ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with various issues and trends in population and human development in India. Specifically, it emphasizes on the social sector – that is health and education. Demographic characteristics (such as age structure) and key attributes of the population in terms of health and education constitute human capital of a nation. There are interstate differences in demographic characteristics among the States of India as there are differences across states in terms of language, religion, culture and social norms. Current population policy in India is based on a holistic, inter-sectoral, community-based approach, focusing intensively on provision of supportive social infrastructure on health and education for improving gender parity and ushering in behavioural changes with respect to reproductive decisions. According to the United Nations (UN) Human Development Index (HDI) India’s rank was 131 among 189 nations in 2019, as it slipped one position from 130 in 2018. It focuses in detail about the issue of demographic transition and demographic dividend in India. The chapter also focuses on the basic problems related to health and education and government programmes to overcome the shortfalls. It discusses in detail about the government initiative of “Swachh Bharat Mission” (SBM), National Rural Health Mission’ (NHRM), Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Ayushman Bharat programme, Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana (AB-PMJAY), etc. In education it describes that the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Right to Education have been two fundamental policy initiatives. Finally it highlights India’s National Education Policy (NEP) introduced in 2020.
