Page 19 - NIS English 16-31,March 2023

SECURED FUTURE

Providing affordable healthcare and quality education is especially important to secure
a bright future. On both these issues, the Government of India has taken steps to further
improve it. 353 new universities were formed in the last nine years. 15 new AIIMS and
261 new medical colleges have been opened. 77,386 new medical seats have been made
available at the graduate and postgraduate levels.

Today India is leading the world's
n BETTER LIFE
largest healthcare program,
Ayushman Bharat. Covering more The foundation of progress in the modern world rests on modern
than 50 crore Indians, Ayushman infrastructure. It also fulfills the needs and aspirations of the
Bharat is ensuring high-quality and middle class. Weak infrastructure has an adverse effect
free healthcare to the poor and neo- on the speed of development.
middle class.
By 2022, India has built 1.65 lakh
n
n SIMPLICITY
Millions of middle-class people
are already having access to vital kilometers of national highways. The
drugs, stents, and knee implants country has the world's largest road
at low cost. network after the US, thanks to a tenfold n Several steps have
increase in capital expenditure on roads
In 2023, 41 Indian universities made and bridges. been taken for
n
a place in the global ranking, while in n improving the ease
India now has metro connectivity in
2014 this number was only nine. of living. India's
27 cities. We are one year away from cashless digital
n having the third-largest metro network payment ecosystem is
The result of the initiative of the
Central Government is that people globally. considered one of the
have saved Rs 20,000 crore by n best in the world.
India has the highest per capita mobile
taking medicines and medical data consumption rate and the lowest n
UPI's share in
equipment from the Bharatiya Jan per GB data cost in the world. Out of
Aushadhi Kendras the 120 crore mobile phone users about 7,245 crore digital
transactions in 2021-
This has been possible due to 50-90
n 80 percent of them around 80 crore 22 was 65 percent.
percent cheaper generic medicines internet users are expected to get 5G DigiLocker has
available at 9000 Jan Aushadhi connectivity within a year. It will bring 14.9 crore users for
Kendras or through 87 crore free tremendous benefits through online paperless certificate
tests done at 1.5 lakh Ayushman education, telemedicine, and effective authentication.
Bharat Health and Wellness Centers. access to government services.

New India Samachar March 16-31, 2023 17