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Why inequality does matter - Page No.6 , GS 3

Public health- Page No.6 , GS 2
Early nutrition impacts cognitive development - Page
No.7 , GS 3
Text and Context - Pros and cons of simultaneous
elections

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 Pg no. 6 GS 2

Why inequality does matter - Page No.6 , GS 3

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India aimed to become a $5
trillion economy by 2024, which would have been the end of his
current term.

• Growth is a legitimate aspiration in India where the majority of the

population is yet to attain a reasonable standard of living. Indeed, it
should remain on the table so long as this is the case.

• The point, though, is that going all out for economic size may not
do much by way of levelling the income of the presently excluded
even as it may generate outcomes that are undesirable to all.

• Such outcomes are already in evidence in India, and an economic

policy that privileges growth could exacerbate them.
• The first thing to note about the recent growth in India is that it has
been accompanied by growing inequality. It is important to
recognise that this trend is not new.

• With government agencies appearing reluctant to supply data, it is

difficult to provide precise estimates of this inequality, but the
world’s leading inequality researchers are very likely right in
describing India as “a poor country with an affluent elite” (‘World
Inequality Report’, 2022).

• Rural wage rates

• even though there is growth of the economy, per capita income at

the bottom of the pyramid is not rising.
• Should it matter to us that the growth in India is unequal? We can
think of at least two reasons why it does.

• First, as has been carefully documented, unequal societies are

subject to the worst forms of social pathology. These range from
violence to disease and mental health disorder.

• Second, inequality stands in the way of achieving collective action

at a time when it is most needed.

• World Inequality Report , India is now among the most unequal

countries in the world.

• The report was released by the World Inequality Lab, which aims to
promote research on global inequality dynamics.
 Pg no. 6 GS 2

Public health- Page No.6 , GS 2

• Consider the story of dengue, a disease that has only symptomatic
treatments, and no definitive cure.

• When cases surge, political leaders often mobilise the State machinery to
set up immediate relief camps at the expense of long-term strategies such
as understanding vector bionomics or developing effective vaccines.

• We need both, yet, dengue stands out as a classic example of prioritising

immediate response over sustainable prevention.

• Investments in nutrition programmes, while not immediately visible, have

far-reaching implications for health and productivity.
• The contemporary Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme For
Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN) Abhiyan Scheme plans to reduce
stunting by 2%, undernutrition by 2%, anaemia by 3%, and low
birth weight by 2% every year.

• But the fifth National Family Health Survey found 35.5% of

children under five were stunted and 32.1% were underweight in
2019-21. The prevalence of anaemic children aged 6-59 months
increased from 58.6% to 67.1%, and 54.1% to 59.1% among
women aged 15-19 years.

• This disparity between prevalence and policy targets highlights a

significant gap in public health efforts.
• The influence of the pharmaceutical industry in public health is
undeniable.

• For instance, despite having the same medicines to fight

tuberculosis (TB), India reported 21.4 lakh TB cases in 2021, an 18%
increase from 2020, translating to an incidence of 210 cases per
1,00,000 population.

• In contrast, the United States reported only 8,331 TB cases in 2022,

about 2.5 cases per 1,00,000 persons.

• This disparity is not merely a matter of the availability of medical

treatment but is deeply linked to socio-economic factors such as
poverty, sanitation, and overcrowding (as a result of poorly
organised urban housing) prevalent in India.
• Behavioural change is key to managing public health challenges.

• Public health is not just about treating diseases. It is about preventing

them, requiring expertise from various fields such as environmental
science, sociology, urban planning, and economics.

• The current physician-centric focus of India’s public health system often

fails to capture this comprehensive nature.

• In sum, democracy is not inherently harmful to public health but the way
public health is managed within democratic systems often leads to
significant shortcomings.

• Infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, health-care access,

mental health, and misinformation pose challenges that demand a more
holistic, long-term approach in public health policy.
 Pg no. 7 GS 3

Early nutrition impacts cognitive development - Page

No.7 , GS 3
• Stunting irreversibly affects not just the height, but also the cognitive
development of a child. While the long-term impact of early childhood
stunting on educational levels is recognised, the processes by which it
results in lower educational achievements, particularly in low- and
middle-income countries, are not well understood.

• In the case of India, NCERT’s National Achievement Test and Pratham’s

Annual Status of Education Report also look at the status of children’s
enrolment and learning outcomes only.

• However, a recent study by Sánchez et al. (2024) in ‘World Development’

examines the link between early under-nutrition and four key cognitive
skills developed later in childhood: working memory, inhibitory control,
long-term memory, and implicit learning.
• India is addressing stunting in two ways. First, Poshan Abhiyaan
and Integrated Child Development Services have played a
significant role in addressing the issue of stunting.

• With the objective of reducing malnutrition in districts with the

highest burden, Poshan Abhiyaan focuses on enhancing the
utilisation and quality of Anganwadi services to ensure holistic
development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women,
mothers, and children.

• Second, studies, including those by Spears (2013), found that

improved sanitation reduces the incidence of diarrhoea and
stunting. Investments in clean water and sanitation
infrastructure are crucial. India has been addressing these with
the Jal Jeevan Mission and the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• To markedly improve child nutrition and combat under-nutrition
in India, three key strategies can be the largest needle movers.

• First, promoting early breastfeeding, along with continued

breastfeeding for two years, coupled with appropriate
complementary feeding starting at six months, is essential. This
not only prevents stunting but also fosters optimal child
development.

• Second as children grow, diversifying their diet becomes crucial.

• Finally, adding an extra Anganwadi worker to each Anganwadi centre

could help.
• In the Global Hunger Index 2023, India ranked 111th out of 125
countries, indicating a serious level of hunger.

• Neighboring countries, such as Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st),

Nepal (69th), and Sri Lanka (60th), scored better than India.

• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a peer-reviewed report, published on an

annual basis by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

❑ Undernourishment:The share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient;

❑ Child Stunting:The share of children under the age of five who have low height for
their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition;
❑ Child Wasting:The share of children under the age of five who have low weight for
their height, reflecting acute undernutrition; and
❑ Child Mortality:The share of children who die before their fifth birthday, reflecting
in part the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.
Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

• The prevalence of undernourishment is an indicator for SDG 2.1,

focusing on ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient
food for all.
• Child stunting and wasting rates are indicators for SDG 2.2,
aiming to end all forms of malnutrition.
• Reducing preventable child deaths is an SDG 3.2 goal.
Text and Context - Pros and cons of simultaneous
elections
• During the first four general election cycles in 1952, 1957, 1962 and 1967, the
elections to the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies were held
simultaneously.

• It is estimated that the cost of holding general elections to the Lok Sabha is
around ₹4,000 crore for the Central government. Each State assembly
election would also cost considerable amount of money according to the size
of the State.

• A High-Level Committee (HLC) headed by Ramnath Kovind, former President

of India, was constituted in September 2023 to examine the issue of holding
simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies and
local bodies of all States.

• In 2019, only four States had their assembly elections, along with the Lok
Sabha. The idea of simultaneous elections has been mooted in the past by
the Election Commission of India (1982) and the Law Commission (1999).
• Secondly, there are at least 5-6 State elections that happen every
year. This results in political parties, including Ministers, being in
‘permanent campaign’ mode, which acts as a hindrance to policy
making and governance.

• Third, administrative machinery in the districts slow down

during the election period with the primary focus being the
conduct of elections. There are also paramilitary forces that are
withdrawn from the locations in which they are posted and
deployed to the concerned State for the smooth conduct of
elections. Frequent elections every year have an impact on
administrative efficiency.

• Lastly but very importantly, high-stake elections each year in

various States result in polarising campaigns by all parties in
order to win the elections.
• India is a federal country of sub-continental proportions.

• National political parties would have a significant advantage

over regional parties on account of this mechanism. This would
be detrimental to the federal spirit of our country which has
been declared as a basic structure of the Constitution.

• India is a parliamentary democracy where the governments at

the Centre and the State need to enjoy majority in the Lok Sabha
and the Legislative Assembly respectively.

• The duration of these houses is five years but it may be

dissolved earlier if the party or coalition in power loses majority,
and no alternative government can be formed.
• The reports of the Law Commission (1999), and the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public
Grievances, Law and Justice (2015), have dealt with the issue of
simultaneous elections. The Law Commission had also
submitted a draft report in 2018.

• There is a lack of consensus among various political parties

about the conduct of simultaneous elections. The ideal middle
ground may be to conduct the Lok Sabha election in one cycle
and all State assembly elections in another cycle after two and a
half years.

• If all political parties are taken into confidence, this may be

achieved over the next decade and continued thereafter.
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