Cheat Sheet: Burning Socio-Economic Issues | Indian Economy for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Unemployment

• Youth Unemployment Rate (2024-25): ~16% (PLFS)
• High incidence of educated unemployment, especially among graduates and postgraduates.
• Rise in gig economy, but concerns over social security, job quality.
• Skewed employment: Agriculture still employs ~45% but contributes <18% to GDP.
• Women’s LFPR (Labour Force Participation Rate) still low (~25%).

Government Initiatives:

Poverty and Inequality

• Multidimensional Poverty in India reduced from 25% (2015-16) to 11.3% (2019-21), but income inequality has widened.
• Gini coefficient (income inequality): ~0.35 (2024 est.)
• Urban-rural income gap persists; concentration of wealth among top 1% (Oxfam report 2024).

Malnutrition and Hunger

• Global Hunger Index 2024: India ranks 111/125 – "serious" category.
• Child stunting (NFHS-5): 35.5%; wasting: 19.3%
• Low per capita consumption of protein, fruits, and dairy.

Key Schemes:

• POSHAN 2.0
• Mid-Day Meal (PM Poshan)
• National Food Security Act (NFSA) – covers ~75% rural, ~50% urban population.

Health Infrastructure & Access

• Health spending: ~2.1% of GDP (below global average).
• Out-of-pocket expenditure: ~47% of total health expenditure.
• Doctor-population ratio: 1:854 (WHO norm: 1:1000).
• Post-COVID focus on primary health and digital health (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission).

Education and Skill Gap

• Dropout rates still high in secondary level; digital divide worsens learning outcomes.
• ASER 2023: Learning losses persist in reading/math post-pandemic.
• NEP 2020 implementation ongoing: Focus on early childhood care, vocational training.

Gender Disparities

• Female Labour Force Participation Rate (2024): ~25%
• Gender gap in pay, access to leadership, and land ownership continues.
• Rise in crimes against women and low conviction rates.
• Digital Gender Divide: Only ~30% women in rural areas use smartphones regularly.

Important Scheme: Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao | Mission Shakti | Saksham Anganwadi

Urbanisation & Slum Development

• Urban population (2025): ~37% of total.
• Infrastructure under strain: housing shortage, waste management, pollution.
• Smart Cities Mission progress mixed; many projects delayed due to funding and governance issues.

Migration & Informal Sector

• Informal sector: >80% of India’s workforce.
• Lack of social security, income vulnerability.
• Post-COVID migration led to renewed push for One Nation One Ration Card, e-Shram portal.

Environmental Inequity

• Disproportionate impact of pollution, climate change on the poor.
• Urban poor in slums most affected by heatwaves, water scarcity.
• Crop losses and rural indebtedness linked with climate variability.

Digital Divide

• While digital penetration has increased (~65% Internet users), gaps remain in rural India.
• Challenges: language, affordability, gender, digital literacy.
• Important for access to education, health, financial services.

Caste, Class, and Social Discrimination

• Caste-based discrimination still prevalent in rural areas, manual scavenging persists.
• Economic marginalization of Dalits and Adivasis.
• EWS Reservation (10%) upheld by Supreme Court in 2022—ongoing debates.

Aging Population

• By 2036, ~15% of India's population will be >60 years old.
• Lack of social security and elderly care infrastructure.
• Rise in old-age poverty and abandonment.

Drug Abuse and Mental Health

• Rise in mental health issues post-pandemic (especially among youth and women).
• National Mental Health Programme underfunded.
• Drug abuse in Punjab, NE, metro cities—linked with crime and unemployment.

Rural-Urban Divide

Recent Initiatives & Reports (2024–2025)

• Economic Survey 2024-25: Emphasized human capital investment and reducing inequality.
• NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2024: Identified inter-state disparities in health, education, gender.
• Global Gender Gap Report 2024: India ranked 127/146; major gap in political and economic participation.