{"id":15384,"date":"2018-02-07T12:23:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T06:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=15384"},"modified":"2018-02-05T17:24:58","modified_gmt":"2018-02-05T11:54:58","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-february-6-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-february-6-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 February 6, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.1) Health and Wellness Centre and National Health Protection Scheme, the two major initiatives in health sector under Ayushman Bharat programme, seek to build a New India 2022. In the light of the recent budget, discuss the significance of these initiatives. (GS-2)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ayushman Bharat programme addresses health <\/span><b>holistically, in primary, secondary and tertiary care systems.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It covers both <\/span><b>prevention and health promotion.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two flagship programmes under Ayushman Bharat programme are <\/span><b>Health and Wellness Centre and National Health Protection Scheme.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Health and Wellness Centre:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National Health Policy, 2017 has envisioned Health and Wellness Centres as the foundation of India\u2019s health system.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Objective:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under this 1.5 lakh health care centres will be established.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Budget:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Budget has allocated Rs.1200 crore for this flagship programme.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Key features of Health and Wellness Centre:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Comprehensive health care:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases and maternal and child health services.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Free health services:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These centres will also provide free essential drugs and diagnostic services.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Contribution of private sector:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contribution of <\/span><b>private sector through CSR and philanthropic institutions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in adopting these centres is also envisaged.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>National Health Protection Scheme:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second flagship programme under Ayushman Bharat is National Health Protection Scheme.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Objective:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage upto 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Budget:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government has not yet made any allocations for the scheme.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Key features National Health Protection Scheme:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>World\u2019s largest government funded health programme:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will be the world\u2019s largest government funded health care programme.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Awareness of health insurance:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme would create tremendous awareness of health insurance, the same way Jan Dhan did for bank accounts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Enhance productivity:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will also ensure enhanced productivity, well being and avert wage loss and impoverishment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Generate jobs:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thes scheme will also generate lakhs of jobs, particularly for women.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Goal of Universal Health Coverage:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Government is steadily but surely progressing towards the goal of Universal Health Coverage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Higher life expectancy:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A higher health insurance cover means a higher life expectancy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.2) What reasons can you assign to income inequality in India? \u00a0What are its implications on society and how do you think India should address the issue ?<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">(GS-3)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Income inequality is the unequal distribution of household or individual income across the different participants in the economy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What are the causes of rising income inequality in India?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though poverty declined but inequality increased in the post-reform period. The major reasons are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Top Tax rates reduced<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Tax progressivity was reduced progressively reduced. Top tax rates, which were very high in the 1970s (up to 98%), decreased to 30% in the 1980s and after.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Increasing wage inequality<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Post-reform, privatization removed government set pay-scales which were less unequal. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, the wage inequality dispersion increased in many sectors.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Lower growth rates for low income group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Growth at the bottom of the distribution was significantly lower than average growth rates since the 1980s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Failure on labour rights: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On labour rights India performs poorly because majority of the labour force works in the agricultural and informal sectors which lack union organization.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Inadequate spending on public services: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government\u2019s spending on health, education and social protection is very low.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What are the major consequences of rising inequality?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The major implications of income inequality on society are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High levels of inequality may cause redistributive pressures and lead to an unstable growth path.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Negative inequality leads to creation of underclass\/underclasses that are met with inhuman treatment for times to come.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It causes systematic exclusion of lower placed classes from availing fruits of development and progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improper distribution of resources leads to a consequent poverty; and thus eventually, backlash from the discriminated section , leading to social tension and mistrust.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These implications spill over in the form of revolution(often violent), damaging social fabric of peace and harmony.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What steps should be taken to reduce income inequality?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The measures to be taken to curb income inequality are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More tax progressivity to limit rising income inequality at the top,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">creating productive employment and providing quality education,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fiscal instruments like public investment in physical and social infrastructure can be used to reduce inequality,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more diversified agriculture for raising the income of farmers,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">also , employment has to be created in manufacturing and service,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ensuring equal opportunities in education, health, employment and entrepreneurship irrespective of caste, class and gender,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">efficient delivery systems of public services,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a major institutional challenge is the accountability of service providers, particularly the public sector, and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eradication of corruption is required for reduction in inequalities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.3) What do you mean by inclusive growth? Discuss the role of inclusive growth in eradicating poverty of a country. How the size of informal economy influences inclusive growth? (GS-3) <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inclusive growth infers an<\/span><b> impartial allocation of resources <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with benefits incurred to every section of the society.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>lessens the fast growth rate of poverty<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a country and <\/span><b>upsurges the participation of people into the development of the country<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rapid growth is necessary to reduce poverty but for this growth to be sustainable in the long run, it should be<\/span><b> broad-based across sectors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and inclusive of the <\/span><b>large part of the country\u2019s labor force.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Why is inclusive growth important for India?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advancing inclusive growth is important in India today. The reasons are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the most basic level, economic growth results <\/span><b>from labour force growth and productivity growth of workers.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 80% of the labour force stuck in low-productivity activities in informal employment, it is not surprising that the <\/span><b>Indian economy is performing far below its true potential.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the Indian economy to reach its growth potential, ways and means must be found to move workers from<\/span><b> informal to formal employment.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, the economy can <\/span><b>reach its full potential <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">only when the hundreds of millions of Indian workers can <\/span><b>escape the trap of low productivity.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>How the size of the informal economy is important for inclusive growth?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reducing the size of the informal economy is pivotal to inclusive growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>allows India to reach its growth potential <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>deliver broadly shared prosperity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the vast majority.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Sustaining a real GDP growth rate of 7% each year until 2040 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will quintuple per capita GDP to $28,000 on a purchasing power parity basis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By 2040, India will also<\/span><b> reach its maximum share of the working-age population<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a glittering prize, endowing its youth bulge with meaningful, well-compensated and rewarding formal employment in a society where <\/span><b>prosperity is broadly shared and absolute poverty has become a thing of the past.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives\u00a0 Q.1) Health and Wellness Centre and National Health Protection Scheme, the two major initiatives in health sector under Ayushman Bharat programme, seek to build a New India 2022. In the light of the recent budget, discuss the significance of these initiatives. (GS-2) Introduction: The Ayushman Bharat programme addresses health holistically, in primary, secondary and&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-february-6-2018\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 February 6, 2018<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":2292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mains-marathon-answers","category-public","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/pen-paper-laptop.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704914784},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15384\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}