INFRASTRUCTURE

            

Infrastructure:  Meaning  and  Types:  Case

Studies:  Energy  and  Health:  Problems  and Policies-  A  critical  assessment;

INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure refers to the basic supporting structure which is built to provide different kinds of services in an economy. 

OR

It means foundation which can be taken as basic to all activities in the economy.

TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Economic Infrastructure 

(a) It directly supports the economic system. It helps the economic system from inside.

(b) Example: Energy, transport & Communication. 

(c) It improves the quality of economic

resources and thus raises the production.

(d) Expenditure on it will raise the stock of physical capital.

(e) It will raise the process of economic growth.

Social Infrastructure

(a) It indirectly supports the economic system. It helps the economic system from outside.

(b) Example:Health, education and housing.

(c) It improves the quality of human resources and thus improves the efficiency of manpower.

(d) Expenditure on it will raise the stock of human capital.

(e) It will raise the process of human development.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

i. Infrastructure Increases Productivity:  The availability of quality infrastructure guarantees increase in production and productivity. Infrastructure ensures easy movement of goods and raw materials.

ii.Infrastructure Encourages Investment: Infrastructure provides an environment conducive to investment. Lack of facilities discourage investment.

iii. Infrastructure Generates Linkages in Production: Infrastructure provides scope for expansion of one industry due to the expansion of the other by way of forward and backward linkages.

iv. Infrastructure Enhances Size of the Market: Infrastructure widens the size of the market.It enables a producer to offer his products across the country and even across the world. 

                     

             ENERGY SECTOR IN INDIA                    

                         

Problems faced by the energy sector in India

OR

Emerging Challenges in the energy Sector:

i. The installed capacity of India to generate electricity is not sufficient enough.

ii. The State Electricity Boards (SEBs) that distribute electricity suffered a great loss of more than Rs.500 billion due to transmission and distribution of electricity. 

iii. The wrong pricing of electricity like supply of electricity at subsidized rates to agricultural sector and theft of electricity has exaggerated the problems of power sector.

iv. The high power tariffs and prolonged power cuts is another challenge in the power sector.

v. The thermal power station faces the scarcity of the raw materials to generate electricity

Measures for energy sector.

a. Reduce transmission and distribution losses.

b. Improve plant load factor

c. Promote the use of CFL & LED to save

energy

d. Encourage private sector participation

e. Encouragement to Non-conventional sources of Energy.

f. Bio gas generation programmes.

g. Encouragement to FDI and privatisation in Energy production

                   HEALTH SECTOR IN INDIA

                   

Health is not only absence of disease but also the ability to realize one’s potential. It is a yardstick of one’s well being. Health is the holistic process related to the overall growth and development of the nation.

Drawbacks OR Emerging Challenges in the 

Health care system in India

(a)High Global burden of disease

(b)Poor State of Primary Health Centres

(c)Regional Bias — Urban-Rural Divide

(d)Income Bias — Poor-Rich Divide

(e)Gender Bias — Poor Health of Women.

(g) Unequal distribution of health care services.

(h)Increasing privatization of health services.

(i)Poor sanitation Level

(j) Poor upkeep and maintenance of govt. health centres and poor management.

Women's Health In India - Matter Of Great Concern

(a)There is growing incidence of female 

foeticide in the country. Close to 3,00,000 girls under the age of 15 are not only married but have already borne children at least once.

(b)More than 50 per cent of married women 

between the age group of 15 and 49 suffer from anemia caused by iron defciency. It has

contributed to 19 per cent of maternal deaths.

Development of health Services in India:-

(i) Decline in Death Rate

(ii) Rise in expectancy of life

(iii) Decline in Infant Mortality Rate

(iv) Control over Deadly Diseases.

(v)eradication of smallpox, guinea worms and the near eradication of polio and leprosy.

Six systems of Indian medicine system:-AYUSH

A : Ayurveda

Y : Yoga and Naturopathy

U : Unani

S : Siddha

H : Homoeopathy.