Relevance: GS-2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes

Key Phrases: Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Ease of doing businesses, Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Reforms 2.0, Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas

Why in News ?

• After the economic survey presentation in the Parliament, expert analysis started—whether the government fulfilled its vision of - ' Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas' or not.

Key Highlights

• Attention given for both Macro with Micro indicators: To give effect to the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, the underlying economic philosophy was of focusing on growth at the macro level and improving efficiency of government programmes at the micro level.
• Reforms 2.0: The distinguishably recurring theme – of ‘process reforms/reforms 2.0’ – of the Economic Survey 2021-22 and the social welfare programmes discussed in Chapter 10 thereby narrate the saga of India’s Ease of doing businesses initiatives in this direction.
• Twin-pronged approach: It aims at enabling the economic growth necessary to generate resources for welfare programmes while reducing inequality in society – by means of well-targeted welfare schemes as well as a robust social infrastructure.

Pandemic and welfare Measures

• Balancing lives and livelihoods: It has laid thrust on cushioning the vulnerable segments of society as well as administering a coherent response to the health consequences of the pandemic.
• Vaccination as a Panacea: With vaccination coverage of the adult population now near comprehensive with regard to first dose and about 70% with the second, India continues to be on war-footing against the pandemic while charting an impressive socio-economic track record through jan bhagidari.
• Akin to the economic stimuli injected under the umbrella of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Budget 2021-22.
• Nitro-boosts to the healthcare sector: It was provided through creation of massive infrastructure for isolation beds, dedicated intensive care unit beds, supply of medical oxygen and production of COVID vaccines.

Analysis of Various measures taken :

1. Atmanirbhar Bharat vision:
   • Creation of formal jobs has been a key policy priority for the government, and evidence about this aspiration coming to fruition abounds.
   • Whereas 77.1 lakh net enrolments in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) 2020-21– This year, till November 2021, net addition to payroll has already crossed 82.4 lakh
2. Regarding jobs formalization:
   • In 2019-20 compared to 2011-12, as per PLFS and NSSO-EUS reports, there is decline in prevalence of casual labour in rural (7.6 percentage points) and urban (1.2 percentage points) areas and increase in share of regular-wage/salaried employees in both, by 4.6 and 5.7 percentage points respectively
   • Additionally, in the galaxy of self-employed workers, there is a higher prevalence of own account worker and employee – showcasing the robust start-up ecosystem that has taken root in India.
3. Sectoral distribution of workforce improved :
   • Agriculture’s share has come down from 49% to 45.6% between 2011-12 and 2019-20, the share of services has risen from 24% to 25.1% and that of industry ascended from 27% to 29.3%.
   • Economic transition from agriculture to industry and services is discernible.
   • Continued thrust on ‘skilling at scale’ has raised the share of persons in 15-59 years of age receiving vocational training from 8.1% (2017-18) to 13.9% (2019-20).
4. Budgetary Support analysis:
   • As per Union Budget documents, the share of social services in total expenditure of the Central government spiked from 3.7 percent in 2014-15 to 5.0 percent in 2015-16 and thereafter rose to 5.7 percent in 2019-20.
   • Budget 2021-22 increased the share of the social sector to the highest-ever level of 6.3 percent. Findings from NFHS 5 – juxtaposed with those from NFHS 4 – illustrate the outcomes of the increased allocations
5. Testimony of various schemes:
   • In a robust testimony to the success of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, sex ratio at birth for children born in last five years grew from 919 females per 1000 males in 2015-16 to 929 in 2019-21.
   • That population living in households with an improved sanitation facility rising from 48.5% in 2015-16 to 70.2% in 2019-21 corroborates the success of Swachh Bharat Mission.
   • Ujjwala Scheme – focusing on improving access of households to clean cooking fuel – has catalyzed its use by covering 58.6% of households in 2019-21, up from 43.8% in 2015-16.

Conclusion

• These welfare measures and the intense monitoring and convergence enabled lowering of stunted, wasted and underweight children by 2%, 2 % and 4%, respectively, between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• Economic Survey further explores the happy tidings witnessed with regard to drinking water, rural housing and roads and health infrastructure while also chronicling the progress achieved in education , employment and wide-casting of social safety-nets. It’s in a real sense sabka vikaas all the way!

Mains Question:

Q. How far do you agree that the welfare measures taken in Fiscal Year 2022 are sufficient for the Atma Nirbhar Bharat? Justify your arguments with suitable examples.( 10 marks)

Source: Mint