This MCQ module is based on: Quality of Population: Education and Health
Quality of Population: Education and Health
Study Notes and Summary
Chapter Notes:
Quality of Population: The quality of a population is determined by its literacy rate, health (indicated by life expectancy), and skill formation. A literate and healthy population is considered an asset, directly influencing a country’s growth rate.
Education’s Contribution:
Education enhances national income, cultural richness, and improves the efficiency of governance.
It opens new horizons, provides new aspirations, and develops values for individuals.
Government Initiatives in Education (India):
Universal Access, Retention, and Quality: Provision for elementary education (6-14 years), with a special emphasis on girls.
Pace-setting Schools: Establishment of Navodaya Vidyalayas in each district.
Vocational Streams: Developed to equip high school students with knowledge and skills for various occupations.
Sarva Siksha Abhiyan: A time-bound Central government initiative (in partnership with states, local governments, and communities) for universalizing elementary education by 2010.
Bridge Courses and Back-to-School Camps: Implemented to increase elementary education enrolment.
Mid-day Meal Scheme: Aims to encourage attendance, retention, and improve nutritional status of children.
Education Expenditure and Literacy Trends (India):
Plan Outlay: Increased significantly from Rs 151 crore (First Plan) to Rs 99,300 crore (2020-21).
Expenditure as % of GDP: Rose from 0.64% (1951-52) to 3.1% (2019-20) but has remained stagnant around 3% in recent years, declining to 2.8% in 2020-21.
Literacy Rates: Increased from 18% (1951) to 85% (2018).
Disparities: Significant differences exist: male literacy is 16.1% higher than female literacy, and urban literacy is 14.2% higher than rural literacy.
State-wise Variation (2011 Census): Kerala (94%) had the highest literacy rate, while Bihar (62%) had the lowest.
Primary School System: Expanded to over 7,78,842 lakh in 2019-20, but quality and high dropout rates remain concerns.
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education: 27% in 2019-20 for the 18-23 age group, broadly in line with the world average. Strategies focus on access, quality, vocationalisation, and IT integration.
Health’s Importance:
Health is indispensable for realizing one’s well-being and helps individuals achieve their potential and fight illness, maximizing output in an organization.
Unhealthy workers reduce firm efficiency and profit.
National Health Policy (India): Aims to improve accessibility of healthcare, family welfare, and nutritional services, with a focus on underprivileged segments.
Health Infrastructure Development (India): Over five decades, India has built a vast health infrastructure and developed manpower across primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors (government and private).
Life Expectancy: Increased to over 69.4 years in 2016.
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): Decreased significantly from 147 (1951) to 36 (2020).
Crude Birth Rates: Dropped to 20.0 (2018).
Death Rates: Dropped to 6.2 (2018).
Longevity and Childcare: Increase in life expectancy and improved childcare are indicators of good quality of life and future progress.
Health Infrastructure Data (Table 2.2 – Snapshot 2019):
HSC/PHC/CHC: 1,78,548 (2019)
Dispensaries and Hospitals: 31,986 (2019)
Registered Doctors in Medical Council: 29,799 (registered allopathic doctor at PHCs, 2019)
Nursing Personnel (ANM+RN&RM+LHV): 12,01,393 (2020)
Challenges in Health Sector: Many areas in India lack basic health facilities. Four states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu) have the maximum number of medical colleges.
Practice MCQs
Assessment Worksheets
This assessment will be based on: Quality of Population: Education and Health
Olympiad Focus & Application
Real-Life Connections & General Knowledge:
Understanding the link between education and health indicators (literacy rate, life expectancy, IMR, birth/death rates) and a country’s Human Development Index (HDI) is crucial for global comparisons.
Discuss how governmental policies like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and the Mid-day Meal Scheme are practical applications of human capital theory in addressing educational disparities and nutritional deficiencies.
The regional disparities in literacy rates (Kerala vs. Bihar) highlight the importance of geographical and socio-economic factors in human development.
Case-based Scenarios & Reasoning:
Scenario: A country with a rapidly aging population needs to maintain economic productivity. Suggest policy measures focused on health and education to transform this demographic challenge into an advantage.
Scenario: A community faces a high dropout rate in primary schools despite government initiatives. Design a multi-pronged approach involving local government, community participation, and technological solutions to address this issue.
Conceptual Application:
Investment in Human Capital: Analyze how government expenditure on education and health translates into long-term economic benefits and improved societal well-being.
Demographic Dividend: Explain how improvements in health (e.g., reduced IMR, increased life expectancy) can contribute to a demographic dividend by ensuring a healthier, more productive workforce.
Numerical/Data Interpretation:
Trends in Literacy Rates (Graph 2.1):
Literacy rates increased significantly from 1951 to 2018 (18% to 85%).
Male literacy is consistently higher than female literacy.
Urban literacy is higher than rural literacy.
Higher Education Institutions and Enrolment (Table 2.1):
Number of colleges increased from 750 (1950-51) to 44,374 (2019-20).
Number of universities increased from 30 (1950-51) to 1,236 (2019-20).
Student enrolment rose dramatically from 2.63 lakh (1950-51) to over 3.8 crore (2019-20).
Teacher recruitment also saw substantial growth.
Comparative & Analytical Points:
Discuss the challenges of “poor quality of schooling and high dropout rates” despite the expansion of primary school systems, and how these impact the actual effectiveness of educational investments.
Analyze the disparities in health infrastructure and medical colleges across different states in India and their implications for equitable healthcare access.
