03 Feb 2024 : The Hindu Editorial

Topic 1 : Population priorities: On Interim Budget statement and the Census

Conclusion: No survey can substitute the Census, which is yet to be conducted for this decade

Introduction

• In what was an intriguing statement in her Interim Budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that a high-powered committee will be constituted to consider the challenges arising from “fast population growth and demographic changes”.

Postponing the decennial Census

• With the Union government repeatedly postponing the decennial Census — it has not been conducted for the first time in a decade since 1881 — there is no direct evidence to support this statement.
• It is evident that India is now the most populous country, but the Sample Registration System statistical report in 2020 and the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) have shown that the total fertility rate (TFR) in India has fallen to 2 overall, with only a few States — Bihar (2.98), Meghalaya (2.91), Uttar Pradesh (2.35), Jharkhand (2.26) and Manipur (2.17) — having a TFR above 2.1.
• Clearly, the high population growth of the kind seen in the 20th century has been largely arrested — the TFR fell from 5.7 in 1950 to 2 in 2020, albeit differentially across regions.
• The population share of the southern States, reduced to 21% in 2011 from 26% in 1951, largely a consequence of a rapid reduction in TFR due to better socio-economic outcomes and education, and despite higher migration to these States.

Role of Surveys

• While the surveys mentioned are robust and necessary, they are no substitute for the comprehensive Census; the continued delay in its implementation reflects poorly on the Union Home Ministry that is motivated by other priorities rather than executing a vital programme of Indian governance.

Democracy shift in India

• The demographic shift in India and rising life expectancy have resulted in challenges and opportunities.
• The much-touted demographic dividend — the relatively high proportion of the working age population in the developing world — is meaningful only if there are sufficient jobs and if they enjoy some degree of social security that will help them when they age.
• With high unemployment and the creation of non-farm jobs, which will increase productivity and cater to skilled employment, relatively slack in the last few years, there is the possibility of the country squandering this dividend.
• The “high-powered” committee will be performing a crucial role if it engages meaningfully in addressing questions related to jobs and social security and the challenges citizens face due to rapid urbanisation and mechanisation of work.

Conclusion

• However, if the committee focuses on the government’s pet bogies of looking at population issues through the lens of religion and immigration, it will only distract governance from making use of the fast eroding democratic dividend in the country.

Topic 2 : A rising tide lifts all boats

Context: The Interim Budget has captured a decade of transformation and the opportunities ahead, in health, tourism and research in particular.

Introduction

• In the life cycle of evolution and all of history, there are moments of transformation. India has seen a decade of transformation, from being under-developed to developing to now becoming the fastest growing economy in the world. India is an economic bright spot, growing consistently at 7%, while other world economies are growing at 2.5%.

India’s accelerated progress!

• India's space programme has gained global admiration.
• The country has also balanced the fine line between renewable and non-renewable energy more skilfully than any other nation and is ahead in terms of targets.
• Buoyancy in metrics and spirit reflected in the Interim Budget. Budget lays out immense o opportunities for a new India.

Preventive health checks are needed.

• No country can afford it if its citizens fall ill. That is why healthy living and preventive health are very important.
• The initiative in the Interim Budget to promote the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among young girls, to prevent cervical cancer, is an excellent step — something that we have sand-boxed at Aragonda in Andhra Pradesh — my father’s village.
• We can take similar steps for several types of cancers and all non-communicable diseases, and significantly reduce India’s disease burden. We urge the government to consider incentivising individuals to undertake preventive health checks.
• India has made remarkable strides in health indicators over the last four decades, with the drop in infant mortality and maternal mortality.
• Maternal and child health care receives a comprehensive focus in the Budget, and rightfully so. If mother and child are well, women’s participation in the workforce will increase even more than it has.
• Life expectancy has increased from 53 years to 70 years in the last four decades. This has been achieved with less than 2% budgetary allocation for health over the years — if this can be increased to 5%, remarkable strides can be made in achieving better population health outcomes.

Government's Innovation Initiative

• In highlighting ‘innovation’ as a key pillar of development in today’s era, the government has decided to set aside a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore with 50-year interest free loans to provide long-term financing and refinancing to the private sector to invest in research and technology.
• Integration of technology has the potential to create a significant impact at scale across various domains.
• In health care, deeper tech collaborations will help us touch more lives and boost access to quality care, overcoming limitations such as the skewed doctor-patient ratio and even reducing health-care costs significantly.

Medical value travel

• While the Interim Budget touched upon the impact of tourism flowing from religious and iconic places and has made provision for States to promote this in a big way, there is another facet of tourism that is steadily attracting more tourists and becoming a tangible reason to travel, namely health care or ‘medical value travel’.
• We have seen the landscape being transformed in the past decade with ‘Heal in India’ touching new heights. India’s superior talent and global standards of clinical outcomes have made India a lucrative health-care destination for the world.
• Further, enhancing connectivity through new corridors with the railways along with more airports and air routes has the potential to help Indians in getting much easier access to quality health care.

Conclusion

• Perhaps even more important than what the Budget said, were the hidden figures — private expenditure and its rise, an increase in consumption, and the underlying core theme that the private sector has risen beyond all expectations to play a meaningful role in not just the economy but in how we will live our lives. And if all of us continue to work together, India will truly be limitless.