Plagiarism Scan Report

Report Generated on: Apr 30,2024

Total Words: 986

0% 100% Total Characters: 6993

Plagiarized Sentences: 0

Plagiarised Unique Unique Sentences: 42 (100%)

Content Checked for Plagiarism

III. The impact of infrastructure on inclusive growth

A. Access to basic services (education, health care, water and sanitation)

1. Improved accessibility and connectivity

a) Education
a. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has improved rural road connectivity and enabled easier
access to schools in remote areas. For example, in the state of Chhattisgarh, PMGSY has helped
increase school enrollment by providing safer and more reliable transportation for students.
b. Digital infrastructure such as the BharatNet project aims to provide high-speed internet connectivity to
rural areas, enabling access to online educational resources and e-learning platforms and promoting
inclusive education.

b) Healthcare
a. The Lifeline Express initiative, a hospital on a train, has used the rail network to provide medical
services in remote areas, benefiting more than 1 million people since its inception.
b. Telemedicine services enabled by telecommunications infrastructure have been essential in providing
remote access to health care to underserved areas. For example, the eSanjeevaniOPD platform
facilitated more than 4 million consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

c) Water and sanitation

a. The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide piped water supply to every rural household by 2024, thereby
ensuring access to clean drinking water and better sanitation facilities.
b. Swachh Bharat Mission has focused on building household toilets and promoting safe hygiene
practices, contributing to better health outcomes and dignity, especially for women and girls.

2. Bridging the gap between the city and the countryside

a. Development of rural infrastructure: Initiatives like PMGSY and rural electrification programs have
significantly improved access to basic services in rural areas and narrowed the gap with urban
areas.However, issues such as affordability, lack of awareness and cultural barriers may still prevent
marginalized communities from accessing services, even with improved infrastructure.
b. Improved quality of life: Access to basic services has a direct impact on improving the quality of life in
rural areas, but complementary policies and initiatives in areas such as education, health care and social
care are essential to amplify the impact.

C. Economic opportunities: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) aims to provide skill
development and training opportunities, enabling the rural youth to tap into the economic opportunities
created by improved infrastructure and connectivity.

By improving accessibility and connectivity, infrastructure development plays a key role in ensuring

Page 1 of 3
inclusive access to basic services such as education, health care, water and sanitation. However,
addressing issues related to affordability, awareness and cultural barriers is critical to maximizing the
impact of infrastructure initiatives.

B. Economic opportunities and job creation

1. Facilitation of trade and commerce:
a. A well-developed transport infrastructure reduces trade costs and facilitates the efficient movement of
goods and services, thereby supporting domestic and international trade flows. According to economic
theory, lower trade costs lead to increased specialization, economies of scale, and comparative
advantage that drive economic growth.
b. Bharatmala Pariyojana, which aims to develop economic corridors and improve logistics efficiency, is
expected to reduce logistics costs, which currently account for 14-16% of the total cost of goods in India,
compared to 8-10% in other major economies (NITI Aayog, 2018).
2. Support of industrialization and production:
a. Adequate and reliable power supply is a critical factor for the growth of industries and manufacturing
sectors. Inadequate energy supply can lead to significant economic losses, with estimates suggesting that
energy shortages account for losses of approximately 1.5% of India's GDP annually (World Bank, 2020).
b. Development of industrial corridors such as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) provides
world-class infrastructure and connectivity and attracts domestic and foreign investment in manufacturing.
DMIC is expected to generate $1 trillion in investment and create 25 million new jobs by 2040 (DMIC
Trust, 2022).

3. Increasing agricultural productivity:

a. The development of rural infrastructure, including road connectivity, cold storage and storage
infrastructure, reduces post-harvest losses and facilitates better market access for agricultural produce,
contributing to increased farmer incomes and economic growth.
b. Irrigation infrastructure plays a vital role in increasing arable land and improving water use efficiency,
leading to higher agricultural productivity. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) brought
an additional 10.5 million hectares of irrigation (PMKSY, 2022).

4. Support of tourism and related industries:

a. The development of tourism infrastructure such as airports, hotels and road links to tourist destinations
can boost the tourism industry and create employment opportunities in related sectors such as hospitality,
transport and handicrafts.
b. India's tourism industry generated revenue of $247.3 billion in 2021 and supported 87.1 million jobs,
contributing 7.8% to the country's GDP (WTTC, 2022).

C. Reducing Regional disparities and promoting balanced development

Regional economic disparities are a persistent problem in many developing countries, including India.
Economic theory suggests that the uneven distribution of infrastructure and productive resources can lead
to the concentration of economic activity in certain regions, exacerbating regional imbalances.
According to a Reserve Bank of India study on regional economic disparities, per capita income in the
richest state was nearly four times that of the poorest state in 2019–20. Adequate infrastructure
development can help alleviate these imbalances by improving connectivity, facilitating the movement of
goods and services, and attracting investment to less developed regions. A study by the Asian
Development Bank (2022) found that a 1% increase in infrastructure stock can lead to a 0.3% increase in
GDP growth in developing countries.
The principle of balanced regional development suggests that economic growth and prosperity should be
evenly distributed among regions, ensuring that no area is left behind. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana (PMGSY) has played a key role in connecting remote and backward areas by building rural roads.
As of 2022, PMGSY has built more than 6.7 million kilometers of rural roads, providing connectivity to
more than 1.9 million households (PMGSY, 2022).
Initiatives such as the Sagarmala program focus on developing port infrastructure and promoting coastal
economic zones, thereby unlocking the economic potential of coastal and hinterland regions. The
program identified 802 projects with an estimated investment of ₹ 5.5 lakh crore (Sagarmala, 2022).

Page 2 of 3
No Plagiarism Found

Page 3 of 3