Content :

1. GDP growth at 6.5% in 2024-25, slowest since the pandemic
2. India will have 1 billion Internet users by this fiscal year’
3. Centre asks States to raise enrolment in govt. schools
4. IMA condemns proposal for integrated MBBS-BAMS course, calls it ‘unscientific’
5. Government meets fiscal deficit target of 4.8% for FY25

GDP growth at 6.5% in 2024-25, slowest since the pandemic

Overall Annual Performance (2024–25)

•  GDP growth for FY 2024–25 stood at 6.5%, the slowest since the pandemic-hit FY 2020–21.
•  This marks a moderation from previous years’ post-COVID recovery pace.

Relevance : GS 3(Indian Economy)

Quarterly Growth Analysis

• Q4 (Jan–Mar 2025):
  • Real GDP growth surged to 7.4%, the highest among the four quarters of the year.
  • However, still lower than the 8.4% growth in Q4 of 2023–24.
• Q3 (Oct–Dec 2024):
  • GDP growth was 6.4%, showing a slight dip before the Q4 recovery.
• This reflects quarterly fluctuations, with a year-end push in economic activity, possibly driven by investment or consumption cycles.

Comparative Perspective

• Since FY 2020–21 (pandemic year), GDP growth had been robust due to the low base effect and recovery momentum.
• The 2024–25 slowdown may indicate the fading of post-pandemic recovery momentum or structural constraints.

Government Outlook

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the provisional estimates.
• Despite the moderation, government officials noted that “India held its own”, indicating resilience amid global headwinds.

Possible Implications

• Fiscal policy may need to remain supportive to stimulate demand.
• Private investments and capex cycles could be monitored for sustaining momentum.
• Global factors (e.g. oil prices, geopolitical tensions) could impact future growth.

‘India will have 1 billion Internet users by this fiscal year’

India’s Expanding Internet Base

• Internet users to touch 1 billion by the end of FY 2024–25, up from 974 million currently.
• Growth from 250 million to nearly 1 billion in just over a decade reflects exponential digital penetration.
• India is already the second-largest telecom market globally.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance) ,GS 3(Technology)

Cheapest Data Rates in the World

• Calling cost dropped from 50 paise/min to 0.003 paise/min.
• Data cost reduced from ₹287/GB to ₹9/GB, making internet more accessible to all socioeconomic segments.

Focus on Innovation & Domestic Production

• Theme of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024: “Innovate to Transform” — urging India to lead in product innovation.
• India shifted from importing 80% of mobile phones to exporting ₹1.75 lakh crore worth of devices.
• India aims to contribute 10% of global 6G patents through the Bharat 6G Alliance.

BharatNet: World’s Largest Rural Connectivity Push

Phase I:

• ~2.14 lakh gram panchayats connected.
  • 7 lakh km of optic fibre laid.

Phase II:

• Targeting 2.64 lakh remaining gram panchayats.
  • Investment: $16.9 billion (₹1.39 lakh crore) — largest rural digital infra push globally.

New features in BharatNet II:

• More resilient topology to prevent single-point failures.
  • MPLS routers to replace older systems.
  • 10-year maintenance mandate for implementing agencies.
  • Central network operating centre and independent engineering oversight for monitoring.

Telecom Market Competition

• India has 3 private players + 1 state-owned operator — seen as healthy for the market.
• Vodafone Idea (VIL):
  • Govt converted ₹37,000 crore of dues into equity (49% stake).
  • No plans to raise stake further; VIL expected to manage own finances.

Modernising India Post

• India Post among the largest logistics networks globally.
• Post Office Act, 2023 enables:
  • Diversification into insurance, banking, and digital services.
  • India Post Payments Bank now profitable 3 years ahead of schedule.
  • Plan to introduce Digital Access Codes for every latitude-longitude point in India.

Centre asks States to raise enrolment in govt. schools

Key Concern Raised by the Centre

• Declining enrolment in government schools across multiple States and UTs, despite significant public expenditure.
• Student exodus towards unaided/private schools observed in at least 11 States/UTs, including Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Kerala.

Relevance : GS 2(Education ,Federalism)

State-wise Data Highlights (UDISE+ 2023–24)

Telangana

• Total schools: 42,901
• Govt. schools: 70% (30,022)
• Unaided schools: 28.26% (12,126)
• Govt. school enrolment: 38.11% (27.8 lakh)
• Unaided school enrolment: 60.75% (44.31 lakh)

Uttarakhand

• Total schools: 22,551
• Govt. schools: 71.84% (16,201)
• Unaided schools: 23.29% (5,252)
• Govt. school enrolment: 36.68% (8.7 lakh)
• Unaided school enrolment: 54.39% (12.9 lakh)

Tamil Nadu

• Govt. schools: 64% of total schools
• Govt. school enrolment: 37%
• Unaided schools: 21%
• Unaided school enrolment: 46%

Andhra Pradesh

• Total schools: 61,373
• Govt. schools: 73.32% (45,000)
• Unaided schools: 24.82% (15,232)
• Govt. school enrolment: 46.33% (40.5 lakh)
• Unaided school enrolment: 52.09% (45.53 lakh)

Maharashtra & Kerala

• Reduction in enrolment attributed to data cleansing using Aadhaar verification, not necessarily actual dropout or migration.

Centre’s Directives and Concerns

• States urged to:
  • Conduct root cause analysis behind student preference for unaided schools.
  • Take remedial steps to improve government school enrolment.
• Need to build a strong “government school brand” to regain public trust and optimize infrastructure and resources.

Broader Implications

• Wastage of public resources if facilities are underutilized.
• Quality perception and trust in govt. schooling system are likely eroding.
• Highlights growing inequality in access to quality education, especially for lower-income households.

Underlying Factors (Implied)

• Perception of better quality education and facilities in private schools.
• Teacher absenteeism, poor infrastructure, or curriculum gaps may be driving migration.
• Rising aspirations of middle-class families for English-medium/private education.

IMA condemns proposal for integrated MBBS-BAMS course, calls it ‘unscientific’

Key Issue Raised

• Indian Medical Association (IMA) strongly opposes the Union Government’s plan to integrate MBBS and BAMS courses at JIPMER, Puducherry.
• The move is labeled as “unscientific,” “unfortunate,” and “catastrophic” by IMA.

Relevance : GS 2(Health ,Medicine)

Current Medical Education Structure

• MBBS (Modern Medicine) and BAMS (Ayurveda) are currently two separate 5.5-year programmes.
• Each system is based on distinct epistemologies, diagnostic models, and treatment paradigms.

IMA’s Arguments Against Integration

• Mixing modern medicine with Ayurveda is “unscientific” and leads to confusion.
• Such integration risks creating “hybrid doctors” with incomplete mastery in both systems — described as “qualified quacks”.
• It may undermine the autonomy and purity of both medical streams.
• Leads to an irreversible dilution of scientific rigor and patient care standards.

Patient Rights & Ethical Concerns

• Mixopathy (mixing medical systems) violates patients’ right to choose a healthcare system of their preference.
• Could compromise informed consent, safety, and standardization in treatment protocols.

Reference to Global Precedent: China

• China’s integration of traditional and modern medicine is cited as a failed experiment:
  • Led to the decimation of traditional Chinese medicine.
  • Did not yield the expected healthcare improvements.

India’s Healthcare Achievements via Modern Medicine

• Life expectancy increased from 32 years (1947) to 70.8 years (2025) largely due to vaccines, public health systems, and modern medicine.
• IMA argues this success was not driven by integrative models, but by scientific rigor in modern healthcare.

Scientific and Academic Concerns

• Integration may:
  • Compromise medical education quality.
  • Dilute specialization in both systems.
  • Affect clinical training and evidence-based practice.

IMA’s Appeal

• Urges:
  • Ayurvedic practitioners to defend their own system.
  • The government to refrain from “mixopathy”.
  • All stakeholders to preserve the “pristine purity” of individual medical systems.

Government meets fiscal deficit target of 4.8% for FY25

Fiscal Deficit Achievement

• Fiscal Deficit for FY25: ₹15.77 lakh crore or 4.8% of GDP.
• Target was achieved despite revenue shortfalls.
• Based on provisional GDP estimates and data from Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

Relevance : GS 2(Governance), GS 3(Indian Economy)

Revenue vs Expenditure

• Total Revenue (tax + non-tax + capital receipts): ₹30.78 lakh crore (97.8% of revised estimates).
• Total Expenditure: ₹46.55 lakh crore (also 97.8% of revised estimates).
• Indicates tight fiscal management, avoiding expenditure overruns.

Revenue Shortfalls

• Shortfall in capital receipts:
  • Miscellaneous capital receipts: ₹17,202 crore (only 52.1% of target).
  • Disinvestment proceeds: ₹10,131 crore — much below expectations.
• Tax revenue shortfall:
  • Income tax: ₹11.83 lakh crore (≈6% below revised estimates).
  • Corporate tax: ₹9.87 lakh crore (0.7% above revised estimates).

Disinvestment Slippage

• Government aimed higher disinvestment revenue but achieved less than half the target.
• Reflects continued challenges in privatization and asset monetization.

Next Year’s Fiscal Target

• FY26 fiscal deficit target: 4.4% of GDP, as per Budget 2024-25.
• Indicates a continued fiscal consolidation glide path.
• Suggests government aims to reduce borrowing dependency and maintain macroeconomic stability.

Implications & Challenges

• Meeting deficit target despite revenue shortfall shows discipline, but questions remain on:
  • Sustainability of non-disinvestment-based financing.
  • Pressure on welfare and capital spending in future years.
• Revenue buoyancy will be critical to meet FY26 targets.