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Social Infrastructure, Employment and Human Development 361

CONCLUSION

10.48 Investment in social infrastructure played a crucial role in India’s economic growth. The
government is committed to invest in social sector viz education, healthcare, skill development,
providing employment opportunity, housing, sanitation etc in order to bring overall improvement
in socio-economic indicators and achieving SDGs. Inspite of COVID-19 pandemic, public
spending on social sector has increased in 2020-21 and efforts continued through Aatma Nirbhar
Bharat Rojgar Yojana, higher allocation under MGNREGS, Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan and
path-breaking labour reforms etc. India’s progress towards vibrant economy is deep-seated in
investing in social capital.

CHAPTER AT A GLANCE

¾ The combined (Centre and States) social sector expenditure as per cent of GDP has
increased in 2020-21 compared to last year. The increase also manifested as a proportion
of the budgetary expenditure.

¾ India’s rank in HDI 2019 was recorded 131 compared to 129 in 2018, out of a total 189
countries. By looking at the sub-component wise performance of HDI indicators, India's
"GNI per capita (2017 PPP $)" has increased from US$ 6,427 in 2018 to US$ 6,681 in
2019, and "life expectancy at birth" has improved from 69.4 to 69.7 year, respectively,
mean and expected years of schooling remained unchanged.

¾ Online schooling took off in a big way during the COVID-19 pandemic. The access
to data network, electronic devices such as computer, laptop, smart phone etc. gained
in importance due to online learning and remote working. Innovative measures were
adopted to bring all strata of the society under the medium of online/digital schooling.

¾ Formal skill training showed an improvement over the annual cycle of PLFS across all
socio-economic classification including rural, urban and gender classification.

¾ Year 2018-19 was witnessed as a good year for employment generation. About 1.64
crore additional employment created during this period consisting of about 1.22 crore in
rural area and 0.42 crore in urban area. Female LFPR increased to 18.6 per cent in 2018-
19 from 17.6 per cent in 2017-18.

¾ The quarterly survey of PLFS for the urban sector saw a major proportion of workforce
engaged as regular wage/salaried during the period of January 2019-March 2020.

¾ Government has given incentive to boost employment under the scheme Atmanirbhar
Bharat Rojgar Yojana. Existing Central labour laws have been rationalized and simplified
into four Labour Codes viz. (i) the Code on Wages, 2019, (ii) the Industrial Relations
Code, 2020, (iii) the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
and (iv) the Code on Social Security, 2020 to bring these laws in tune with the changing
labour market trends.