- At industry level, the highest jump in employment is observed in the textile including apparel sector, where employment has increased by 69,000 during June 2014 over March 2014, followed by 51,000 in IT/BPOs, 47,000 in metals, 7000 each in leather and gems & jewellery and 1000 in the automobiles sector.
- The number of unemployed people (under US) declined from 11.3 million during 2004-05 to 9.8 million in 2009-10 but again increased to 10.8 million in 2011-12.
- However, based on the CDS the number of unemployed person days declined from 34.3 million in 2004-05 to 28.0 million in 2009-10 and further to 24.7 million in 2011-12. Thus there has been a significant reduction in chronic and invisible unemployment from 8.2% in 2004-05 to 5.6% in 2011-12.
- It is noteworthy that India’s total fertility rate (TFR) has been steadily declining and is now at 2.3.
- India is set to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) with respect to maternal and child survival. The MDG for maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is 140 per 100,000 live births, while India had achieved 178 by 2010-12 and is estimated to reach 141 by 2015.
- The under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) MDG is 42, while India has an U5MR of 52 and is expected to reach 42 by 2015. This is particularly creditable as in 1990 India’s MMR and U5MR were 47% and 40% above the international average respectively.
- The Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) launched on 2 October 2014 aims at attaining an open defecation free (ODF) India by 2 October 2019, by providing access to toilet facilities to all rural households and initiating Solid and Liquid Waste Management activities in all gram panchayats to promote cleanliness.
- In order to improve the availability of drinking water in rural areas, 20,000 solar power based water supply schemes have been approved under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) across all the states for their habitations located in far-flung / hilly areas or where availability of electricity is a constraint.
- Mission Indradhanush was launched on 25 December 2014 with the aim of covering all those children who are either unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine-preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B by 2020.
- With the goal of providing holistic health solutions, the erstwhile Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) has been elevated to a full-fledged ministry from 9 November 2014.
