Infrastructure Class 12 Important Questions and Answers Indian Economy Chapter 8

Important Questions of Infrastructure Class 12 Indian Economy Chapter 8

Question 1.
What are the infrastructural needs of a developing economy?
Answer:
For a developing economy, social infrastructure like education, health, housing and sanitation, and economic infrastructure related to banking and finance are important.

Question 2.
State the components of economic infrastructure which affect access to healthcare.
Answer:
Infrastructure related to transport and communication affect access to healthcare.

Question 3.
What is the meaning of the word morbidity?
Answer:
Morbidity means the tendency to fall ill.

Question 4.
State any two components of social infrastructure.
Answer:
Two components of social infrastructure are health and education.

Question 5.
What does an infrastructure provides?
Answer:
Infrastructure provides supporting services for agricultural and industrial production and for domestic and foreign trade and commerce.

Question 6.
State any one importance of infrastructure.
Answer:
It helps in increasing the productivity of factors of production.

Question 7.
Enumerate the changes that are observed in the composition of infrastructure requirements as the economy develops.
Answer:
In any country, as the income rises, the composition of infrastructure requirements changes significantly. For low income countries, basic infrastructure services like irrigation, transport and power are most important. As economies develop, most of their basic consumption demands are met. The share of agriculture in the economy shrink and more service-related infrastructure is required. That is why, the share of power, hotel and banking, telecommunication etc is greater in high income countries.

Question 8.
Explain how economic growth can become a dynamic process and a self-propelling activity of change?
Answer:
Availability of proper means of transport and communication, ample sources of energy and a developed system of banking and finance generate an environment of inter-industrial linkages.
In this situation, expansion of one industry facilitates the expansion of the other. Accordingly, growth becomes a dynamic process and a self-propelling activity of change.

Question 9.
Explain the term ‘infrastructure’, (NCERT)
Answer:
Infrastructure refers to the supporting services in the main areas of industrial and agricultural production, domestic and foreign trade and commerce. These services include roads, railways, ports, airports, dams, power stations, oil and gas pipelines, telecommunication, schools and colleges, hospitals, sanitary system and also the monetary system including banks, insurance and other financial institutions. Infrastructure provides support system to economic and social development.

Question 10.
Explain how infrastructure impacts productivity and induces investment?
Answer:
Impact on productivity Infrastructure plays a major role in the raising the productivity of primary, secondary and tertiary sector. Productivity of primary sector has increased due to the provision of better irrigation facilities. Productivity of secondary sector has increased because of development in energy sector and tertiary sector has benefitted by changes in transportation and communication sector. Induces investment A well-developed infrastructure attracts foreign investors. Thus, infrastructure induces investment and increases profitability.

Question 11.
Differentiate between social and economic infrastructure.
Answer:
Difference between social and economic infrastructure

Social Infrastructure	Economic Infrastructure
It helps the economic system from outside, (i.e. indirectly)	It helps the economic system from inside, (i.e. directly)
It improves the quality of human resources.	It improves the quality of economic resources.
Expenditure on it will raise the stock of human capital over time.	Expenditure on it will raise the stock of physical capital over time.
For example, health, education and housing.	For example, energy, transport and communication.

Question 12.
What is the state of rural infrastructure in India? (NCERT)
Answer:
State of infrastructure in rural India can be understood from the following points

Inspite of the technological progress, women of rural India are still using bio-fuels to meet their daily energy requirements. About 90% of the rural households use bio-fuels for cooking.
The Census 2001 shows that in rural India, only 56% households have an electricity connection and 43% still use kerosene.
Tap water availability is limited to only 24% rural households. About 76% of the population drinks water from open resources such as wells, ponds etc. Women go long distances to fetch water for their basic needs.
Access to improved sanitation in rural areas was only 20%.

Question 13.
Explain the two categories into which infrastructure is divided. How are both interdependent? (NCERT)
Answer:
Infrastructure is broadly categorised into:
(i) Social infrastructure: It refers to the core elements of society which serve as a foundation for the process of social development of a country. It contributes to economic processes indirectly and from outside the system of production and distribution, e.g. Educational institutions, hospitals, sanitary conditions, housing facilities etc. Social infrastructure promotes social well-being.

(ii) Economic infrastructure: It refers to all such elements of economic change which serve as a foundation for the process of economic growth. They help in the process of production directly, e.g. Transportation, communication, energy/ power etc. Quality of economic infrastructure can be improved by improving social infrastructure. Thus, these infrastructures support each other. Hence, they both are interdependent.

Question 14.
How do infrastructure facilities boost production? (NCERT)
Answer:
Infrastructural facilities increase production of a country both by increasing the productivity of the factors of production and improving the quality of life of its people.
Infrastructure plays a major role in raising the productivity in all the three sectors, viz. primary, secondary and the ternary sector.

Productivity in primary sector is increased because irrigation facilities have reduced the dependence on monsoons.
Productivity in the secondary sector has increased due to the improvements made in the energy sector.
Productivity in the tertiary sector has increased due to the improvements made in the means of transportation and communication.

Also, social infrastructure increases the quality of life of workers, thereby increasing their efficiency. Healthcare centres, educational institutions and other such facilities develop the skills of the workers, which increases their ability and efficiency to work. Thus, we can conclude that infrastructure boosts production.

Question 15.
Infrastructure contributes to the economic development of a country. Do you agree? Explain. (NCERT)
Answer:
Infrastructure and economic development go hand-in-hand. Infrastructure contributes to the economic development of a country in the following ways

Impact on productivity Infrastructure plays a major role in the raising productivity of all the three sectors, viz. primary, secondary and the tertiary sector.
Induces investment Infrastmcture induces investment. A well developed infrastmcture attracts foreign investors which opens new investment avenues and gives birth to profitable ventures.
Generates linkages in production Getter means of transport and communication and a robust system of banking and finance generates better inter-industrial linkages. It is a situation when expansion of one industry facilitates the expansion of the other.
Enhances size of the market Infrastructure enhances the size of the market by providing better transportation and warehousing facilities. These facilities enable large scale production of goods and services which further help a business to capture more markets.
Enhances ability to work Social infrastructure improves the quality of life of workers, thereby increasing their efficiency. Healthcare centres, educational institutions and other such facilities develop the skills of the workers, which increases their ability and efficiency to work.
Facilitates outsourcing India is emerging to be a global destination for all kinds of outsourcing. For example, call centres, study centres, medical transcription and such other services, owing largely to its sound system of social and economic infrastructure.

Question 16.
Investors are reluctant to invest in tidal energy projects. Why?
Answer:
Tidal energy has high capital cost i.e., installation cost. As a result, a tidal power sheme may not produce returns for years. Thus, investors are reluctant to invest in much projects.

Question 17.
Why are State Electricity Boards (SEBs) suffering losses?
Answer:
SEBs suffer losses due to transmission and distribution, theft of electricity, wrong pricing of electricity and other inefficiencies. The distribution of free electricity to farmers is another reason for their losses.

Question 18.
Enumerate the various non-commercial sources of energy.
Answer:
The sources of energy that are usually available free of cost from nature, are referred to as non-commercial sources of energy. For example, firewood, agricultural waste and dried dung.

Question 19.
State the types of conventional sources of energy.
Answer:
There are two types of conventional sources of energy These are as follows

Commeitial Sources
Non-commercial Sources

Question 20.
Which sector is the largest consumer of commercial energy?
Answer:
The industrial sector is the largest consumer of commercial energy.

Question 21.
Which is the most important source of electricity generation in India?
Answer:
Thermal sources are the most important for electricity generation in India.

Question 22.
Explain the importance of natural gas as a new resource?
Answer:
Natural gas is a commercial source of energy. Liquified gas is used as cooking gas. It is also used in thermal plants as fuel. Natural gas is likely to play a major role in bridging the gap between demand and supply of liquid hydrocarbon in future. At present, it is being used as a feed stock for core sector industries like fertilisers.

Question 23.
Describe three sources of energy which are mostly used in India for commercial purposes in factories.
Answer:
The three sources of energy mostly used in India for commercial purposes in factories are

Electricity: It is the most useful and convenient source of energy in India. There are three main sources of electricity i.e., thermal, hydro and atomic power.
Petroleum: It is one of the important source of energy in India. India produces about 3 lakh tonnes of petrol against the demand of 34 lakh tonnes. The country imports 31 lakh tonnes.
Coal: It is primary source of energy and accounts for 54% of total energy consumption.

Question 24.
Explain the importance of grid for transmission of electricity.
Answer:
Primary sources for electricity power are unevenly distributed and the generation plants are also unevenly located. Thus, bulky transmission of electric power over long distances becomes necessary. We require grid to synchronise power generation with transmission and distribution of electricity. Grid facilitates economising and increasing reliability. Grid avoids overloading of transmission lines, frequent breakdowns and loss of surplus power.

Question 25.
Can non-conventional energy be developed in future?
Answer:
In the recent past, the Government of India has accorded high priority to the development of non-conventional energy sources which include biogas, solar energy, wind energy, geo-thermal energy, etc. Efforts are being made to develop technology to use non-conventional energy.
There are about 210 sites where wind can be used for generating electricity. Solar energy is also being used through the use of solar cooker. Tidal energy can also be used to generate electricity.

Question 26.
What are the three basic sources of generating power? (NCERT)
Answer:
The three basic sources of generating power are

Thermal power like coal.
Hydel (Hydro) and wind power.
Nuclear power or atomic energy.

Question 27.
What do you mean by transmission and distribution losses? How can they be reduced? (NCERT)
Answer:
Transmission and distribution losses refer to the losses that occur in transmission of electricity between the sources of supply and points of distribution. These losses occur due to the inherent resistance and transformation inefficiencies in the electrical conductors (conducting wires, etc) and distribution transformers respectively. In most of the states of our country, it is more than 20%. These losses can be reduced by using high quality wires of appropriate resistance and proper positioning of transformers.

Question 28.
How are the rates of consumption of energy and economic growth connected? (NCERT)
Answer:
Rate of consumption of energy is directly related to the rate of economic growth as studies have revealed that in order to have 8% GDP growth rate per annum, power supply needs to grow at around 12% annually. This reveals that the demand for power is higher than the GDP growth rate.

Question 29.
What do you understand by primary and secondary sources of energy?
Answer:
Primary sources They are the sources which do not require any transformation before their use. They are directly used e.g. coal, lignite, petroleum, gas, etc. Secondary sources The sources which involve transformation process before final use are referred to secondary sources e.g. transforming inputs of coal energy into electricity.

Question 30.
Why is nuclear power considered to be the best option?
Answer:
Nuclear power is best option for generating electric power. This can be stated from the following points

Nuclear energy plants produce electricity through the fission of uranium and not through burning of fuels. Consequently, nuclear power plants do not pollute the air with nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, dust or greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
Although, the radioactive wastes produced by . nuclear energy may be dangerous for thousands of years, part of the waste caused by the burning of coal remains dangerous forever.

Question 31.
Why is it important to save electricity?
Answer:
It is important to save electricity because of the reasons enumerated below

Saving electricity helps to save money.
Saving electricity is important for environment conservation.
A large percentage of electricity is generated by using non-renewable sources of energy. If we continue to waste it, without employing proper conservation methods, then we will exhaust these sources in near future.
Reducing electrical usage will result in less carbon dioxide being released in the atmosphere.

Question 32.
India is dependent upon other countries for petroleum products. What are the drawbacks of this trend?
Answer:
Rising imports of crude and petroleum products has led to a severe problem in balance of payments. On the other hand, the costs and prices of a wide range of goods have increased due to global inflation in oil. Inspite of stringent monetary and fiscal controls, the wholesale price index in India has been continuously rising. With such high reliance on imported energy products, a significant proportion of the export earnings, which otherwise could be channelled into productive domestic investments, is used to meet expenditure on these imported products. Therefore, India’s dependence on foreign countries for crude and petroleum products is a negative feature of our energy sector.

Question 33.
State the three services needed in supply of electricity. Should they be in different hands?
Answer:
Following are three services needed in supply of electricity

Generation of electricity
Transmission of electricity
Distribution of electricity

All these services should be in different hands. Transmission of electricity should be in the hands of the government. The government and private sector may operate in the areas of generation of electricity and distribution of electricity. It would bring more and more financial resources in power sector as well as promote competition.

Question 34.
Explain briefly the various commercial sources of energy.
Answer:
The important commercial sources of energy are discussed below:
(i) Coal: It is the most important source of commercial energy. Around 54% of the commercial energy consumed 55% and of total energy consumed has its origin in coal. The important consumers of coal in India are thermal power stations, steel plants, brick-kilns, railways, cement factory, etc, and Coal India Ltd and Singrani Coal Company are the two main producers of coal in India.

The quality of Indian coal is not good, therefor India also has to import coal from other countries. Also, given the present rate of consumption, it is feared that India will use up its coal reserves in 125 years. Also, it should be remembered that the consumption of coal for commercial purposes has risen while that for non-commercial purposes has fallen.

(ii) Petroleum: It is also an important source of energy in India. India has to import petrol because its reserves are not enough to meet its ever increasing demand. About 30 % of India’s imports account for petroleum and petroleum products.

(iii) Natural Gas: It is another important source of conventional energy. It is used as cooking gas in households (LPG) and as a raw material in fertilisers and petroleum products. Now-a-days, it is also used as a fuel (CNG) in cars and three-wheelers.

(iv) Electricity: This is the most important source of commercial energy.

Question 35.
Discuss in brief the various non-conventional sources of energy.
Answer:
The various non-conventional sources of energy are explained below
(i) Solar energy It is generated by using solar power (power of sun). It is used in the following two ways

Solar thermal programme in which solar energy is used directly for heating water, cooking food, etc.
Solar photovoltaic programme in which photovoltaic cells convert solar energy into electricity.

(ii) Wind energy It is generated by using wind power. A large wind turbine usually consisting of propellers is connected to a generator to generate electricity. India is the fifth largest producer of wind energy.

(iii) Tidal energy It is produced through the use of tidal energy generators. These large under water turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements in order to produce electricity. With its vast coastline, India has tremendous scope to produce this form of energy.

(iv) Atomic energy Atomic energy is generated by conducting fission reactions in a controlled environment. These reactions emit a lot of heat which drives turbine generators to produce electricity. Nuclear or atomic energy in India is generated in 21 nuclear reactors in operation in 7 nuclear power plants. The first nuclear energy centre was established in Tarapur in 1969.

(v) Bio-energy This energy is generated by using cow-dung, agricultural wastes and other biological materials. There are two forms of bio-energy which are given below

Biogas Biogas plants are set up and are fed with cow-dung and other organic waste. The fermentation process generates gas which is used for cooking, lighting etc.
Biomass Solid fuel is produced by converting agricultural wastes to pillets and briqullets.

Question 36.
Distinguish between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.
Answer:
Differences between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy:

Conventional Sources of Energy	Non-conventional Sources of Energy
These are the traditional sources of energy which are generally bought and sold in the market.	These are modern sources of energy.
In India, conventional sources are being used in total disregard to the environment i.e., these sources create pollution.	These are being developed as sources of commercial energy with a view to check environmental pollution.
Consumers have to pay a price for energy generated through these sources.	Consumers do not have to pay a price for energy generated through these sources.
These sources of energy are exhaustible.	These sources of energy are renewable.
These sources are used by business.	These sources are generally used by households.
Coal, petroleum and electricity are examples of commercial sources of energy.	Firewood and cow-dung are examples of non-commercial sources of energy.

Question 37.
What is the significance of energy? Differentiate between commercial and non-commercial sources, NCERT
Answer:
Energy is essential for all the three sectors, viz. primary, secondary and tertiary sector. It is a critical aspect of the development process of nation. It is also required in houses for cooking, household lighting, heating, etc.
The differences between commercial and non- commercial sources of energy are:

Commercial Sources of Energy	Non-commercial Sources of Energy
Consumers have to pay a price for energy generated through these sources.	Consumers do not have to pay a price for energy generated through these sources.
These sources of energy are exhaustible.	These sources of energy are renewable.
These sources are used by business.	These sources are generally used by households.
Coal, petroleum and electricity are examples of commercial sources of energy.	Firewood and cow-dung are examples of non-commercial sources of energy.

Question 38.
Justify that energy crisis can be overcome with the use of renewable sources of energy. (NCERT)
Answer:
The energy crisis in India is the result of excessive use of non-renewable sources of energy for present consumption which has created a threat for sustainable development of the country. The conventional sources of energy, especially the commercial sources are generally exhaustible (except hydro-power).

There are three sources of energy which are commonly termed as non-conventional sources i.e., solar energy, wind energy and tidal power, which can be used to solve the problem of energy crisis. India, being a tropical country, has almost unlimited potential for producing all three types of energy.

Some appropriate cost effective technologies are already available which can be used to produce energy from these sources. Research should be carried out for developing even cheaper technologies which would make the production from renewable sources of energy feasible and more beneficial. This will solve the problem of exhausting all sources of energy and will preserve resources for future generations to come.

Question 39.
What problems are being faced by the power sector in India? (NCERT)
Answer:
Some of the problems being faced by India’s power sector are:

At present, India is able to add only 20000 MW a year. India’s installed capacity to generate electricity is not sufficient to feed an annual economic growth of 7-8% and even this capacity remains under-utilised due to inefficient operation of plants.
State Electricity Boards (SEBs), which distribute electricity, incur losses exceeding 500 billion, due to transmission and distribution losses, wrong pricing of electricity and other inefficiencies.
Electricity is stolen in different areas and tariffs are not paid which also adds to the losses of SEBs.
Private sector power generators and foreign investors are not yet ready to enter the power generation sector in a major way, which has placed the responsibility largely on public sector which is under financial pressure.
There is general public unrest due to-high power tariffs and prolonged power cuts in different parts of the country.
Thermal power plants which have the greatest share in India’s power sector, are facing shortage of raw material and coal supplies.

Question 40.
Discuss the reforms which have been initiated recently to meet the energy crisis in India. (NCERT)
Answer:
The following reforms have been initiated by the government to meet the energy crisis:

Privatisation in power generation Power generation sector has been opened up for private sector, and the government monopoly in the generation and distribution of electricity has been eliminated to gain competitive efficiency.
Privatisation in power transmission and distribution The Indian Government has approved private companies like Tata Power and Reliance Energy alongwith Power Grid Corporation of India for constructing transmission networks and to look after distribution of power supply in certain states.
Regulatory mechanism The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) alongwith State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) has been established in 19 states under the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, 1998 to regulate tariff and to promote efficiency and competition.
Rationalisation of tariff Tariff rates have been revised upwards to discourage wasteful consumption of power and bring down the losses of SEBs.
Accelarated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP) It was initiated in the year 2000-01 with the objectives of improving financial viability, reducing transmission and distribution losses and promoting transparency through computerisation.
Creating awareness Government is trying to create awareness among public towards conservation of energy. Various programmes like National Energy Efficiency Programme (NEEP) that aimed at conservation of petroleum products, have been initiated. Use of non-conventional sources of energy like solar energy is being popularised

Question 41.
Name two NGOs which are working in the area of healthcare.
Answer:
SEWA in Ahmedabad and ACCORD in Nilgiris are the NGOs working in the area of healthcare.

Question 42.
Child sex ratio in India improved since 1991. Why?
Answer:
The improvement in child sex ratio in India is due to the measures taken by the government to ban sex-determination tests and female foeticide.

Question 43.
Name the states which are lagging behind in healthcare system.
Answer:
States which are lagging behind in healthcare are Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Question 44.
Health is an important component of social infrastructure. What does health infrastructure include?
Answer:
Health infrastructure includes hospitals, doctors, nurses and other para-medical professionals, beds, equipment required in hospitals and a well developed pharmaceutical industry.

Question 45.
What is a ‘global burden of disease’? (NCERT)
Answer:
Global Burden of Disease (GBD) is an indicator used by experts to know the number of people dying prematurely due to a particular disease, as well as the number of years spent by them in a state of ‘disability’ owing to the disease.

Question 46.
Who is an Auxiliary Nursing Midwife?
Answer:
An Auxiliary Nursing Midwife is the first person who provides primary healthcare in primary health centres, community health centres and sub centres.

Question 47.
State the components of AYUSH.
Answer:
Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Naturopathy and Homeopathy.

Question 48.
Explain the reasons of Medical Tourism in India.
Answer:
Medical tourists come to India to avail our health services which combine latest medical technologies with qualified professionals and are cheaper for foreigners as compared to costs of similar healthcare services in their own countries. They come for surgeries, liver transplants, dental and even cosrrtetic care. In the year 2004-05, as many as 1,50,000 foreigners visited India for medical treatment.

Question 49.
Explain how medical costs push down 2.2% of the population below the poverty line each year?
Answer:
Public health facilities are highly inadequate in our country. These facilities are also lacking in quality. So even poor and middle class people do not prefer to use these facilities. So, in case of a medical emergency, they are forced to avail expensive services of private hospitals and health centres. These expenses prove to be a heavy burden on these families and they are forced to sell whatever valuables they have, to fund the treatment. This pushes the families below poverty line.

Question 50.
Discuss how regional inequalities exists in health infrastructure in India.
Answer:
The development of health infrastructure has shown gender, income and regional biasness in India. Rural areas do not have access to or cannot afford medical care. Even though majority of population lives in rural areas, only one-fifth of India’s hospitals are located in rural areas with only half the number of dispensaries. Out of 6.3 lakh beds, roughly 30% of them are available in rural areas. The PHCs in rural areas do not offer basic medical care like A-ray or blood testing devices.

In rural areas, the percentage of people who have no access to proper aid has risen from 15 in 1986 to 24 in 2003. States like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are relatively lagging behind in health care facilities.

Question 51.
State the components of Primary Healthcare in India.
Answer:
Primary Healthcare: Primary healthcare system in India includes

Education concerning prevailing health problems and methods of identifying, preventing and controlling them.
Promotion of food supply and proper nutrition and adequate supply of water and basic sanitation.
Maternal and child healthcare.
Immunisation against major infectious diseases and injuries.
Promotion of health and provision of essential drugs.

Question 52.
What are the main characteristics of health of the people of our country? (NCERT)
Answer:
A country’s health sector contributes towards improving the well being of citizens and can be assessed with the help of the following key indicators:
(i) Expectancy of life: It means the number of years a normal person is expected to live at birth. A high expectancy means that health sector is quite advanced in the country. In India, expectancy of life has risen considerably from 50 years in 1951 to 68.5 years presently. Also, life expectancy for males is 67.3 years and for females it is 69.8 years. This indicates that healthcare facilities have developed in our country. However, we have to still achieve the global average of 71 years.

(ii) Death rate: It is the number of deaths per thousand persons. A low death rate is good indicator of improvement in health services. Death rate in India has improved significantly from 27.4 per thousand in 1951 to 7.6 per thousand in 2015.

(iii) Infant mortality rate: It gives the number of deaths of infants below the age of one year as a percentage of number of live births per thousand. A low infant mortality rate signifies better healthcare for the mother and the child. In India, infant mortality rate has fallen significantly from 146 to 40 per thousand.

(iv) Incidence of deadly diseases: If the spread of deadly diseases such as TB (tuberculosis), cancer is conuoiled then also it signifies a developed health sector. While the spread of TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria is declining globally, India is still seeing a disturbingly high number of deaths related to these diseases. In 2013, 5.5 lakh people died of TB, 1.2 lakh Indians died of malaria and 78,600 Indians died of HIV/AIDS. 11 deaths per lakh population in India are still reported from a deadly disease, while in our neighbouring countries, it is one or two deaths per lakh population.

(v) Nutrition levels: If the population of the country has access to nutritious and healthy food, then it is also a good indication of the health of the country.

This is an area of concern for India. The World Bank estimates that India is one of the highest ranking countries in the world for the number of children suffering from malnutrition. The 2015 Global Hunger Index (CHI) Report ranked India 20th amongst leading countries with a serious hunger situation. In India, 44% of children under the age of 5 years are underweight. 72% infants and 52% married women have anaemia. All this indicate towards an unhealthy nation.

Question 53.
Discuss the main drawbacks of our healthcare system. (NCERT)
Answer:
The main drawbacks of our healthcare system are as follows

Expenditure on health sector is 4.2% of total expenditure from budgets of all states. This is low as compared to other countries, both developed and developing.
Healthcare system in India is not well equipped to fight against AIDS.
At present, less than 20% of the population utilises public health facilities.
According to a study, only 38% of the PHCs have the required number of doctors and only 30% of the PHCs have sufficient stock of medicines.
The PHCs located in rural areas do not offer even X-ray or blood testing facilities.
Villagers have no access to any specialised medical care like paediatrics, gynaecology, anaesthesia and obstetrics.

Question 54.
How has women’s health become a matter of concern? (NCERT)
Answer:
Women constitute about half the total population in India. They suffer from many disadvantages as compared to men in the areas of education, participation in economic activities and healthcare.

There is growing incidence of female foeticide in the country which is the cause of deterioration of child sex ratio from 927 in 2001 to 914 in 2011. Close to 3,00,000 girls under the age of 15 are not only married but have already borne child, at least once.

More than 50% of married women between the age group of 15 and 49 years suffer from anaemia caused by iron deficiency. It has contributed to 19% of maternal deaths. Abortions are major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in India. All these statistics present a grim picture of women health in India and are a cause of concern.

Because of poor health, women in rural areas specially, are not able to work and supplement their low family income. Women’s health also becomes important because only a healthy mother can give birth to a healthy child, which will also reduce the risk of maternal deaths.

Question 55.
Describe the meaning of public health. Discuss the major public health measures undertaken by the state in recent years to control diseases. (NCERT)
Answer:
The science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a community, as by preventive medicine, health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures and monitoring of environmental hazards, is called public health. In the recent years, government has built up a vast health infrastructure equipped with trained manpower at different levels.

The following measures have been initiated by the state in recent years to promote public health:

Establishing healthcare institutions
Expanding the health facilities
Expanding the facilities for medical education.
Promoting preventing medicine.

All these measures have helped to control diseases like small pox, malaria, TB etc.

Question 56.
Differentiate the six systems of Indian medicine. (NCERT)
Answer:
The six systems of Indian medicine can be differentiated from the points below:
(i) Ayurveda: Atharvaveda, the last of the four great bodies of knowledge known as Vedas, contains 114 hymns related to formulations for the treatment of different diseases. The Ayurvedic practitioners recommend diet and lifestyle changes alongwith drug therapy. The methods of Ayurveda such as applying herbs and massage can simultaneously be used alongwith other systems.

(ii) Yoga: It is being practised in India from thousands of years. It has references in Upanishads and Puranas composed by Aryans in the Vedic period. The main credit for systematising Yoga goes to Patanjali who wrote ‘Yoga Sutra’ which is the most important and basic text on Yoga. Yoga is defined as an art of righteous living or an integrated system for the benefit of the body, mind and inner spirit.

(iii) Unani: This also means ‘Greek medicine’, and is a form of traditional medicine widely practised in South Asia. Unani medicine is based on the concept of the four humours, Phlegm, Blood, Yellow bile and Black bile. Unani medicine first arrived in India with establishment of Delhi Sultanate (1206-1527 CE) and muslim rule over North India and subsequently flourished under Mughal empire.

(iv) Siddha: It comes from the word siddhi which means an object to attain perfection or heaven. Siddhi is attained through meditation which cures mental illness and promotes mental, emotional and physical well-being.

(v) Naturopathy: It heals with the power of nature as it assumes that all healing powers are within our body. It uses the inbuilt immune system of the human body for curing. Naturopathy regards that we fall ill only when we go against nature. An ailing body can purify and recover itself with thorough rest and fasting or having natural diet which helps in healing.

(vi) Homeopathy: It consists of two words ‘homeo1 meaning similar and ‘pathos’ meaning suffering. In this system, a drug and a disease that produces similar symptoms are believed to be having a neutralising effect on each other. Thus, the homeopathic treatment is based on symptoms the body is showing and medication is given accordingly. It is popular among the people due to its remarkable healing capacity. Also, its remedies are free from side effects.

Question 57.
How can we increase the effectiveness of healthcare programmes? (NCERT)
Answer:
We can increase the effectiveness of healthcare programmes in the following manner:

The wide gap between rural and urban areas, poor and rich in utilising healthcare facilities must be addressed through more investment in health facilities in rural and backward areas by the government as private investment is not forthcoming in these areas.
Women’s health across the country should be taken into greater focus as a healthy mother gives birth to a healthy offspring and health status of population can be improved.
Regulated private sector health services, NGOs and community participation can improve the effectiveness of healthcare facilities and play an important role in spreading health awareness.
Indian system of medicine including Ayurveda and Naturopathy should be explored and used to support public health as they are based on natural healing and are of preventive nature.