Question

Answer the following :

Explain the measures taken to develop social infrastructure in Maharashtra.

Answer 1

Measures were undertaken to develop Social Infrastructure:

Education: Education is considered one of the basic human needs. It forms the backbone of the socioeconomic development of any country. Education is a significant aspect of human resource development (HRD). In the present scenario, India is getting the advantage of the highest demographic dividend due to the maximum percentage of the young population in the country. Education, therefore, becomes 'a priority' at the national as well as state level. The state of Maharashtra has implemented various educational schemes to achieve the goal of education. There are four levels of education in our country.

• Primary
• Secondary
• Higher Secondary
• Higher education

Primary education: The state of Maharashtra has implemented the Right to Education (RTE) for children in the age group 6-14 years to provide free and compulsory education under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The expenditure of the State government on primary education was 119,486 crores during 2016-17.

Secondary and Higher Secondary Education: Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) was launched in 2009 with the objective to improve access as well as the quality of secondary education. During 2016-17, the State government’s expenditure on secondary and higher secondary education was Rs.16,089 crores.

Higher education: Apart from the universalization of primary education, the Government of Maharashtra is taking efforts to Expand opportunities in higher education also. Higher education helps in creating technical and skilled human resources which is an important input necessary for overall economic development. There are 22 state universities, out of which 4 universities are for agriculture, one university for health science courses, one university for veterinary science, one for technology and 15 other universities for general courses. In addition to these, there are 21 autonomous universities, one central university, 4 private universities and 5 institutes of national importance in the state. To meet the challenges of liberalization, privatization and globalization, the state enacted the new Maharashtra Public Universities Act, in 2016. The key focus of this Act is to promote academic autonomy and excellence, skill-based education through the democratic process in higher education. Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Government of India in 2013.

Others:

1) Inclusive education: This is for differently abled children with special needs.

2) Girls' Education: Various schemes to promote girls' education such as free education till the higher secondary level, free of cost S.T. bus service for school-going girls in rural areas, bicycles to needy girls living within 5 km from schools have been introduced by the Government of Maharashtra.

3) Adult Literacy: To increase adult literacy in the state, innovative schemes like ‘Each one Teach one’, and ‘Sakshar Bharat Abhiyan’ are implemented with community participation.

4) Tribal Education: The government of Maharashtra has introduced residential Ashram Schools in the tribal areas of the state. Tribal students are provided accommodation, food, uniforms, educational materials and other concessions free of cost. There are 556 aided Ashram Schools in the state. Government hostel facility is provided at division, district and taluka levels to encourage tribal students to pursue higher studies.

Health Services:

There were 1814 primary health centres and 360 community health centres in the state as on 31st March 2017. The government of Maharashtra also emphasizes programmes to strengthen the health system in rural and urban areas through the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). These programmes include health determinants like sanitation and hygiene, nutrition and safe drinking water. The Government of Maharashtra has created a three-tier health infrastructure to provide comprehensive health services.

• The primary tier includes Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres.
• The Secondary tier includes sub-district hospitals and district hospitals.
• The tertiary tier includes well-equipped medical colleges and super-speciality hospitals located in major cities.