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.
Trace the relationship between human capital and economic growth.
Discuss the need for promoting women’s education in India.
What are the main problems of human capital formation in India?
‘There is a downward trend in inequality world-wide with a rise in the average education levels’. Comment.
What are the indicators of educational achievement in a country?
How is human development a broader term as compared to human capital?
Education is considered to be an important input for the development of a nation. How?
What factors contribute to human capital formation?
Argue in favour of the need for different forms of government intervention in education and health sectors.
How does investment in human capital contribute to growth?
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?
Critically evaluate the role of the rural banking system in the process of rural development in India.
What programmes has the government adopted to help the elderly people and poor and destitute women?
Explain the Great Leap Forward campaign of China as initiated in 1958.
Explain how import substitution can protect domestic industry.
Do you think outsourcing is good for India? Why are developed countries opposing it?
Outline the steps involved in attaining sustainable development in India.
Give reasons for the slow growth and re-emergence of poverty in Pakistan.
State any four pressing environmental concerns of India. Correction for environmental damages involves opportunity costs — explain.
What do you mean by transmission and distribution losses? How can they be reduced?
Compare and contrast India and China’s sectoral contribution towards GDP in 2003. What does it indicate?