Public Health System and Frontline Health Workers in India
Social Justice & Development
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
Examines the effectiveness of governance, public service delivery mechanisms, human resources in health, and the implementation challenges of welfare schemes at the grassroots level.
India's public health system, particularly its extensive network of frontline health workers like Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), Anganwadi Workers (AWW), and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), forms the backbone of primary healthcare delivery, especially in rural areas. These workers are crucial for implementing national health and nutrition programs and reaching vulnerable populations.
Facts & tables
- Impact on Health Indicators
- Instrumental in achieving high institutional birth rates (90%) and vaccination coverage (87%).
- Public Facilities Contribution
- Public health facilities account for 58% of births and nearly all vaccinations.
- Areas for Improvement
- Strengthening skills in data collection, counselling for feeding practices, and ensuring timely feedback.
- Enhancing Effectiveness
- Requires multisectoral convergence, local planning, and improved Anganwadi infrastructure.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Governance |
| Conceptual area | Public Health |
| Conceptual area | Social Justice & Development |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Oversees public health system |
| Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) | Community health facilitator |
| Anganwadi Worker (AWW) | Childcare and nutrition service provider |
| Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) | Maternal and child health service provider |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Statement-based questions
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
- ASHA, AWW, ANM are pillars of primary healthcare.
- Instrumental in high institutional births & vaccination coverage.
- Need skill enhancement for nutrition counselling & data use.
- Multisectoral convergence and local support are vital.
- Crucial for grassroots implementation of health & nutrition schemes.
Ministry sets policy; regulator often has quasi-judicial powers.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2024 | Factual recall, Conceptual understanding |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2023 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2017 | Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2017 | Terminology-based question, Policy measures |
Timeline
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Governance
Conceptual area
-
Public Health
Conceptual area
-
Social Justice & Development
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2017
Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2017
Terminology-based question, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2023
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2024
Factual recall, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2026
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
NFHS-6 reveals progress amid nutrition challenges
India's public health system, driven by frontline workers (ASHA, AWW, ANM), has achieved significant success in institutional births and vaccination. However, challenges persist in areas like nutrition counselling, data utilization, and multisectoral coordination, requiring skill enhancement and better support for these workers.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2017–2026 · 8 questions
In the news
NFHS-6 reveals progress amid nutrition challenges
India's public health system, driven by frontline workers (ASHA, AWW, ANM), has achieved significant success in institutional births and vaccination. However, challenges persist in areas like nutrition counselling, data utilization, and multisectoral coordination, requiring skill enhancement and better support for these workers.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :India's public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II: Under India's decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Statement I is correct: India's public healthcare system prioritises curative care, which focuses on treating existing illnesses. Preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative care, which aims to prevent diseases, promote good health, and help people recover from illness, receive less emphasis. * Statement II is correct: India's healthcare system follows a decentralised approach. The central government sets policies and provides financial assistance, but individual states are responsible for organising and delivering health services to their populations. This allows for flexibility based on local needs and contexts.
Therefore, the answer is Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future, which of the statements is/are correct?
1. UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all.
2. Its partners are either governments or local urban authorities only.
3. UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Statement 1 is correct. UN-Habitat's primary mandate, as established by the UN General Assembly, is to promote the development of socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. This includes ensuring adequate shelter for all residents. Statement 2 is incorrect. UN-Habitat partners with a wider range of stakeholders beyond just governments and local urban authorities. They collaborate with academic institutions, NGOs, private sector entities, and civil society organisations to achieve their goals. Statement 3 is correct. UN-Habitat's work aligns with the broader UN objectives of poverty reduction and access to essential services.
Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana:
1. It is safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect: Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM). It is a central intervention implemented by states, not an intervention of the State Health Departments. Statement 2 is correct: The primary objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by encouraging safe, institutional births. Statement 3 is correct: The scheme provides a cash incentive to mothers to promote institutional delivery, particularly among those from BPL, SC, and ST households. Statement 4 is incorrect: While care for sick infants is a priority under the National Health Mission, the provision of free facilities for sick infants up to one year of age is specifically a feature of the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) launched in 2011. JSY, launched in 2005, is primarily a conditional cash transfer scheme for delivery.
With reference to Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements:
1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.
2. As it aims to achieve universal health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.
3. It has seamless portability across the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission aims to provide digital health IDs for all Indian citizens to help hospitals, insurance firms, and citizens access health records electronically when required. Statement 1 is incorrect. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has not made it mandatory for adoption by private and public hospitals. Its adoption so far would be voluntary. Participation in ABDM is voluntary including for citizens. Participation of a healthcare facility or an institution is also voluntary and shall be taken by the respective management (government or private management). Statement 2 is incorrect. The aim of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is to facilitate the ease of access to medical records and it is not been mandated to have every citizen as its part though the facility is available to every citizen on a consent basis. Statement 3 is correct. ABDM will have a national footprint and will enable seamless portability across the country through a Health ID Personal Health Identifier.
With reference to the 'Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan', consider the following statements:
1. This scheme guarantees a minimum package of antenatal care services to women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and six months post-delivery health care service in any government health facility.
2. Under this scheme, private sector health care providers of certain specialities can volunteer to provide services at nearby government health facilities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
* Statement 1: Incorrect. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a minimum package of antenatal care (ANC) services only during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. It does not cover post-delivery health care services for six months. The focus is on ensuring safe pregnancies through early detection and management of high-risk cases. * Statement 2: Correct. Under PMSMA, private sector health care providers (such as gynecologists, radiologists, and physicians) can volunteer to provide free services at nearby government health facilities on the 9th of every month. This public-private partnership enhances access to specialized care for pregnant women.
Show 3 more PYQs
Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct ?
1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.
2. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains — built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.
3. The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Select the answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act was passed by the Parliament of India in 2016, not 2018. It aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and places a legal obligation on governments to ensure non-discrimination and accessibility. It also mandates reservations for PwDs, such as increasing the quota to 4% in government employment and 5% in higher education. Statement 2 is Correct: The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign) was launched in 2015 by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD). It focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains: built infrastructure (barrier-free public buildings), transport systems (accessible railways, airports, and roads), and information and communication technology (accessible government websites and digital ecosystems). Statement 3 is Incorrect: The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a Central Public Sector Undertaking registered as a not-for-profit company to provide concessional financial assistance to promote entrepreneurship, self-employment, and higher education among PwDs. However, it was set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, not the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Therefore, the correct option is B.
Consider the following statements:
1. The India Sanitation Coalition is a platform to promote sustainable sanitation and is funded by the Government of India and the World Health Organization.
2. The National Institute of Urban Affairs is an apex body of the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs in Government
of India and provides innovative solutions to address the challenges of Urban India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The India Sanitation Coalition was launched on June 25, 2015, at FICCI, New Delhi. ISC is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together the private sector, government, financial institutions, civil society groups, media, donors/bilateral/multilateral, experts, etc., to work in the sanitation space to drive sustainable sanitation through a partnership model. It is not funded by WHO. Statement 2 is incorrect. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is India’s premier urban think tank, shaping the urban narrative since its establishment in 1976, it not an apex body. It is an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act.
What is the purpose of ‘Vidyanjali Yojana’?
1. To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India.
2. To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community.
3. To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organizations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is incorrect. Vidyanjali Yojana is not focused on attracting foreign universities to set up campuses in India. Statement 2 is correct. Vidyanjali Yojana aims to improve government schools by leveraging resources and expertise from the private sector (retired professionals, NGOs) and the community (volunteers). Statement 3 is incorrect. While the initiative might indirectly lead to improved infrastructure due to volunteer efforts, its primary focus is not on monetary contributions for infrastructure development.