Neglecting the social sector has consequences

(MiansGS2:Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.)

Context:

• The stagnant allocations in the Budget for health, education and nutrition reflects the failure of our political leadership, since Independence, in understanding the centrality of universal education and health to growth.

Lacks adequate allocation:

•  A study showed that 230 million Indians slid into poverty due to COVID-19. 
• The ASER report shows the abysmal state of education — many Class 5 students are unable to read a Class 2 textbook. 
• NFHS-5 data show that among children aged below five years, 35.5% were stunted and 32.1% were underweight. 
• The budget for midday meals reduced by 9%, not counting inflation, even as data show a shift in enrolment from private to public schools with private schooling becoming unaffordable. 
• Disease burden is rising with non-communicable diseases, mental health and geriatric care adding to the load of communicable diseases. 
• Further, India lacks adequate human resources, infrastructure and access to affordable diagnosis and treatment, yet, the allocations for education and nutrition are stagnant.

Invest in social sector:

• It may be argued that the government has been fair in this year’s Budget by providing free foodgrains to 80 crore poor people; developing 500 backward blocks; broadening access to housing, clean water, and toilets; providing employment through the rural employment guarantee scheme; and providing opportunities for skill development. 
• But these can only have partial gains; they do not necessarily address the issue of widening inequality. 
• Besides, for sustainable, long-term growth of the country, expanding universal access to high quality education, healthcare and nutrition (not just food grains but proteins and other supplementary foods that are currently unaffordable) is imperative.

Lack of financial risk protection:

• As all the countries that are developed today invest well in education, health and nutrition and no country can go far if a significant proportion of its population is illiterate, unhealthy or malnourished.
• The lack of financial risk protection, which is why citizens incurred huge expenses, estimated to be more than ₹70,000 crore, even as their incomes fell; a broken down primary health system, particularly in the north, that resulted in a large number of avoidable deaths; and the absence of well-equipped and functioning district hospitals to cope with demand. India needs an infusion of resources and a bold imagination to address these.
• COVID-19 also underscored the need to invest in public health to build our disease surveillance system and strengthen resilience to such shocks.

Conclusion:

• It is the responsibility of a government to firewall its citizens against any such eventuality by improving the healthcare system and reducing vulnerability. 
• Thus India needs adequate funding in order to rebuild our public health system, promote scientific research, and expand health security.