Write a note on the health of the population in India.

(a) Achievements: Health is wealth. It affects the process of development of a country. India has achieved significant improvements in the health conditions as mentioned below:
(i) Death rate has declined tram 25 per 1000 population in 1951 to 6.1 per 1000 in 2001.
(ii) Life expectancy at birth has increased from 36.7 years in 1951 in 6-4 6 years in 2001.
(b) Factors responsible for the achievements: These achievements are results of the following factors:
(i) Improvement in public health.
(ii) Prevention of infectious diseases.
(iii) Modern medj.cal techniques/practices in diagnosis and treatment of ailments.
(c) There is still a lot to be done in this sphere because of the following problems:
(i) Per capita calorie consumption is much below the recommended levels.
(ii) Malnutrition still afflicts a large percentage of population.
(iii) Shortage of safe drinking water and basic sanitation amenities.
These problems need to be tackled through an appropriate population policy.