Amartya Sen: Like UPA, Modi govt ignoring healthcare

Amartya Sen: Like UPA, Modi govt ignoring healthcare

 Nobel laureate Amartya Sen argued for more government spending in healthcare amid media speculation that health allocation may be slashed by 6% in the coming Union Budget.

He held that an educated and healthy manpower is  needed to make Narendra Modi government's “Make in India“ initiative a reality. “Education and primary healthcare have been matters of great neglect in India. We need more inclusive health policies that focus particularly on primary healthcare,“ the Nobel laureate said. Sen had come to preside over the Infosys Prize 2014 in Kolkata.
Sen said: “It (Make in India initiative) is not a bad thing.Look at the commodity pattern. India exports three types of commodities--IT, pharmaceutical products and auto parts. Why is it that the Chinese can make anything in China in enormous variety? Because, an educated healthy population is able to do things that the unhealthy and badly-educated Indian population cannot.“ Stressing the need for skilled labour, Sen said: “The ability to make anything requires a good level of school education to read instructions, to do things according to specifications and quality control.“