Economics 6 Marks Question

Women constitute about half the total population in India and the deterioration in their health is a matter of great concern. The deterioration in the child sex ratio in the country from 927 in 2001 to 914 in 2011, points to the growing incidence of female foeticide in the country. Around 300000 girls under the age of 15 are not only married but have already borne children at least once. More than 50% of married women between the age group of 15 and 49 have anaemia caused by iron deficiency, which has contributed to 19% of maternal deaths. Abortions are also a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in India. A women's health affects the household economy as well as she will be less productive in the lab. Thus, it is a matter of concern and needs immediate attention.

There is a bidirectional relationship between consumption of energy and economic growth. Increase in rates of consumption of energy leads to economic growth and on the other hand, economic growth leads to increase in rates of consumption of energy. But there is a catch in the above statement, the former part of the statement is more relevant in the scenario of developing economies whereas latter part is a characteristic of developed economy. Energy sector play crucial role in economic development as energy is required by all sector to flourish whether it be transportation, agriculture, business, etc. Rate of consumption of energy by different sectors defines in which phase of development the economy is now.
Economies with high consumption of energy in agricultural and related sector are considered under-developed and developing, whereas economies with high rate of consumption by non-agricultural sectors are considered developed.

The percentage use of different sources of energy is referred to as pattern of energy consumption. It can only be analysed when different sources of energy are converted into a common unit, which is termed as MTOE (Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent) in India. The pattern of energy consumption has undergone considerable change overtime. The use of primary sources like coal, petroleum and natural gas has undergone a significant change. The non-commercial use of this energy has increased from 36% to 76% during 1953-54 to 2004-05. The percentage of direct final consumption of coal has drastically reduced irrespective of the increase in the total consumption of coal. Its consumption increased from 95 million tonnes in 1980-81 to 355 million tonnes in 2008-09. Also, the consumption of oil, for which our country was dependent upon Gulf countries, has increased. The consumption of electricity in the agricultural sector has increased overtime, whereas, it remained the highest in the industrial sector as compared to other sectors.

Community and non-profit organisations function with the idea that the people can be trained and involved in primary health care system. The concept of community participation is contained in national health policy. The broad areas of community participation at grass roots level are seen in the village health services scheme, the Anganwadi scheme of Indian Community Development Scheme (ICDS), and the formation of village level committees.
SEWA in Ahmedabad and ACCORD in Nilgiris are examples of some NGOs working in India to build alternate health care services for their members and give low-cost care to people from nearby villages. Community action has also been successfully used in disease control programmes such as malaria and in areas like provision and maintenance of drinking water schemes and sanitation. Kashtakari Sangathan is an example of a rural organisation in Thane, Maharashtra, where women health workers are trained to treat simple illnesses at minimal cost.
The main constraint to community action is the low priority given to health by the community in contrast to schemes that provide direct financial benefit.

Some of the problems being faced by India's power sector are:

1. At present, India is able to add only 20000MW a year. India's installed capacity to generate electricity is not sufficient to feed an annual economic growth of 9% and even this capacity remains under-utilised due to inefficient operation of plants.
2. State Electricity Boards (SLBs) which distribute electricity, incur losses which exceed ₹ 500 billion due lo transmission and distribution losses, wrong pricing of electricity and other inefficiencies.
3. Electricity is stolen in different areas and tariffs are not paid which also adds to the losses of SEBs.
4. Private sector power generators and foreign investors are yet not ready to enter the power generation sector in a major way which has placed the responsibility largely on public sector which is under financial pressure.
5. There is general public unrest duo to high power tariffs and prolonged power cuts in different parts of the country which even comes to the safety of power sector employees at times.
6. Thermal power plants which have the greatest share in India's power sector are facing shortage of raw material and coal supplies.

The important commercial sources of energy are discussed below:

1. Coal: It is the most important source of commercial energy. Around 54% of the commercial energy consumed 55% and of total energy consumed has its origin in coal.

The important consumers of coal in India are thermal power stations, steel plants, brick-kilns, railways, cement factory, etc, and Coal India Ltd and Singrani Coal Company are the two main producers of coal in India.

The quality of Indian coal is not good, therefore India also has to import coal from other countries. Also, given the present rate of consumption, it is feared that India will use up its coal reserves in 125 years. Also, it should be remembered that the consumption of coal for commercial purposes has risen while that for non-commercial purposes has fallen.

2. Petroleum: It is also an important source of energy in India. India has to import petrol because its reserves are not enough to meet its ever increasing demand. About 30% of India's imports account for petroleum and petroleum products.
3. Natural Gas: It is another important source of conventional energy. It is used as cooking gas in households (LPG) and as a raw material in fertilisers and petroleum products. Now-a-days, it is also used as a fuel (CNG) in cars and three-wheelers.
4. Electricity: This is the most important source of commercial energy.

Health being a basic human right is considered to be vital public good. If public health services are decentralised then every citizen can have access to better health facilities. In case of the country wanting success in the long battle against old diseases, than it will have to spend on overheads like education and also efficient public infrastructure.

1. For achieving the above target public awareness is to be created on health and hygiene. Efficient systems are to be provided.
2. IT and the telecom sectors have to play their desired important role.
3. Primary healthcare plays a vital role in making the government's public healthcare programmes effective.
4. Ultimately the government's goal should be to help people move towards a better quality of life, so very desired since independence.
5. The sharp rural-urban divide, which exists in the healthcare system cannot be ignored and should be tackled effectively, in order to protect the socio-economic fabric of the country from getting destablised.
6. hus the two vital factors of accessibility and affordability, are to be integrated in our basic health infrastructure of the country.

The development of infrastructure and the economic development of a country are directly related with each other. Infrastructure in terms of social and economic) is very vital for the economic development of a country.

1. Provision of infrastructure is a support system which directly impacts the productivity of the factor inputs by enhancing it and also brings about an improvement in the quality of life of people.
2. Despite of considerable achievement on the infrastructure front its distribution is observed to be uneven. This is substantiated by the lack of basic facilities like roads, schools, electricity, hospitals etc, in large parts of rural India.
3. While marching towards modernisation, the quality infrastructure which is being envisaged has to be eco-friendly, vis-a-vis its environmental impact.
4. To lure the private sector in general and the foreign investors in particular, various concessions and incentives are strongly desired to be offered to them.
5. As far as possible there should be a scope for equal access to infrastructure for all in the economy, without any divide.

The various non-conventional sources of energy are explained below:

1. Solar energy: It is generated by using solar power (power of sun). It is used in the following two ways:

• Solar Thermal Programme in which solar energy is used directly for heating water, cooking food, etc.
• Solar Photovoltaic Programme in which photovoltaic cells convert solar energy into electricity.

1. Wind energy: It is generated by using wind power. A large wind turbine usually consisting of propellers is connected to a generator to generate electricity. India is the fifth largest producer of wind energy.
2. Tidal energy: It is produced through the use of tidal energy generators. These large under water turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements in order to produce electricity. With its vast coastline, India has tremendous scope to produce this form of energy.
3. Atomic energy: Atomic energy is generated by conducting fission reactions in a controlled environment. These reactions emit a lot of heat which drives turbine generators to produce electricity. Nuclear or atomic energy in India is generated in 21 nuclear reactors in operation in 7 nuclear power plants. The first nuclear energy centre was established in Tarapur in 1969.
4. Bio-energy: This energy is generated by using COW-dung, agricultural wastes and other biological materials. There are two forms of bio-energy which are given below:

• Biogas: Biogas plants are set up and are fed with cow-dung and other organic waste. The fermentation process generates gas which is used for cooking, lighting, etc.
• Biomass: Solid fuel is produced by converting agricultural wastes to pillets and briqullets.

All three, solar energy, wind power and tidal power are renewable sources of energy.

1. Tidal Power: Tidal power is considered inexhaustible within a human time frame. It has great potential for future power and electricity generation because of the total amount of energy contained in this system of energy depending upon orbital mechanisms of the solar system.

Tidal power is reliably predictable compared to wind and solar power. But, it has a high capital cost, low running cost. As a result, a tidal power scheme may not produce returns for years and investors are, thus, reluctant to participate in such projects. Governments may be able to finance tidal power, but many are unwilling to do so also due to the time lag before investment return and the high irreversible commitment.

A tidal power scheme is a long-term source of electricity. More importantly, as the fossil fuel resource is likely to be exhausted in future, tidal power is one of the best alternative source of energy.

2. Solar Power: Solar power has become of increasing interest in developed countries, because of the environmental costs and limited supply of other power sources such as fossil fuels. Solar power is relatively pollution free, although the impact of environmental pollution during manufacture and construction should not be neglected. Solar power can be viewed as a local resource where it is abundant as in tropical countries.

However, it is only practical in certain areas with a favourable climate and latitude. It is not available at night or when there is a dense cloud over. This makes it unreliable.

3. Wind power: Wind's long-term technical potential is believed to be 5 times current global energy consumption or 40 times the current electricity demand. A moderate proportion of wind generation can be connected without the need for a storage. The cost of maintenance and storage is comparatively lower compared to any other source of energy renewable or non-renewable. Power output from wind varies though it can be predicted with a fair degree of confidence many hours ahead.

The trees might have to be cleared, a practice against the convention of conservation of resources. The birds killed by wind turbines could also cause a concern.

The state of rural infrastructure in India is really disappointing. People in rural areas are still using bio-fuels such as cow dung, firewood and agricultural waste despite of so much progress in the world.According to census 2001:

1. 56% of rural population has no electricity connection.
2. 43% of the rural population use kerosene oil.
3. 90% of rural people are still using bio fuel.
4. Tap water facilities are only available to 24 percent rural households.
5. More than 70% of population relies on open sources like wells, rivers, canals, etc. for drinking water.

Despite of efforts by the central and state governments, rural India still lacks in connectivity (paved roads, rail, etc), financial system (easy credit availability, banking facilities, etc), energy (electricity), agricultural facilities (HYV seeds, canals, credit, etc), education facilities (teachers, senior secondary schools, colleges) and healthcare facilities (hospitals, maternal care centres, etc).

The three-tier system of health infrastructure in India includes health care at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

1. Primary health care includes education concerning prevailing health problems and methods of identifying, preventing and controlling them; promotion of food supply and proper nutrition and adequate supply of water and basic sanitation; maternal and child care; immunisation against major contagious diseases, promotion of mental health and provision of essential drugs.

It includes setting up of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCS) in villages and small towns.

2. Secondary health care includes hospitals which have better health care facilities such as, surgery and diagnostics. They are mostly found in district headquarters and in big towns.
3. Tertiary sector includes all those medical centres and hospitals which give advanced medical care and solve complicated health problems, which cannot be managed by the primary sector. It also includes many premier institutes which not only impart quality medical education and conduct research but also provide specialised medical care.

1.  

S. No	Commercial Sources of Energy	Non-commercial Sources of Energy
1.	Command a price and the users have to pay a price for them.	These are free and command no price.
2.	They are generally exhaustible.	They are renewable.
3.	Mostly used in production processes.	Mostly used for domestic purposes.
4.	Examples: Coal, petroleum, electricity.	Examples: Vegetable wastes, firewood, dried dung.

2.  

S. No	Conventional Sources of Energy	Non-conventional Sources of Energy
1.	These include coal, petroleum and electricity.	These include solar energy, wind energy, and tidal power.
2.	These are being used since very long as different sources of commercial sources of energy.	Most of these are in experimental stage and are being used as different sources of commercial energy to a very little extent.
3.	These include both commercial and non-commercial sources of energy.	These are developed as sources of commercial energy in order to check environmental pollution.

Differences between conventional and non conventional sources of energy:

S.No	Conventional Sources of Energy	Non-conventional Sources of Energy
1.	These are the traditional sources of energy which are generally bought and sold in the market.	These are modern sources of energy.
2.	In India, conventional sources are being used in total disregard to the environment i.e., these sources create pollution.	These are being developed as sources of commercial energy with a view to check environmental pollution.
3.	Consumers have to pay a price for energy generated through these sources.	Consumers do not have to pay a price for energy generated through these sources.
4.	These sources of energy are exhaustible.	These sources of energy are renewable.
5.	These sources are used by business.	These sources are generally used by households.
6.	Coal, petroleum and electricity are examples of commercial sources of energy.	Firewood and cow-dung are examples of non-commercial sources of energy.

The most important factor which can act as a constraint on economic growth of a country is the availability of energy:

1. There is a direct correlation between the degree of economic growth, size of per capita income and per capita consumption of energy.
2. Energy is an essential input for all productive and economic activities like agricultural, industrial and service sectors providing services of banking, telecommunication, communication, etc. Energy is used for non-commercial purposes also for lighting, heating and cooking, etc. More than 60 percent of Indian households depend upon different sources of energy for their regular needs.

Differentiate between Commercial and Non-commercial sources of energy:

1. Commercial sources of energy are generally exhaustible i.e. non-renewable whereas the noncommercial sources of energy are generally renewable in nature.
2. Example of commercial sources of energy are coal, petroleum, electricity whereas example of non-commercial sources of energy are firewood, agricultural waste and dried dung.
3. Commercial sources of energy are bought and sold in the market, whereas non-commercial sources of energy are found in forests/ nature, so are available free of cost, i.e., are provided by nature.

The importance for conserving energy is as follows:

1. Energy is essential for economic and social development and also improved quality of life. Large-power industrial companies need reliable power and energy supplies. However, the current global pattern of energy supply and use is not sustainable. Encouraging energy conservation among consumers is often advocated as a cheaper or more environmentally sensitive alternative to increased energy production.
2. The substantial increase in global energy consumption in the coming decades will be witnessed in the developing world. Strong economic growth in many developing countries is already leading to a sharp increase in per capita energy consumption. Consumption continues to rise, driven also by the projected two-fold expansion in world population during the 21st century which will occur mostly in the developing countries.
3. In an era marked by a heightened awareness of finite natural resources, there is a incessant need for energy conservation to reduce costs, reduce dependency on foreign energy sources, minimise the environmental effects of consumption and conserve resources for future generations.

Energy conservation is a particularly effective way of reducing living costs and the cost of government operations on external disadvantages promoted by excessive use of natural resources and degradation of the environment.

Health is a vital public good and a basic human right. All citizens can get better health facilities if public health services are decentralised. Some measures that should be taken are:

1. Success in the long-term battle against diseases depends on education and efficient health infra-structure. It is, therefore, critical to create awareness on health and hygiene systems.
2. The role of telecom and IT sectors cannot be neglected in this process.
3. The effectiveness of health care programmes also rests on primary centres. Efforts should be tnade to make PHCs more efficient.
4. Encouragement should be given to private-public partnership. They can effectively ensure reliability, quality and affordability of both drugs and medical care.

Against the background of the failure of the public health sector to deliver the goods, it is the private health sector which is growing by leaps and bounds. It is held that more than 70% of hospitals in India today are run by the private sector, which provides healthcare for about 80% out-patients and 46% of in-patients.

1. Another noticeable feature on this front is the dominant role being played by this sector in medical education, training and medical technology and diagnostics.
2. Many of the medical enterprises in the private sector are single-person owned and operated by the single person with ocassional hired workers being employed.
3. Is is held that the private sector in India grew independently without much regulation.
4. After the liberalisation being launched many NRI, big industrial houses and pharmaceutical companies set up state-of-the art super specialities hospitals like Maxcare, Fortis... etc. to lure India's rich and medical tourists from all over the globe. In fact "Medical Tourism" has become a great opportunity for our country to avail.

Yes, infrastructure acts as a support system for production activity in the economy and, thereby, contributes to economic development.
The following points will further explain the role of infrastructure in the economic development of a country:

1. Infrastructure Increases Productivity: Infrastructure-social and economic facilitates production. The availability of quality infrastructure guarantees increase in production and productivity. Infrastructure ensures easy movement of goods and raw materials,thereby, reducing inefficiencies and lead to efficient utilisation of scarce resources and eliminate wastages.
2. Infrastructure Encourages Investment: Infrastructure provides an environment conducive to investment. Lack of facilities discourage investment. For example, an investor will not invest in absence of basic infrastructure such as transport and communication.
3. Infrastructure Generates Linkages in Production: Infrastructure promotes economic development by way of various linkages- forward and backward linkages. In other words, infrastructure provides scope for expansion of one industry due to the expansion of the other by way of forward and backward linkages. The process of economic growth becomes a dynamic process in the presence of sufficient infrastructure facilities. This can be explained with the help of a forward linkage. For example, if irrigation facilities boost agricultural production, then the related industries that depend on agriculture for the supply of raw materials simultaneously experience increased production.
4. Infrastructure Enhances Size of the Market: Infrastructure widens the size of the market. The fast and cost-effective movement of raw materials and finished goods in bulk enables a producer to offer his products across the country and even across international boundaries.

The above table contains data related to per capita income and per capita consumption of energy of different countries. It is observed that a positive correlation exists between these two variables.
As the per capita income increases, the per capita consumption of energy also increases.
For developed countries like Japan and America, high per capita incomes correspond to high per capita energy consumption levels. So, it can be concluded that energy consumption is an effective indicator of development.
No, I do not think that developed countries are fulfilling their global responsibility. Given their vast resources, these countries should try to develop energy-efficient technology and bring down their energy consumption. However, such initiative is seen lacking in these countries.

The four challenges faced by Indian health sector are:

1. Due to the unequal distribution of health care services across rural and urban sector, most of the health care service centres being confined to urban areas, it is a big challenge for this sector to reduce this inequality.
2. Large number of communicable diseases like HIV, dengue fever, bird flue, etc, are posing a big threat to our society.
3. Health care is becoming expensive day by day and it is beyond the reach of the millions.
4. Upkeep and maintenance of the government healthcare centres is rated very poor. So, it has to be immediately taken care of.

Health is not only mere absence of disease but also includes the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual. In other words, it means a sound physical and mental state of the individual. A person’s ability to work depends on his health. A healthy person can contribute more actively. Hence, health and development of a person are the integral parts of a nation’s social and economic development.
It is very difficult to assess public health in terms of the single set of measures. So, various other indicators have been taken into account like infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, life expectancy and nutrition level along with the communicable and non communicable diseases. The various health indicators in India have been tabulated in the table below.
Health Indicators in India

Health Indicators	India
Infant Mortality Rate/1,000 live-births	68
Under-5 mortality/1,000 live-births	87
Birth by skilled attendants	43
Fully immunised	67
Health expenditure as % of GDP	1.4
Government health spending to 5 total government spending (%)	5
Per Capita spending in International Dollars	96

Source: World Health Record 2005 and Economic Survey 2007-08

Public health refers to all the measures taken up by public or private sector to prevent diseases and to keep the whole population healthy. Indian constitution obligates the government to ensure right to health for every citizen. Central Council of Health and Family Welfare has been formed which provides assistance to government in implementing health related policies through analysis of information and data collected over the years related to health. Indian health system has been expanding over the years. Health system in India follows a three-tier system – primary, secondary and tertiary. In recent years, several major measures have been taken by state to control diseases. Some of them are:

1. Organisation of camps to immunize children from polio, leprosy, small pox, diphtheria, tetanus, etc.
2. Spreading awareness about diseases like (AIDS, HIV, TB) and measures to control them through use of all types of advertisement media.
3. Expansion in number of government hospitals and dispensaries which has led to increased bed capacity from 1.2 to 6.3 lakh.
4. Increased number of Primary Health Centre’s (PHCs) and hospitals managed by voluntary agencies and private organisations at the village level.
5. Expansion in skilled professionals and para-medical professionals through opening of new medical and pharmacy colleges.
6. Increased efforts by states to raise awareness about the use of clean and safe drinking water.
7. Swacch Bharat Mission is a recent programme, which promotes cleanliness and proper sanitation around us.

The following are the six systems of medicines constituted by ISM (Indian Systems of Medicines).

1. Ayurveda: Ayurveda is one of the traditional systems of medicine that is still used in India. It is a holistic way to achieve health through body, mind and spirit. The ayurvedic practitioners recommend diet and lifestyle changes along with drug therapy. They have identified a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for curing various ailments and diseases that cannot be completely curable in other medical systems. The methods of ayurveda such as applying herbs and massage can also be applied along with other systems.
2. Yoga: Yoga as an art originated and was practised in India from thousand years. It has references in “Upanishads” and “Puranas” composed by Indian Aryans in the Vedic period. The main credit for systematising yoga goes to Patanjali who wrote “Yoga Sutra”, two thousand years ago. Yoga Sutra is the most important basic text on Yoga. It is through this means that the essential message of yoga is spread throughout the world. It is defined as an art of righteous living or an integrated system for the benefit of the body, mind and inner spirit.
3. Siddha: Siddha comes from the word Siddhi which means an object to attain perfection or heaven. This is the oldest among the Indian Medical Systems namely Ayurveda and Unani. It is also known as Siddha Vaidya in India and also the oldest medical system in the world. As nowadays, people’s preference to natural health remedies and herbal health remedies is increasing day by day, Siddha has emerged as an important and unique system of Indian medicine when compared to other traditional medical systems in existence.
4. Naturopathy: Naturopathy deals with the healing power of nature as it assumes that all healing powers are within our body. This means that within every human organism there is a healing energy. Naturopathy regards that when we go against nature only then we fall ill. “Fasting” has been described as Nature’s way to recover. A thorough rest that includes fasting is the most favorable condition in which an ailing body can purify and recover itself.
5. Unani: Unani has a long and impressive record in India. It was introduced in India around 10th century A.D. with the spread of Islamic civilisation. Now Unanipathy has become an important part of Indian Systems of Medicine. India is one of the leading countries in terms of its popularity. It is very much similar to our Ayurveda. Unani established that disease is a natural process and that the symptoms are the reactions of the body to the disease.
6. Homeopathy: Homeopathy consists of two words “Homeo” meaning similar and “Pathos” meaning suffering or treatment. In this system, a drug and a disease that produce similar symptoms cancels each other. It is popular among the people due to its remarkable healing capacity. Also, its remedies are free from side effects.