AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAVA

• Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements.
• It is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• The official journey of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced on 12th March 2021 which started a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence and will end post a year on 15th August 2023.

 

Five themes of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav are as follows-

1. Freedom Struggle- It helps bring alive stories of unsung heroes whose sacrifices have made freedom a reality for us and also revisits the milestones, freedom movements etc. in the historical journey to 15 August, 1947.

2. Ideas@75- It focuses on programmes and events inspired by ideas and ideals that have shaped us and will guide us as we navigate through this period of Amrit Kaal (25 years between India@75 and India@100).
3. Actions@75- It focuses on all the efforts that are being undertaken to help India take its rightful position in the new world order emerging in a post covid world by highlighting the steps being taken to implement policies and actualise commitments.
4. Resolve@75- It focuses on our collective resolve and determination to shape the destiny of our motherland. The journey to 2047 requires each one of us to rise up and play our part as individuals, groups, civil society, institutions of governance etc.
5. Achievements@75- It focuses on marking the passage of time and all our milestones along the way. It is intended to grow into a public account of our collective achievements as a 75-year-old independent country with a legacy of 5000+ years of ancient history.

Initiatives and Campaigns 2.0- Following campaigns are on the lines of nine critical themes aligned with the ‘Panch Pran’ announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister:

1. Women and Children,
2. Tribal Empowerment,
3. Water, Cultural Pride,
4. Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE),
5. Health and Wellness,
6. Inclusive Development,
7. Aatmanirbhar Bharat and
8. Unity.

Mera Maati Mera Desh- It campaign is envisaged from 9th August 2023 as a culminating event of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

• It is a tribute to the Veers and Veeranganas who have made the supreme sacrifice for the country.
• This campaign comprises many activities and ceremonies conducted across the country at Panchayat/Village, Block, Urban Local Body, State and National levels.

 

• A fundamental aspect of the program is to express heartfelt gratitude to all the bravehearts (Veers and Veeranganas) who have made the supreme sacrifice. Shilaphalakam (a stone memorial) shall be erected locally within Panchayats/Villages as well as urban sites—likely near Amrit Sarovars or  local  schools or other prominent locations.
• At the memorial site, people will take a solemn pledge covering Panch Pran of the Hon'ble Prime Minister, affirming their commitment to the country- Make India developed and self-reliant by 2047, Remove any trace of colonial mindset, celebrate our heritage, strengthen unity and respect those who protect the country, Perform the duties of a citizen.
• Vasudha Vandhan- Panchayats/villages/urban local bodies will replenish Mother Earth by planting 75 saplings of indigenous species and develop the ‘Amrit Vatika.
• Veeron Ka Vandan- Felicitation ceremonies shall be held for honouring the freedom fighters and the families of deceased freedom fighters.
• Rashtragaan- Hoisting of the National Flag and singing of Rashtragaan shall be undertaken at the sites.
• Amrit Kalash Yatra- Youth volunteers and other people from all corners of the country would collect Mitti from Panchayats/Villages, subsequently, Mitti Kalash having the soil from the Panchayats/Villages/urban areas, would be carried to the National Capital.

Har Ghar Tiranga- To encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 76th year of India’s independence.

Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD)- Under the MGMD cultural mapping of 6.5 lakh villages is being carried out and more than 2 Lakh villages have already been mapped and uploaded on the Mission portal that serves as the National Cultural Work Place.

 

INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR HOLISTIC WELL BEING

• Integrating traditional medicine and allopathy in India signifies a transformative step towards holistic well-being.
• This synergistic approach combines the respective strengths of both systems, providing patients with comprehensive care that addresses their physical, mental, and spiritual needs.

Ayushman Bharat- The Ayushman Bharat initiative, launched in 2018, comprising Health and Wellness Centres (ABHWCs) and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), has been instrumental in addressing healthcare challenges and reducing healthcare costs.

• AB-HWCs deliver comprehensive primary healthcare services and wellness activities to the community, while
• PMJAY offers free hospitalization and inpatient services to the poor and vulnerable.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), financial protection is provided to 40% of the eligible population across 33 States and Union Territories; had to travel long distances to
• Over 23 crore Ayushman cards were created, and it has empanelled over 28,368 hospitals to provide a higher level of care.

 

Digital Transformation

• The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was launched to develop and support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.
• The Mission facilitates the nation's participation in the digital health ecosystem through the creation of Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA).
• The ABHA ID intends to establish a unique identity across different healthcare providers, link all healthcare benefits ranging from public health programmes to insurance schemes to the ID, facilitate ease of registration in healthcare facilities across the country.
• e-health initiatives like eSanjeevani services available at over 1.11 lakh AB-HWCs have reduced the gap in care access and brought specialist care closer to home.

 

Pandemic Response and Preparedness

• The nation rapidly expanded its testing capacity to over 3388 labs, 821 governments and 1,487 private RT-PCR labs, 1, 115 cartridge labs, and 53 genome sequencing labs by 2022.
• The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative facilitated competition in the diagnostic market and brought down the cost of diagnostic commodities from Rs 1,727 in 2020 to Rs 72 in 2021.
• Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM) focuses on expediting the capacities of health institutions across all levels of care to strengthen infrastructure, surveillance, diagnosis, management, and research.
• Tapping on the gains, redressing deficiencies, and instituting innovations and best practices for preparedness is the way forward in creating a resilient and self-sufficient India.

 

Human Resources for Health (HRH)

• Since 2014, key strategies undertaken by the Government of India have resulted in increased availability of skilled HRH in the public health system.
• The country currently has over 1.07 lakh undergraduate seats for medical education. There has been a 67% increase in medical colleges, a 93% increase in undergraduate seats, and a 105% increase in postgraduate seats.
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the establishment of 157 new nursing colleges in co-location with the existing medical colleges established since 2014. The step will add approximately 15,700 nursing graduates every year.

 

Immunization and Disease Control

• Universal Immunization Programme has converted immunization into a people's social movement.
• Through Mission lndradhanush, many additional vaccines were delivered through routine immunization services, improving the immunization coverage from 62% (2015-16) to 76.4% (2019-21).
• Additionally, consistent efforts to reduce the burden of communicable diseases have yielded 85.3% reduction in malarial cases between 2014 and 2021, and a decline in Japanese Encephalitis cases from 1661 in 2014 to 787 in 2021.
• Pradhan Mantri TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan reflects the citizen-centric policies of the Prime Minister, aiming to raise awareness about free-TB treatment available at Government health facilities.

 

• India remains committed to eliminating Tuberculosis by 2025.
• In line with the spirit of Jan Bhagidari (people's participation), the Government has introduced Ni-kshay 2.0, a unique platform that enhances patient support and community engagement.
• These reforms also  leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities and establish a pioneering global crowd funding model.

 

Mental Health and Well being

• The National Mental Health Survey of India highlighted a 70-92% treatment gap for various mental health disorders.
• Government introduced
• Tele-MANAS, the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme. With 42 established Tele-MANAS cells, the initiative has already received over 1.5 lakh calls.
• Government-financed health insurance has experienced a substantial rise of 167%. Moreover, there has been a notable decline of 16 per cent points in out-of-pocket spending on health since FY 2013-14.

 

Acknowledging the Benefits of Traditional Medicines

• Recognising the effectiveness of traditional medicine in managing chronic conditions and promoting well-being, the Government has taken steps to integrate these practices into the mainstream healthcare system.
• This has led to the development of standardized protocols, evidence-based guidelines, and safe and effective traditional medicine formulations.
• The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy) is vital in promoting traditional medicine in India.
• It collaborates with allopathic institutions, research organisations, and healthcare professionals to facilitate an integrated approach to healthcare delivery.
• India's G20 Presidency is centered around a deep commitment to the people.
• The spirit of India's G20 Presidency is exemplified in the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future; encapsulated in the ancient Sanskrit ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.

 

INDIAN ECONOMY HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND WAY FORWARD

• The 1990s marked a significant turning point for India's economy. The country faced macroeconomic imbalances during the late 1980s and early 1990s, prompting the government to introduce structural reforms in 1991.
• The government implemented policies to dismantle the license raj, encourage foreign direct investment, and promote privatisation.
• The exchange rate was made flexible, allowing for depreciation as necessary to maintain competitiveness. The rupee became fully convertible on the current account and partially convertible on the capital account.
• The real growth rates increased from an average of 5.5 per cent in the 1980s to 6.3 per cent between FY1993 and FY2000.
• External trade experienced a significant boost, with the total goods and services trade-to

-GDP ratio rising from 17 .2 per cent in 1990 to 30.6 per cent in 2000.

 

• Foreign direct investment was further liberalized in the early 2000s.
• The New Telecom Policy of 1999 catalysed the IT sector boom in India, generating widespread benefits for other sectors as well.
• The policy on disinvestment and privatization gained momentum during this period.
• Structural policies were formulated to address macroeconomic imbalances. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act was passed to address the government's historically high combined gross fiscal deficit.
• While global growth averaged 4.8 per cent in 2003-2008, the Indian economy achieved an average growth rate of over 8 percent.
• Sustained momentum in domestic economic activity, improved corporate performance, a healthy investment climate, and favourable global liquidity conditions and interest rates resulted in substantial capital inflows to India from 2004 to 2008.
• Domestic credit growth, especially bank credit, doubled as a share of GDP.

 

New-age Reforms

• The government's economic policy focus since 2014 has been to restore India's growth potential by easing business conditions and significantly enhancing physical and digital infrastructure.
• Simplification of regulatory frameworks through reforms such as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) has enhanced the ease of doing business and thereby improved investor sentiment.
• RERA has transformed the real estate sector by making it more organised, resulting in increased new launches and sales of houses.
• Tax policy reforms, including the adoption of a unified Goods and Services Tax (GST), reduction in corporate and income tax rates, exemption of sovereign wealth funds and pension funds from taxes, removal of the Dividend Distribution Tax, and the abolishment of the retrospective tax, have reduced the tax burden on individuals and businesses.
• The implementation of GST has broadened the tax base, reduced compliance requirements, facilitated the free flow of goods across state borders, and contributed to the formalisation of the economy.
• The GST system has exhibited improved buoyancy compared to the pre-GST regime, with average monthly gross collections consistently rising from INR 0.9 lakh crore in FY18 to INR 1.5 lakh crore in FY23.
• Large-scale public spending has also been undertaken since 2014 to address the long- standing infrastructure gaps and logistics bottlenecks.
• The effective Capital Expenditure by the Union Government has risen from 2.8 per cent of GDP in 2013-14 to 3.8 per cent in 2022-23.
• Recognizing the need for consistent and long-term efforts to improve infrastructure in a country as vast as India, the government has established the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP). This forward-looking approach to infrastructure investments projects around INR 111 lakh crore of investments spread over five years until 2024-25.
• Currently, more than 9,000 NIP projects, with a total investment of over INR 108 lakh crore, are at various stages of implementation across different sectors.
• Programmes such as 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' have aimed to enhance India's manufacturing capabilities and promote exports across various industries.

 

• Production Linked Incentives (PLIs) have been introduced to attract domestic and foreign investments, fostering the development of global champions in the manufacturing sector.
• The government has further liberalized the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy, with most sectors now open for 100% FDI under the automatic route.
• Decriminalizing minor economic offences under the Companies Act of 2013 has greatly improved the ease of doing business. As a result of this reform, over 1400 default cases have been resolved without resorting to court proceedings, and more than 400,000 companies have voluntarily rectified past defaults to avoid penalties.
• Initiatives such as the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS}, revision in the definition of MSMEs under the ambit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the introduction of TReDS to address the delayed payments for MSMEs, the inclusion of Retail and Wholesale trades as MSMEs, and the extension of non-tax benefits for three years in case of an upward change in the status of MSME, have all contributed to the sector's resilience.
• Integrating technology and digital platforms has been a common theme throughout these reforms.
• Studies have shown that India's core digital economy has grown 2.4 times higher than the overall economic growth between 2014 and 2019.
• Digital infrastructure has facilitated the creation of digital identities, improved access to finance and markets, reduced transaction costs, and enhanced tax collection.

 

Way Forward

Contextually relevant and appropriate economic reforms, considering India's demographic profile and understanding of strategic challenges which will pave the way for bright and steady growth prospects for the country, leading up to 2047.

 

VISION FOR INDUSTRY

• Manufacturing has the highest potential of all sectors to propel job growth, with potential to create 60 million to 70 million jobs by 2030.
• India could aim to boost overall manufacturing productivity fivefold by 2030 (by tripling labor productivity and doubling capital productivity), achieve 70- 80% digital