Discuss the following as a source of human capital formation
(i) Health infrastructure
(ii) Expenditure on migration.
Source of Human Capital Formaion are:
(i) Health infrastructure
There is a saying “The greatest wealth is health”. The wealth of a country can be increased with the efforts of healthy workforce. Investment in health sector increases efficiency, efficacy and productivity of a nation's workforce. In contrast to an unhealthy person, a healthy person can work better with more efficiency and, consequently, can contribute relatively more to the GDP of the country. Good health and medical facilities not only extends life expectancy but also improves quality and standard of life. Investing in health sector ensures the perennial supply of healthy workforce. Some of the common expenditures incurred in the health sector are on providing better medical facilities, easy availability of life savings drugs, common vaccination, spread of medical knowledge, provision of proper sanitation and clean drinking water, etc. Thus, the expenditure incurred on health is important in building and maintaining a productive work force.
(ii) Expenditure on migration
Migration refers to the movement of people from underdeveloped or developing countries to t developed countries in search for better avenues. Migrations contribute to human capital formation as it facilitates the utilisation of inactive or underdeveloped skills of an individual. The cost of migration involves cost of transportation, and cost of living at the migrated places. Usually, the cost of migration is very high due to the high cost of transportation and high cost of livelihood in the developed countries. But still, people migrate in search of better job opportunities and handsome salaries. Migration of human capital helps the underdeveloped countries to acquire technical skills, efforts reducing methods and efficient ways of performing tasks. These skills and know-how are transmitted by the migrated people to their home country that not only add to the economic growth and development but also enhance the human capital of the home country. If the gains from migration outweigh the migration costs then it can be inferred that migration leads to better utilisation of human capital skills.
Discuss the need for promoting women’s education in India.
Trace the relationship between human capital and economic growth.
‘There is a downward trend in inequality world-wide with a rise in the average education levels’. Comment.
Education is considered to be an important input for the development of a nation. How?
What are the main problems of human capital formation in India?
How is human development a broader term as compared to human capital?
What factors contribute to human capital formation?
Argue in favour of the need for different forms of government intervention in education and health sectors.
What are the indicators of educational achievement in a country?
How government organisations facilitate the functioning of schools and hospitals in India?
What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?
What do you mean by rural development? Bring out the key issues in rural development.
Define a plan?
Who is a worker?
Explain the term ‘infrastructure’.
What is meant by environment?
Why are regional and economic groupings formed?
Why were reforms introduced in India?
Why calorie-based norm is not adequate to identify the poor?
Name some notable economists who estimated India’s per capita income during the colonial period?
Enlist some problems faced by farmers during the initial years of organic farming.
Give two instances of
(a) Overuse of environmental resources
(b) Misuse of environmental resources.
Explain the need and type of land reforms implemented in the agriculture sector.
What do you mean by agricultural marketing?
Indicate the volume and direction of trade at the time of independence.
How are the rates of consumption of energy and economic growth connected?
What is a ‘global burden of disease’?
Agriculture sector appears to be adversely affected by the reform process. Why?
Group the following features pertaining to the economies of India, China and Pakistan under three heads
• One-child norm
• Low fertility rate
• High degree of urbanisation
• Mixed economy
• Very high fertility rate
• Large population
• High density of population
• Growth due to manufacturing sector
• Growth due to service sector.
Highlight any two serious adverse environmental consequences of development in India. India’s environmental problems pose a dichotomy — they are poverty induced and, at the same time, due to affluence in living standards — is this true?