online activities compared to higher grade students.

Major Initiatives for Students during COVID-19 pandemic

PM e-VIDYA that unifies all efforts related to digital/online/ on-air education to enable coherent multi-mode access to education.
For the differently-abled: Specific DTH channel and Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in Sign Language.
Blueprint of National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) was released or development of digital infrastructure.
Vidyanjali portal that enables the community/volunteers to interact and connect directly with schools to share their knowledge and skills and contribute in the form of assets/material/equipment.

Higher Education

Gross enrolment ratio in higher education slightly improved from nearly 26% in 2018-19 to 27% in 2019-20.
Recent Initiatives in Higher Education
National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) has been extended for the next five years: The scheme provides apprenticeship in the emerging and frontier technology such as Artificial Intelligence, drone technology etc. The scope of the NATS has been broadened to give apprentices to students from humanities, commerce and science besides engineering stream.
Academic Bank of Credit : Launched in 2021, it would digitally store the academic credits earned from various recognized Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) such that credits so earned can be accounted for award of degree by any given HEI e-PG Pathshala boosting mainstreaming of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs).
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan: The objective of the scheme is to engage reputed higher educational institutions (central and state; public and private) to understand and work in rural areas.
Scholarships for weaker sections

Skill Development

As per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2019-20 formal vocational / technical training among youth (age 15-29 years) and working population (age 15-59 years) have improved from 2.4% in 2018-19 to 3.2% in 2019- 20.

Steps taken

Key Targets under National Education Policy 2020

At least 50 percent of school learners to get exposure to vocational education by
Secondary schools to collaborate with ITIs, polytechnics, local industry.
Higher educational institutions to conduct short-term certificate courses in various skills including soft skills.
Making vocational knowledge developed – ‘Lok Vidya’ to students through integration into vocational education courses.
Vocational courses through Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode.
Ministry of Education to constitute a National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education (NCIVE).
National Skills Qualifications Framework for each discipline vocation and
Important initiatives under Skill India Mission that focuses on reskilling and up-skilling in prominent trades.
- Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) : Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs), from 2016- 17 to 2021-22, 16.35 lakh persons were trained and over 78 percent of them were certified.
- PMKVY also provided training to Shramiks (migrant labourers) affected by COVID-19 (1.26 lakh migrants have been trained / reoriented).
- Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme: JSS aims to provide vocational skills to nonliterate, neo-literates, persons with rudimentary level of education up to 8th and school dropouts up to 12th standard in the age group of 15-45 years.

India International Skill Centre (IISC) Network

It is catering to the needs of foreign countries where Indian manpower is in demand by providing incremental skill training on international standards and assessment of skills for overseas employment.

Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana (PMDAKSH)

PM-DAKSH Yojana is a national action plan for skilling of marginalized persons including scheduled castes, backward classes and safai karamcharis.

Trends of Employment

Trends in Urban employment using Quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data
After rising to 20.8 percent in the Q1 of 2020-21, unemployment rate (UR) for urban sector gradually declined to 9.3 per cent in Q4 of 2020-21 with the revival of economy.
The LFPR and WPR in urban sector also declined significantly during the Q1 (36.4% and 43.7% respectively) but showed a swift recovery in the subsequent quarters (47.5% and 43% respectively).
In the absence of annual PLFS data for 2020-21, other proxies such as subscriptions of EPFO scheme and demand for work under MGNREGA, have been used by the survey.
Trends in Urban Employment using Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Payroll Data
The EPFO data covers the low paid workers in medium and large establishments of formal sector.
The net addition in EPFO subscriptions is an indicator of the extent of formalisation of the job market, and the coverage of social security benefits to the organized/ semi-organized sector workforce.

Trends in data on demand for work under MGNREGS

The demand for work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is an indicator of rural labour markets. Recent trends are as follows:
The demand for MGNREGS work has stabilized after the second COVID wave;
Aggregate MGNREGS employment is still higher than pre-pandemic level.

Policy responses to boost rural livelihood

Incentives for job creation
Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) was announced as a part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package to increase the employment generation in post COVID recovery phase.
Under ABRY, the Government of India is contributing employees’ and employers’ share of PF contribution.

Wage employment

Allocation to MGNREGS in FY 2021-22 increased to ` 73,000 crore, from ` 62,000 crore in FY 2020-21.
In FY 2021-22 over 8 crore individuals were provided work so far.
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was launched to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant workers.
Boosting Selfemployment
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) that seeks to alleviate rural poverty by linking rural poor to sustainable livelihoods opportunities.
Till December, 2021, 8 crore households are mobilized into SHGs.

Social protection

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) Yojana, a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for providing monthly minimum assured pension of ` 3000 on attaining the age of 60 years.
e-SHRAM Portal: launched to create a National Database of Unorganized Workers (UWs) so as to facilitate delivery of Social Security Schemes by Central & State Ministries

Till January 2022, over 22 crore workers have been registered on the e-SHRAM portal.

Status of Labour Reforms

29 Central Labour laws were amalgamated, rationalized and simplified into four labour codes:

Code on Wages, 2019
Industrial Relations Code, 2020
Code on Social Security, 2020
Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020

The new laws were in tune with the changing labour market trends and accommodating the minimum wage requirement and welfare needs of the unorganized sector workers, including the self-employed and migrant workers, within the framework of legislation.

Health

Expenditure on health sector (worst hit sectors during COVID) increased by nearly 73 percent in 2020-21
As a percentage of GDP, expenditure increased from 1.3% in 2019-20 to 2.1% in 2020-21. (Target as per National Health Policy, 2017- 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025).

Programmes and Schemes for Health Sector

Ayushman Bharat

To achieve the universal health coverage, it adopts a continuum of care approach, comprising of two inter-related components:
Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs): Creation of 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs).
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): Till January 2022, total of 5 crore Ayushman Cards have been issued under AB PM-JAY.

PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)

It is a mission to develop the capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care health systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions, to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases.

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)

It is being implemented to correct regional imbalances in the availability of affordable reliable tertiary healthcare services and to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country.

e-Sanjeevani

e-Sanjeevani application would enable patient-to-doctor tele-consultation to ensure continuum of care and facilitate health services to all citizens in the confine of their homes free of cost.

Health Outcome Indicators

As per latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, social indicators such as total fertility rate, sex ratio and health outcome indicators viz., infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, institutional birth rates have improved over year 2015-16.

Major initiatives

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): It envisioned to provide adequate safe drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households in rural India by 2024.
- Till 2022, out of about 18.93 crore families in rural areas, about 5.5 crore (30 percent) rural have been provided with tap water supply.
- Special features of Jal Jeevan Mission are:
  - ✓Shift of focus for water supply from ‘habitations (hand pumps, public standposts, etc. at a reasonable distance) to households’ (functional tap in house).
  - ✓Not limited only to creation of water supply infrastructure, focus is on assured supply of potable water –‘service delivery’ & ‘functionality’ –to every home.
  - ✓Local village community owns, operates & maintains water supply system to ensure assured water supply to every home.
  - ✓Central role of women where minimum 50 percent members of Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ Pani Samitis are to be women.
  - ✓Technological interventions for transparency and accountability.
  - ✓Inventive to states.
  - ✓Surveillance of water quality.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM-G]:

More than 10 crore toilets have been built in rural India and more than 2000 villages have been declared as ODF Plus.
As per NFHS-5, population living in households that use an improved sanitation facility has increased from 48 percent in 2015-16 to 70 percent in 2019- 21.

Electricity and Clean Cooking Fuel

As per NFHS-5, 59 percent of households were using clean fuel for cooking in 2019-21, a significant increase from 44 percent in 2015-16.’
As NFHS-5, households with electricity have increased from 88 percent in 2015-16 to 97 percent in 2019-21. SAUBHAGYA Yojana to ensure ‘Power for all played a key role in this.

Rural Development

Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G): It aims to provide assistance for construction of 2.95 crore houses. 2.17 crore houses have been sanctioned and 1.69 crore houses completed against a target of 2.63 crore houses till 2021-22.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): Till 2022, a total of 1,82,506 roads measuring 7,82,844 km have been sanctioned and 1,66,798 roads measuring 6,84,994 km have been completed.
Multidimensional Poverty: As per NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index, in 2015-16, 25 percent households were found to be multidimensional poor in India largest (51.91%) in Bihar followed by Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Introduction

Geo-spatial data and cartographic techniques have been used in India– to track economic activity and compare and represent longer term developments.
Geospatial maps not only lets users visualize data but also helps users to better understand trends, relationships and patterns. Cartographic technology on the other hand allows for better representation of the information.

Revised Guidelines for Acquiring and Producing Geospatial Data

Geospatial data was previously heavily regulated and required licenses to be obtained for its use. Given the increase in freely and publicly available geospatial data and services, the erstwhile restrictions had become redundant and severely hampered technological innovation in the sector, which specifically affected domestic players.
The newly released guidelines aim to build a more permissive regime which opens up the industry to collaboration and progress, while supporting Indian companies operating in this sector. Some key changes under the guidelines are as follows:
Introduction of a self-certification regime as opposed to obtaining prior approval or licenses.
Relaxation of restricted areas: Mapping activities are prohibited only for specific attributes of highly sensitive
Specific permissibility for Indian Entities: Non-Indian companies are not permitted to undertake certain activities related to geo spatial data.
Relaxation on export restrictions: The guidelines permit the export of maps with resolutions up to a 1:100 resolution thereby relaxing the previous threshold of 1:250000.
Open access to publicly funded geo spatial data for scientific, economic and developmental purposes.