Page 238 - SST Class 08

Health and Family Welfare. Despite our over- many people. Janta houses for the low-income
whelming population, India has an excellent group are also a part of this scheme.
healthcare system. Government run hospitals are
available in all cities which provide subsidised
medicare to the people.

Janta House
The above-mentioned factors make it clear that
government intervention is necessary for a
Medical Centre country to develop. If the government does not
Medical centres are available even in remote provide social and economic infrastructure and
areas where subsidised medical treatment and leaves it to the private sector, it would lead to
medicines are provided to the people. Govern- concentration of wealth in the hands of a few
ment sponsored health programs and camps and gross inequalities in every sphere. Only the
create awareness on healthcare. The Pulse Polio government can ensure that economic and social
drive is one such government sponsored development reaches the masses and everyone
programme. Campaigns such as ‘Small Family reaps the benefits of development. These devel-
Happy Family’, Safe Sex, Mother and Child opmental programmes are carried out by the
Care, etc., have met with remarkable success. Planning Commission, National Development
Council and District Development Agencies such
HOUSING
as District Magistrate, District boards and the
Development authorities such as the Delhi
Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Development Austerity, Jaipur Development
Authority, Bangalore Development Authority,
Haryana Urban Development Authority, etc. are
Russia was the only country in the world that was not
the main agencies for the construction and
affected by the Great Depression of 1929 which
maintenance of housing, roads, buildings, etc.
started in USA. This was because of the success of
The launching of these housing schemes under Russia’s five-year plans.
different categories made housing a reality for

Terminology

Infrastructure : the main structure on which nation’s economic and social development is built
Social infrastructure : the measures taken by the government to build a society in which all the citizens are
provided with facilities for education, healthcare, community development, income
distribution, employment, social welfare, etc.
Foreign trade : trading of goods with other countries of the world
Literacy : an ability of a person to read and write

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