Current Scenario India's Aging Population

Published On:

1. Status: World's most populous country and among fastest aging.

2. Life expectancy: 70 years, but Healthy life years: 63.5 years.

Overall India’s Health Challenges

 1. Limited health insurance coverage: Only 1 in 5 persons over 60 has health insurance.

 2. High Premiums: wrt Private insurance premiums, specially for elderly.

 3. 92% workforce employed in informal sectors, leading to lack of usage healthcare benefits.

 4. NCDS: Increasing burden of non-communicable diseases.

 

8. Facts:

  a. Nearly 50% of households face catastrophic healthcare expenditures (CHE).

  b. 15% of households impoverished due to healthcare costs.

 AB-PMJDY Extension Analysis

 1. Budget allocation: Additional Rs 3,437 crore allocated.

 2. Estimated requirements:

 a. Eligible households: 5.6 crore.

 b. Expected annual users: 43.5 lakh families.

 c. Estimated annual cost: Rs 14,282 crore.

 d. Gap: More than 4 times the allocated amount.

 3. Limitations:

 a. Inadequate Funding: The current funding is insufficient. Also, Stagnant at 0.9% to 1.35% of GDP for over 70 years

b. Focus on Secondary and Tertiary Care, ignoring the need for outpatient and palliative care, essential for long-term elderly care.

c. Lack of focus on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

4. Suggestions:

a. Increase the public healthcare spending and bridging the gap.

b. Focus on continuous care for the aging population. More investment on preventive care, continuous outpatient care, and palliative care to ensure the wellbeing of the elderly.

c. Focus on infrastructural needs:

 d.Future Implications More hospitals and health centers.

 e. Increased healthcare workforce.

Better availability of medicines.

1. Changes in age structure and disease pro fold

2. Disruptions in labor market Structure

3. Altered migration patterns

 4. Impact on social security policies in faster-aging States.

 

Chemical Fertilizer Production and Resource Competition

 1. Fossil fuels and minerals used in fertilizer production have alternative industrial uses

 2. Ammonia, a key ingredient in nitrogenous fertilizers (e.g., urea), is derived from natural gas, which is also used as a transportation fuel and for power generation.

 3. Rock phosphate ore: Used as a raw material for manufacturing di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) .

 4. Issues:

 1."Food versus Cars" Dilemma: Similar to the "food versus fuel" debate (use of crops for biofuels) Current Fertilizer Usage Trends and P policies.

 

 2. Subsidies Leading to Overuse of Urea and di-ammonium phosphate. India's Vulnerability in Fertilizer Production

 1. Import Dependence:

 a. Imports nearly half of its natural gas consume time.

 b. Lacks domestic reserves of key mineable minerals like phosphate, potash, and elemental sulfur reserves

 2. Leading to Vulnerability to global price spikes and Susceptible to supply disruptions.

 

Suggestion

 1. Capping Consumption of Bulk Fertilizers: Target fertilizers like urea (46% nitrogen), DAP (46% phosphorus), and muriate of potash (60% potassium).

2. Promoting Alternative Fertilizers: Shift to complexes and water-soluble fertilizers; Lower nutrient content.

 

Jammu and Kashmir assembly

 •Pre-2019 Arrangements

 

 1. J&K had acceded to India only in defense, foreign affairs, and communications (1947).

 2. Article 370 limited Parliament's legislative powers over J&K .

 

• Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,

 a. J&K became a Union Territory (UT) with a legislature, while Ladakh was designated a UT without a legislature.

 b. It brings J&K under the purview of Article 239 of the Constitution, which governs Union Territories.

  c. Thus, The Assembly will no longer represent a state but will operate under the framework provided for Union Territories.

 

2. Comparisons with other UTs.

 a.Similarly to Puducherry, where the UT has a legislature but the Lieutenant Governor retains significant powers.

 b. Unlike Delhi, a special constitutional status under Article 239AA, J&K's Assembly has limited legislative power.

 1. Wrt Legislative Powers:

 a. Can legislate on State List subjects except 'Public Order' and 'Police' (Entries 1 and 2).

 b. Can also legislate on subjects in the Concurrent List, but these laws must not conflict with central laws.

 2. Wrt Finance Bills:

Section 36 of the 2019 Act states that financial bills can only be introduced with the LG’s recommendation, giving the LG control over financial matters. Powers of the Lieutenant Governor

 1. Discretionary Powers:

 a. Has authority over matters like public order, police, and the bureaucracy (All India Services, AntiCorruption Bureau, etc)

 b. LG's decisions on discretionary matters are final, unchallengeable and cannot be challenged in court.

 2. Additional Powers: Recent administrative changes grant the LG the power to appoint the Advocate General and other law officers, as well as decision-making authority on prosecutions and sanctions.

 Conclusion: Significant areas remain under the LG’s control, particularly in security and administrative matters and assembly's powers significantly reduced.