The Government has increased its plan outlay for health by 13.9 per cent to Rs.30,4777 crores in 2012-13, says the Economic Survey that predicts a better growth rate for India because of the possible recovery of the global economy during 2013.

“Under the NHRM over 1.4 lakhs Health Human Resources have been added (upto September, 2012) and under infrastructure strengthening 10,473 sub centres, 714 primary Health Centres and 245 community Health centres have been newly constructed,” said the Survey, presented by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram in Parliament on February 27.

“A sum of Rs.520 crore have been released to open 132 ANM schools and 137 general nursing and mid-wifery schools in districts where there are no such schools. Opening of six Nursing colleges at the sites of AIIMS like institution at a total cost of Rs.120 crore is also under consideration,” it said.

Survey noted that due to Janini Suraksha Yojana, the number of institutional delivery have increased from 1.08 crores during 2005-06 to 1.75 crores during 2011-12. In 2012-13, Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yogna (IGMSY), a budgetary outlay of Rs.520 crores is target to cover 12.5 lakhs pregnant and lactating women.

The Surveys notes that allocation of gender budgeting as a percentage of total budget have gone up from 2.8 per cent in 2005-06 to 5.96 per cent in 2012-13. A proposal for strengthening and restructuring of the ICDS scheme within an overall budget allocation of Rs.123,580 crores during the XIIth Plan has been approved.

Under Sabla Programme against an allocation of Rs.750 crores for 2012-13, Rs.496 crores has been released. In 2012-13 under IGMSY, a budgetary outlay of Rs.520 crores is outlayed to cover 12.5 lakhs pregnant and lactating women. The Survey points out that JSY, Janini Shishu Suraksha Yojana (JSSK) and IGMSY have many overlapping features and the same beneficiaries.

Indian economy is likely to grow between 6.1 per cent to 6.7 per cent in 2013-14 as the downturn is more or less over and the economy is looking up, as per the survey. Following the slowdown induced by the global financial crisis in 2008-09, the Indian economy responded strongly to fiscal and monetary stimulus and achieved a growth rate of 8.6 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively in 2009-10 and 2010-11, but due to a combination of both external and domestic factors, the economy decelerated growing at 6.2 per cent and an estimated five per cent in 2011-12 and 2012-13 respectively.

The Economic Survey 2012-13, presented by the Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the Lok Sabha predicts that the global economy is also likely to recover in 2013 and various government measures will help in improving the Indian economy’s outlook for 2013-14. While India’s recent slowdown is partly rooted in external causes, domestic causes are also important. The slowdown in the rate of growth of services in 2011-12 at 8.2 per cent, and particularly in 2012-13 to six per cent, it said.