Social Infrastructure of Maharashtra

Introduction

Social infrastructure is also one of the important components of the economy because it improves the quality of human life as well as stimulates economic development. It not only improves the quality but also gives the power to produce knowledge. Social infrastructure includes literacy programme, education, public health, housing, drinking water and sanitation. Details of some of these aspects are mentioned in this article.

Education

Education is considered as one of the basic human needs. It forms the backbone of socio-economic development of any country. Education is a significant aspect of Human Resource Department (HRD). In the present scenario, India is getting the advantage of the highest demographic dividend due to the maximum percentage of the young population in the country. Education, therefore, becomes 'a priority' at the national as well as state level. The state of Maharashtra has implemented various educational schemes to achieve the goal of education. Below are four levels of education in our country. 

1. Primary Education - The state of Maharashtra has implemented the Right to Education (RTE) of children in the age group 6-14 years to provide free and compulsory education under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). the expenditure of the State government on primary education was ₹19,486 crores during 2016-17. 
2. Secondary and Higher Secondary Education - Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) was launched in 2009 to improve the access as well as the quality of secondary education. During 2016-17, the State government's expenditure on secondary and higher secondary education was ₹16,089 crores. 
3. Higher Education - Apart from the universalisation of primary education, the Government of Maharashtra is taking efforts to expand opportunities in higher education also. Higher education helps in creating technical and skilled human resources which is an important input necessary for overall economic development. There are 22 state universities, out of which 4 universities are for agriculture, one university for health science courses, one university for veterinary science, one for technology and 15 other universities for general courses In addition to these, there are 21 autonomous universities, one central university, 4 private universities and 5 institutes of national importance in the state. To meet the challenges of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, the state enacted the new Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016. The key focus of this Act is to promote academic autonomy and excellence, skill-based education through a democratic process in higher education. Maharashtra is also the first state in the country to receive Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA) grant of ₹20 crores under Research and Innovation and Quality Improvement for setting up innovation and technology transfer hubs. RUSA is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Government of India in 2013.  
4. Others - 
   1. Girls' Education - Various schemes to promote girls' education such as free education till the higher secondary level, free of cost S.T. bus service for school going girls in rural areas, bicycles to needy girls living within 5 km from schools have been introduced by the Government of Maharashtra. 
   2. Adult Literacy - To increase adult literacy in the state, innovative schemes like 'Each one Teach one', 'Sakshar Bharat Abhiyan' are implemented with the community participation. 
   3. Tribal Education - Government of Maharashtra has introduced residential Ashram Schools in the tribal areas of the state. Tribal students are provided accommodation, food, uniforms, educational material and other concessions free of cost. There are 556 aided Ashram Schools in the state. Government hostel facility is provided at division, district and taluka levels to encourage tribal students to pursue higher studies. 

Health Services 

There were 1814 primary health centres and 360 community health centres in the state as on 31st March 2017. Government of Maharashtra also emphasises on programmes to strengthen the health system in rural and urban areas through the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). These programmes include health determinants like sanitation and hygiene, nutrition and safe drinking water. The Government of Maharashtra has created a three-tier health infrastructure to provide comprehensive health services. Primary tier includes Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres. The Secondary tier includes sub-district hospitals and district hospitals. The tertiary tier includes well equipped medical colleges and super speciality hospitals located in major cities. 

Tourism

Maharashtra attracts many tourists from different states and abroad too. To promote the state as a leading tourist destination, the government has formulated the Maharashtra Tourism Policy, 2016. Some of the objectives of this policy are to make Maharashtra a leading tourist destination by 2025, attract investments of around ₹30,000 crores and produce over a million jobs in the industry. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is the nodal agency for implementation of this policy in the state. MTDC organises different events such as Ellora festival, Elephanta festival, etc. MTDC has also launched the scheme of 'Mahabhraman' to bring different experimental projects such as agro-tourism, village tourism, food tourism, safaris, tribal lifestyles, etc. under one roof. 

Hospitality 

Hospitality is a much broader industry than other industries. It has grown manifold in Maharashtra due to flourishing tourism. One of the most defining aspects of this industry is that it focusses on customers' satisfaction. Hotel industry is one of the sectors of the hospitality industry. many forms of transportation that cater to the tourists are also part of this business, example Airlines, Mumbai-Goa cruise ship, fancier trains (Deccan Odyssey), restaurants, general tourism and event management are also a part of this sector.