View India’s Gender Gap Report Ranking as a Warning

Syllabus:

• GS1: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
• GS2: Social Justice (Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources); Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.
• GS3: Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it.

Introduction: A Contradiction in India’s Growth Story

The editorial argues that while India has emerged as a global economic powerhouse, a digital innovator, and a country with a vast youth population, its poor performance in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report presents a stark contradiction. Ranking 131 out of 148 countries, India’s position is not merely a number but a critical warning sign that structural inequalities are hindering national progress and jeopardizing its long-term economic and demographic stability.

Key Areas of Concern: A Deep Dive into the Indicators

The editorial highlights that India’s low ranking is not due to a single factor but a systemic failure across critical dimensions of the Gender Gap Index.

1. Health and Survival (Rank: 142) This is one of India’s lowest-performing sub-indices and a crucial indicator of a deeper societal crisis.

• Skewed Sex Ratio at Birth: India’s sex ratio at birth remains among the most skewed globally, reflecting a deep-rooted and persistent preference for sons.
• Anaemia Crisis: As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), nearly 57% of Indian women in the 15-49 age group are anemic. This widespread yet preventable health issue undermines their physical and cognitive capacity, affecting their ability to learn, work, and bear children safely.
• Declining Healthy Life Expectancy: Contrary to global trends, the healthy life expectancy for women in India has now fallen below that of men, indicating a chronic neglect of women’s reproductive, preventive, and nutritional health.

2. Economic Participation and Opportunity (Rank: 143) This is the second major area of concern, revealing a massive untapped potential in India’s economy.

• Low Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP): Despite rising educational attainment, female labour force participation remains stubbornly low, with women earning less than one-third of what men do.
• The Burden of Unpaid Work: According to the Time-Use Survey, Indian women perform nearly seven times more unpaid domestic and care work than men. This “invisible labour” is neither recognized in national accounting nor supported by public policy, severely limiting women’s time, mobility, and ability to engage in formal employment.
• Missed Economic Opportunity: The editorial cites a 2015 McKinsey Global Institute report, which estimated that closing the gender gap could have added $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. This opportunity, the article asserts, has been largely missed due to a lack of structural reforms.

3. Political Empowerment (Ranking has declined) While India has a strong historical precedent for women in political office (e.g., as head of state), women’s representation in legislative and ministerial positions at the federal level remains low. This underrepresentation in decision-making bodies often leads to policies that overlook women’s lived realities.

4. Educational Attainment The editorial notes that this is the only sub-index where India has shown considerable progress, with high levels of parity in school and tertiary education enrollment. However, it warns that this progress is not translating into better economic or health outcomes, underscoring a fundamental disconnect between education and empowerment.

Why the Ranking is a Warning, Not Just a Statistic

The editorial frames the report as a wake-up call for several reasons:

• A Drag on Economic Growth: Gender inequality is not just a social issue but an economic one. By excluding half its population from the formal economy, India is deliberately limiting its growth potential.
• Demographic Imperative: India’s population is aging, and its fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level. As the elderly population grows, the burden on the working-age population will increase. For India to sustain its growth and manage this demographic shift, it is an economic and demographic necessity to integrate women fully into the workforce.
• Structural and Policy Failure: The report is a warning that despite a plethora of well-intentioned schemes (Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Mission Shakti, etc.), a deeper structural and social transformation is missing. The issue lies in the lack of real investment and implementation.

Way Forward: A Call for Transformative Action

The editorial provides a clear roadmap for the way forward:

• Invest in a “Care Economy”: The government must invest in a robust care infrastructure, including public crèches, and elder care services, to reduce the unpaid labour burden on women.
• Mainstream Gender in Policy: Use tools like Gender Budgeting and Time-Use Surveys to account for women’s invisible labour and inform policy-making.
• Strengthen Public Health Systems: Prioritize funding for women’s reproductive, preventive, and nutritional health.
• Shift Mindset from Welfare to Empowerment: Women must be seen as economic actors and builders of the nation, not merely as beneficiaries of welfare schemes.
• Enforce Political Representation: The Women’s Reservation Act must be implemented to ensure women’s representation in Parliament and state legislatures.

In conclusion, the editorial argues that India’s ambitious aspirations to become a developed nation will remain an illusion unless it treats gender equality as the central pillar of its economic and demographic strategy. The Global Gender Gap Report is a final warning that the time for slogans has passed, and the era for real, transformative action has begun.

English dreams

Context

Forcing any language as the medium of instruction is not acceptable.

Introduction

English medium education is highly sought after in India, reflecting aspirations for better opportunities. However, state policies on the medium of instruction have been inconsistent, influenced by linguistic diversity, constitutional rights, and political agendas like the three-language policy. This complex debate raises questions about balancing mother tongue instruction, English education, and social equity across regions.

Medium of Instruction in Indian Education

• English medium education is a strong aspiration for many Indians.
• State policies on the medium of instruction have been inconsistent across different times and regions.
• The ongoing language debate in India is partly driven by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s push for a three-language policy, with the medium of instruction being a key issue.

Educational and Constitutional Perspectives

• Educationists generally believe that teaching children in their mother tongue helps them learn better in early stages.
• Pedagogical research supports mother tongue instruction, but this cannot ignore constitutional rights and real-world factors.
• India’s vast linguistic diversity makes it difficult to define a child’s mother tongue clearly in many cases.
• The freedom of expression and choice is also protected under the Constitution.
• In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled against a Karnataka government order (1994) that made Kannada mandatoryuntil Class 4, stating that children have the right to choose their medium of instruction.
• Private schools have the right to offer education based on market demand, adding another dimension to this issue.

National Education Policy and English Medium Demand

• The National Education Policy (NEP), promoted strongly by the Centre, has an anti-English stance, which conflicts with popular demand.
• Many states aim to promote their local languages and cultures while also supporting English education and English as a medium of instruction.
• States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have aided English medium schools.
• Demand for English medium education is rising across India, including Hindi-speaking regions.
• This demand is mainly met by private institutions, which are often expensive and of lower quality.

Social and Economic Impact of English Education

• English skills are crucial for individuals and India’s position in the global services sector.
• Subaltern caste groups especially see English education as a key to empowerment and upward social mobility.
• When state schools don’t offer English medium education, wealthier families access it through private schools, worsening social inequality.
• Education, instead of reducing inequality, often ends up reproducing or increasing social divides.
• Knowledge of English is empowering and can lead to many positive outcomes.
• While there can be debate about whether English should be the medium at the primary level, the most important test for any policy is whether it supports the ambitions of the most disadvantaged sections of society.

Conclusion

The debate over the medium of instruction highlights the challenge of aligning education policies with India’s diverse linguistic landscape and social realities. While mother tongue teaching aids early learning, English remains crucial for empowerment and mobility. Effective policies must prioritize the needs of disadvantaged groups, ensuring equitable access to quality education that supports both cultural identity and global opportunities.