India Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Socio-economic challenges === {{multiple image | perrow = 1 | total_width = 220 | align = right | image_style = border:none; | image1 = Female health workers in India (34332433890).jpg | caption1= Health workers about to begin another day of immunisation against infectious diseases in 2006. Eight years later, and three years after India's last case of polio, the [[World Health Organization]] declared India to be polio-free.<ref name=who-chan-14-feb-2014>{{citation|last1=Chan|first1=Margaret |title=Address at the 'India celebrates triumph over polio' event|location=New Delhi, India|publisher=[[World Health Organization]]|date=11 February 2014|url=https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-celebrates-polio-free-india|access-date=17 October 2021}}</ref> | direction = | alt1 = }} Despite economic growth during recent decades, India continues to face socio-economic challenges. In 2006, India contained the [[poverty in India|largest number]] of people living below the World Bank's international poverty line of US$1.25 per day.<ref>{{citation|date=29 May 2006|title=Inclusive Growth and Service Delivery: Building on India's Success|publisher=[[World Bank]]|url=https://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOUTHASIAEXT/Resources/DPR_FullReport.pdf|access-date=7 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514143037/https://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOUTHASIAEXT/Resources/DPR_FullReport.pdf|archive-date=14 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The proportion decreased from 60% in 1981 to 42% in 2005.<ref>{{citation|title=New Global Poverty Estimates β What It Means for India|publisher=[[World Bank]]|url=https://www.worldbank.org.in/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/INDIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21880725~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html|access-date=23 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506043711/https://www.worldbank.org.in/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/INDIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21880725~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html|archive-date=6 May 2012}}</ref> Under the World Bank's later revised poverty line, it was 21% in 2011.{{efn|In 2015, the World Bank raised its international poverty line to $1.90 per day.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kenny|first1=Charles|last2=Sandefur|first2=Justin|title=Why the World Bank is changing the definition of the word "poor"|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/10/7/9465999/world-bank-poverty-line|publisher=[[Vox Media|Vox]]|access-date=26 February 2017|date=7 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114175442/https://www.vox.com/2015/10/7/9465999/world-bank-poverty-line|archive-date=14 January 2017}}</ref>}}<ref name="WB2015">{{cite web|title=Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) (% of population)|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.DDAY?locations=IN|publisher=[[World Bank]]|access-date=26 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215021227/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.DDAY?locations=IN|archive-date=15 February 2017}}</ref> 30.7% of India's children under the age of five are underweight.<ref>{{cite web|title=India's rank improves to 55th position on global hunger index|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/indias-rank-improves-to-55th-position-on-global-hunger-index/articleshow/44802193.cms|date=13 October 2014|website=[[The Economic Times]]|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019030848/https://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-10-13/news/54970880_1_nutrition-mission-india-ghi|archive-date=19 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> According to a [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] report in 2015, 15% of the population is undernourished.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-is-home-to-194-million-hungry-people-un/article7255937.ece|title=India is home to 194 million hungry people: UN|author=Internet Desk|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202044027/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-is-home-to-194-million-hungry-people-un/article7255937.ece|archive-date=2 December 2016|date=28 May 2015|access-date=17 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1184959/india-home-to-worlds-largest-number-of-hungry-people-report|title=India home to world's largest number of hungry people: report|website=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529132938/https://www.dawn.com/news/1184959/india-home-to-worlds-largest-number-of-hungry-people-report|archive-date=29 May 2015|date=29 May 2015|access-date=17 October 2021}}</ref> The [[Midday Meal Scheme]] attempts to lower these rates.{{sfn|DrΓ¨ze|Goyal|2008|p = 46}} A 2018 [[Walk Free Foundation]] report estimated that nearly 8 million people in India were living in different forms of [[modern slavery]], such as [[bonded labour]], [[child labour]], human trafficking, and forced begging, among others.<ref name="Pandit 2018">{{cite web | last=Pandit | first=Ambika | title=modern slavery in india: 8 million people live in 'modern slavery' in India, says report; govt junks claim β India News | website=The Times of India | date=20 July 2018 | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/8-million-people-live-in-modern-slavery-in-india-says-report-govt-junks-claim/articleshow/65060986.cms | access-date=28 May 2022}}</ref> According to the 2011 census, there were 10.1 million child labourers in the country, a decline of 2.6 million from 12.6 million in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---sro-new_delhi/documents/publication/wcms_557089.pdf|title=Child labour in India|publisher=[[International Labour Organization]]|access-date=21 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030715/https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---sro-new_delhi/documents/publication/wcms_557089.pdf|archive-date=1 December 2017}}</ref> Since 1991, [[List of Indian states by GDP|economic inequality]] between India's states has consistently grown: the per-capita [[Net domestic product|net state domestic product]] of the richest states in 2007 was 3.2 times that of the poorest.{{sfn|Pal|Ghosh|2007}} [[Corruption in India]] is perceived to have decreased. According to the [[Corruption Perceptions Index]], India ranked 78th out of 180 countries in 2018 with a score of 41 out of 100, an improvement from 85th in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|first=Vidya|last=Ram|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/india-improves-its-ranking-on-corruption-index/article8159155.ece|title=India improves its ranking on corruption index|date=27 January 2016|work=[[Business Line]]|access-date=21 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820162154/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/india-improves-its-ranking-on-corruption-index/article8159155.ece|archive-date=20 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.transparency.org/files/content/pages/CPI_2018_Executive_Summary_EN.pdf |title=Corruption Perceptions Index 2018 |website=transparency.org |publisher=[[Transparency International]] |access-date=15 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421141719/https://www.transparency.org/files/content/pages/CPI_2018_Executive_Summary_EN.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Epidemic and pandemic diseases have long been a major factor, including [[COVID-19]] and [[cholera]].<ref>David Arnold, ''Pandemic India: From Cholera to Covid-19'' (Oxford University Press, 2022) [http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=58263 online review]</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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