{"id":77141,"date":"2026-06-16T20:22:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T14:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=77141"},"modified":"2026-06-16T20:50:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:20:37","slug":"ease-of-living-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/16-06-2026\/ease-of-living-india","title":{"rendered":"Ease of Living: India\u2019s Journey of Inclusive Progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Inclusive Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Government of India highlighted the progress made in improving the Ease of Living contributing to inclusive development and better quality of life of citizens.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Ease of Living?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ease of Living refers to the <strong>ability of citizens to access basic services, opportunities, infrastructure, and governance<\/strong> in a convenient, affordable, and dignified manner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It focuses on improving the quality of everyday life by ensuring access to housing, healthcare, sanitation, transportation, financial services, and digital governance.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a <strong>key pillar of inclusive and sustainable development.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India has taken various initiatives for enhancing ease of living through enhanced access to housing, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, financial services, connectivity, and citizen-centric governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Housing and Basic Amenities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna Urban (PMAY-U): <\/strong>India has significantly expanded access to affordable housing through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>More than 1.25 crore urban houses<\/strong> have been sanctioned under <strong>PMAY-Urban<\/strong>, with over 98 lakh houses completed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Under PMAY-Gramin<\/strong>, over 3 crore rural houses have been completed, providing secure shelter to vulnerable households.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Universal Access to Essentials<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)<\/strong>, launched in May 2016, transformed rural cooking practices by ensuring access to clean LPG connections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM),<\/strong> with its goal of Har Ghar Jal, has delivered rapid expansion in piped water access. As of June 2026, over 15.86 (81.94%) crore households enjoy clean piped water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Swachh Bharat Mission \u2013 Gramin,<\/strong> launched in 2014, provided toilets to all rural households, ensuring dignity and hygiene across villages.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Swachh Bharat Mission\u2011Urban: Urban waste processing rose to 82 percent in 2026 compared to 16 percent in 2014.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reliable, Affordable and Clean Energy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Universal Household Electrification:<\/strong> The SAUBHAGYA Scheme connected approximately 2.86 crore households to electricity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Renewable Energy Expansion: <\/strong>Renewable energy capacity increased from 76 GW in 2014 to more than 274 GW in 2026.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana:<\/strong> It encourages rooftop solar adoption among households. More than 40 lakh households have already installed rooftop solar systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Financial Inclusion and Empowerment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The JAM Trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile <\/strong>became India\u2019s welfare delivery backbone.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY)<\/strong> was the first pillar, opening banking access for crores of excluded citizens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In FY 2024\u201325 alone, <strong>\u20b96.9 lakh crore<\/strong> was credited directly under<strong> Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna (PMMY): <\/strong>More than 57 crore collateral-free loans have been sanctioned to micro and small entrepreneurs. Women account for nearly two-thirds of Mudra beneficiaries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dde7ef\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"626\" height=\"354\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-102.png\" alt=\"financial inclusion and empowerment\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-77142\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dde7ef; width:543px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-102.png 626w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-102-300x170.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Transport and Connectivity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Road Infrastructure: <\/strong>National Highways increased from about<strong> 91,000 km<\/strong> to more than 1.46 lakh km.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Projects such as the <strong>Atal Tunnel, Sudarshan Setu, and Delhi\u2013Dehradun Economic Corridor<\/strong> have improved regional connectivity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Railway Modernisation: <\/strong>Railway electrification expanded from about 20% to nearly 100%. Vande Bharat Express trains have improved speed, comfort, and efficiency.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The indigenous Kavach safety system has enhanced passenger safety and reduced accidents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regional Air Connectivity:<\/strong> Under the UDAN Scheme, operational airports increased from 74 to 165.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Metro and Rapid Transit Systems:<\/strong> Metro rail networks expanded from 248 km in 2014 to over 1,150 km.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)<\/strong> has introduced high-speed regional connectivity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Governance Reforms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act <\/strong>amended provisions across multiple central laws, shifting minor defaults from criminal penalties to civil remedies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS): <\/strong>A dedicated feedback portal available for Ministries, Departments, States, and Union Territories to monitor citizen satisfaction regarding grievance resolution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PM GatiShakti National Master Plan: <\/strong>The initiative promotes integrated infrastructure planning across sectors.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It reduces project delays and improves coordination among government agencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the challenges?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Significant regional disparities<\/strong> persist in access to public services and infrastructure. <strong>Service quality remains uneven <\/strong>across states and districts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial literacy and digital literacy<\/strong> levels remain inadequate among vulnerable populations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rising energy demand<\/strong> requires greater investments in renewable energy storage and grid infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maintenance and long-term sustainability<\/strong> of newly created assets require continuous attention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding remarks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s ease of living transformation demonstrates how targeted welfare programmes, infrastructure investments, digital governance, and institutional reforms can improve the lives of millions.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sustaining these gains while addressing emerging challenges will be crucial for building an inclusive, resilient, and prosperous <strong>Viksit Bharat by 2047.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2273017&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Government of India highlighted the progress made in improving the Ease of Living contributing to inclusive development and better quality of life of citizens. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> What is Ease of Living? <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Ease of Living refers to the ability of citizens to access basic services, opportunities, infrastructure, and governance in a convenient, affordable, and dignified manner. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It focuses on improving the quality of everyday life by ensuring access to housing, healthcare, sanitation, transportation, financial services, and digital governance. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/16-06-2026\/ease-of-living-india \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77141"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77167,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77141\/revisions\/77167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}