Subject: Governance

The pioneering work of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen has consistently emphasized the critical role of primary education and healthcare as fundamental capabilities for human development. Recent data from the Economic Survey 2024-25 shows government social service expenditure increasing to 26.2% of total expenditure, reflecting growing policy focus on these sectors.

Current Status and Challenges in Primary Education

• Enrollment Progress: India has achieved a 112% gross enrollment rate in primary education, surpassing the global average of 98.82%, yet faces challenges in retention and quality.

• Infrastructure Gaps:

  • Inadequate physical infrastructure in rural schools affects learning outcomes.
  • Limited access to digital learning resources widens the urban-rural divide.
  • Shortage of qualified teachers impacts pupil-teacher ratio.

• Quality Concerns:

  • Wide variations in completion rates (56.3% to 129.5%) across states indicate systemic inefficiencies.
  • Need for strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy as per NEP 2020.

Primary Healthcare Challenges and Solutions

• Healthcare Access:

  • Current doctor-population ratio of 1:834 needs improvement to meet WHO standards.
  • Maternal mortality rate of 80 per 100,000 live births requires targeted interventions.

• Infrastructure Development:

  • Strengthen Health and Wellness Centers under Ayushman Bharat.
  • Enhance telemedicine facilities for remote areas.
  • Upgrade primary health centers with modern equipment.

Suggestions for Improvement

• Educational Reforms:

  • Implement competency-based learning as per NEP 2020.
  • Strengthen mid-day meal program to improve retention.
  • Introduce mother-tongue based multilingual education.

• Healthcare Initiatives:

  • Increase healthcare spending (currently growing at 18% CAGR).
  • Strengthen ASHA worker network for last-mile delivery.
  • Focus on preventive healthcare through awareness programs.

Successful implementation of these reforms requires coordinated efforts between central and state governments, along with active community participation. The way forward lies in achieving universal access to quality education and healthcare, essential for realizing India's demographic dividend and achieving SDG goals 3 and 4.