Net State Domestic Product Research Articles

Deciphering the drivers of CO2 emissions in Haryana: a comprehensive analysis from 2005 to 2023

This study investigates the key factors influencing CO2 emissions in the state of Haryana from 2005 to 2023, focusing on economic and demographic determinants. Understanding the relationship between economic growth, population dynamics, and environmental impact is crucial for formulating effective sustainable development policies. The study employs a comprehensive dataset where CO2 emissions serve as the dependent variable, while Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) at constant prices, the square of NSDP, population growth, and life expectancy act as independent variables. To ensure robust analysis, stationarity tests are conducted to assess the data properties, followed by Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) and Canonical Cointegration Regression to explore long-run relationships among these variables. Empirical findings indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between CO2 emissions, NSDP, and population growth, suggesting that economic expansion and population increase drive higher emissions. Conversely, life expectancy exhibits a negative association with CO2 emissions, implying that improvements in public health and longevity may contribute to reduced emissions. The results highlight the environmental challenges posed by economic and demographic growth, emphasizing the need for balanced policy measures that align economic progress with sustainability goals. The unexpected negative relationship between life expectancy and emissions underscores the complex interplay between socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability, warranting further investigation.

Building and Managing a Knowledge-Based Society in India

One of the most important factors of human capital formation is higher education. When studied in the Indian context it is found that states with more colleges and professional institutes showed greater increase in per capita net state domestic product than states with fewer such colleges and institutes. This reinstates the new endogenous growth theory in the context of states implying that states with more emphasis on higher and professional education will have higher growth. Also poverty prone states can prosper if they give proper emphasis on higher and technical institutions. Given the financial implication we may not be able to rejuvenate the entire educational system but if we need to maintain and sustain our knowledge boom we should go for small changes like common entrance tests, common syllabus and common examinations.

Nexus Between Women Empowerment and Gender-based Violence in India: A Pragmatic Insight

Women empowerment is the creation of an atmosphere where women may make their own decisions for their own and society’s benefit, strengthening and improving women’s social, economic, political and legal authority to assure equal rights and give them the confidence to assert themselves. India’s focus on women’s empowerment to reduce domestic abuse has grown over the last few decades. In light of the background, the main goal of this study is to determine whether a region-specific disparity exists, whether urban and rural disparity exists, and whether women empowerment promotes gender violence. The study found a regional disparity in gender violence and women’s empowerment. Both urban and rural areas show discrepancies. The study also found that per-capita net state domestic product and women literacy rates are inversely related to gender-based violence. Women empowerment is positively related with gender-based violence. JEL Codes: J12, J16, J21, J24, K42

After the 20th Century: Growth, Convergence and Divergence in Indian Mountainous States

This paper deals with the growth, convergence, divergence and inequalities in the mountainous states of India. The data used in this paper was collected from the RBI site, which covers two decades – the first from 2000-01 to 2010-11 and the second from 2011-12 to 2021-22. By analyzing the data, this study attempted to address the compound annual growth rates with regression equation and concluded that, Meghalaya has the lowest and Sikkim has the highest net state domestic product growth rate for the entire time period (2000-01 to 2021-22). In mountainous states, the average growth rate of per capita net state domestic product declined from 6.13 percent in 2000-01/2010-11 to 4.40 percent in 2011-12/2021-22. Higher per capita net state domestic product growth rates were estimated for Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand; when compared to the average growth rate for the mountainous states and India as a whole. Over the period 2000-01/2010-11 to 2011-12/2021-22, the states with the highest compound annual growth rates on per capita net state domestic product were Assam and Mizoram. In a detailed analysis of income inequality, the gini coefficient increased from 0.122 to 0.263 during 2000-01 to 2021-22 and the coefficient of variation also showed an increase. The findings revealed that there was a significant presence of σ - divergence, β - divergence and α - divergence in the mountainous states in the first, second decades and throughout the 21st century.

Women's Empowerment in India: State-Wise Insights From the National Family Health Survey 5.

Background Women's empowerment is critical for achieving gender equality and societal progress. Despite various efforts, significant disparities in women's empowerment persist across different states in India. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of women's empowerment using data from the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5). Methods Data from the NFHS-5, collected between June 2019 and April 2021, were used. The Women's Empowerment Index (WEI) was calculated for each of the 28 states based on four dimensions: economic empowerment, decision-making, health and nutrition, and gender roles. Statistical analysis, including Pearson and Spearman correlations, was conducted to assess associations between WEI and various socioeconomic variables. Results The WEI ranged from 17.4 to 27.4, with a mean of 21.3 ± 2.6. Goa, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh had the highest WEI scores, while West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana had the lowest. Economic empowerment was highest in Karnataka, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Decision-making scores were highest in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Goa. Health and nutrition scores were highest in Goa, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand. Positive gender roles were most prominent in Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Goa. Significant correlations were found between WEI and per capita net state domestic product, literacy rates, median age at marriage, and total fertility rate. Conclusion The study highlights substantial variations in women's empowerment across Indian states, influenced by socioeconomic, health, and educational factors. Targeted interventions are needed to address specific barriers and promote gender equality. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions and explore additional factors influencing women's empowerment.

Sanitation Coverage and Open Defecation Rate in Indian States: A Pooled Data Analysis

To fulfil the sanitation needs of the people, Government of India has implemented the several sanitation programmes during its planning period. Still there is a nearly 30 percent household having no sanitation /latrine facilities (National Family Health Survey-5, 2019-21). The enormous negative externalities of lack of sanitation facilities motivate us to measure sanitation situation across states in India and identify the factors that affect the sanitation coverage. Sanitation status across states has been measured in terms of changing sanitation coverage during the period 1998-99 to 2019-2020 and Open Defecation Rate (OD) during the period 1998-99 to 2015-16. To measure the influences of various social-economic and demographic conditions on the state level sanitation coverage; we applied the multi-variable regression framework. Our overall conclusion is that the sanitation coverage in a state is appeared to be high where the literacy rate, per capita net state domestic product (PCNSDP), concentration of SC/ST population is high whereas the state having a higher percentage of poor population, higher proportion Hindu population, higher share of rural population adversely affects the sanitation coverage in a state.

SECTORAL ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND ITS EFFECT ON HARYANA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

This study examines the impact of sectoral allocation of public expenditure on Haryana's economic growth from 2000 to 2023. Using time series analysis, the research investigates the dynamic relationships between sectoral expenditures—specifically on education, health, agriculture, industry, and infrastructure—and the state’s Net State Domestic Product (NSDP). Stationarity tests reveal that most expenditure categories exhibit long-term stability, while some require differencing to achieve stationarity. Granger causality tests indicate significant short-term relationships for sectors like infrastructure and industry, while cointegration analysis confirms a robust long-term equilibrium between sectoral expenditures and economic growth. Regression results highlight that infrastructure and industry have the most substantial positive influence on NSDP, whereas education and health show a delayed impact. The findings reveal the importance of strategic and sustained investments across sectors to drive inclusive and long-term economic development in Haryana. Policy recommendations include prioritizing growth-driving sectors, enhancing human capital through increased spending on education and health, and ensuring balanced allocation to address structural inefficiencies.

Investigating the relationship of government revenue and expenditure on economic growth using a generalized method of moments: Does state-level panel ensure sustainable growth?

The current research project investigates the correlation between economic growth, government spending, and public revenue in seventeen Indian states spanning the years 1990 to 2020. An analysis of the relationship between key fiscal policy variables and economic growth was conducted utilising a panel data approach, the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM), and fully modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS & DOLS) estimation. In our investigation, we assessed the impacts of non-tax revenue, development plan expenditure, tax revenue, and development non-plan expenditure on (i) the net state domestic product (NSDP) and (ii) the NSDP per capita. The findings indicate that the selected fiscal variables are significantly related. The results indicate that expeditious expansion of the fiscal sector is obligatory to stimulate economic growth in India and advance the actual development of the economies of these states.

International tourism and economic growth: Empirical evidence from Kerala

Abstract This study evaluates the trend and growth pattern of international tourism and analyzes the impact of tourism on the economic growth of Kerala for the past four decades from 1980 to 2019. The time series analysis employed in this study uses the secondary data on Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) of Kerala at constant prices, foreign tourist arrivals (FTA), and foreign exchange earnings (FEE) at constant prices, collected from various sources of the State and Central Government. The methodology of this study uses the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test for unit root, followed by the Johansen Cointegration test, the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), and the Granger Causality test. The results of the analysis reveal the existence of a positive and significant unidirectional long‐run causality running from tourism to the economic growth of Kerala and a bidirectional causal relationship between tourism development and the economic growth in the short run.

Does Public Spending Reflect the Need for Health: A Cross-sectional Analysis at District Level in India.

There is mixed evidence on the extent of association between the allocation of public revenue for healthcare and its indicators of need. In this study, we examined the relationship between allocations through state health financing (SHF) and the Central Government with infant mortality. District-wise infant mortality rate (IMR) was computed using National Family Health Survey-4 data. State-wise data for health budgets through SHF and National Health Mission (NHM, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme), were obtained for the year 2015-16. We used a multivariable analysis through generalized linear model method using identity-link function. We found per capita SHF (₹3169) to be more than 12 times that of public health spending per capita through NHM (₹261). IMR was lower in districts with higher SHF allocation, although statistically insignificant. The allocation through NHM was higher in districts with higher IMR, which is statistically significant. Every unit percentage increase in per capita net state domestic product and female literacy led to 0.31% and 0.54% decline, while a 1% increase in under-five diarrhoea prevalence led to 0.17% increase in IMR. The NHM has contributed to enhancing vertical equity in health-care financing. The States' need to be more responsive to the differences in districts while allocating health-care resources. There needs to be a focus on spending on social determinants, which should be the cornerstone for any universal health coverage strategy.

Design of toll-plaza: A case study of Bengaluru-Chennai highway

This study aims to calculate the number of bays needed in the design year 2037 for a toll plaza on the Bengaluru – Chennai Highway (National Highway No. 48). Data on the classified traffic volume count was gathered from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) office and relates to the “Nemili toll plaza” on the Bengaluru – Chennai Highway (NH-48). Average daily traffic is calculated using the tollable traffic data that has been gathered as a base. A suitable seasonal correction factor was assumed in order to estimate the annual average daily traffic. Using growth elasticity values derived from the Annual Average Growth Rates (AAGR) of Population, Per-Capita Income, and Net State Domestic Product of the influencing states collected from credible sources and state influencing factors, traffic in the horizon year (2037) was estimated. The necessary number of Electronic Toll Collection (FASTag) bays at the Nemili toll plaza was determined in accordance with Indian Road Congress standards based on the traffic flow forecast for the upcoming year.

An econometric analysis of sectorial contribution to economic growth of Goa

The study delves into the economic dynamics of Goa over a 26-year period, examining sector-wise contributions and their implications for the state's economic growth. Leveraging secondary data from credible sources like the RBI Handbook of Statistics and the Census Report, the research utilized various statistical tools including cointegration analyses, correlation studies, and causal inferences to explore relationships among Agriculture, Industry, Manufacturing, and Services vis-a-vis the state's Net State Domestic Product (NSDP). The findings reveal a significant shift in Goa's economic landscape, with a decline in the Agricultural sector's contribution, a steady ascent of the Service sector, and consistent roles played by Industry and Manufacturing. The statistical analyses depict the Manufacturing sector as statistically insignificant in influencing long-term economic growth. The research emphasizes the need for strategic interventions to rejuvenate the manufacturing sector for a more substantial contribution to Goa's economic growth. Additionally, the study highlights the vulnerability of Goa's economy to diverse factors and recommends balanced growth strategies across sectors to ensure sustained and diverse economic development in the state. Overall, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of Goa's economic evolution and presents key insights into its economic trends and the interplay between different sectors and economic growth dynamics.

Flash drought in Odisha- prediction, impact assessment, coping strategies: Current status and future strategies

A detailed review was done on the past studies conducted by the researchers on climate change and variability, particularly for the Indian conditions having a typical monsoon climate. The short-term droughts (flash droughts) occurring due to the prolonged dry spells, heat waves, soil moisture deficits, which are caused due to the climate variability were also investigated. Accurate prediction techniques used for flash drought (FD), assessment of its impact on agriculture and farmers’ income as well as appropriate coping strategies recommended by different researchers to minimize the losses in crop yield and farmers’ income were analyzed. The total loss in crop yield was found to increase with increase in land size; however, per acre loss was higher for smaller holdings. It was observed that the resource crunch small and marginal farmers particularly belonging to SC/ST were worst sufferers due to their inability to adopt appropriate coping strategies such as: crop insurance, short duration climate resilient cultivars, low-interest loans from financial institutions etc. It was inferred that the FD needs special attention particularly for the state of Odisha, where a majority of the population are engaged in agriculture and its allied activities. Agriculture accounts for around 30 per cent of the net state domestic product (NSDP). Investigations of the past studies revealed that the western Odisha regions are most vulnerable to climate change and variability and to the FD caused by the climate variability. The small and marginal tribal farmers of western Odisha whose sole source of income is from agriculture, with low affordability, are worst affected. To cope with these natural calamities, they need to adopt coping strategies namely, going for a variety of sources of income, cultivation of short-duration climate resilient varieties, in-situ rainwater conservation and use for life-saving irrigation, crop insurance, and low interest loans as well as low-cost post-harvest techniques for the perishable crop produce etc.

Goods and Service Tax and its implications on revenue efficiency of sub-national governments in India: an empirical analysis

PurposeThe purpose of the current study is to examine the implications of the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST) on the revenue efficiency of the sub-national governments in India. Furthermore, the study aims to compare the revenue efficiency of the Indian states for the pre-GST and post-GST periods in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study has used the annual revenue of value-added tax (VAT)/GST of the Indian states for the period ranging from 2012–2013 to 2020–2021 for the pre- and post-GST periods. The empirical results are based on the panel regression model for examining the implications of GST adoption on the Indian states.FindingsThe analysis shows that the implementation of GST in India has negatively impacted the revenue efficiency of the Indian states. Moreover, the results affirm that the contribution of the service sector to the state's Net State Domestic Product (NSDP), credit-deposit ratio (CDR) and outstanding net bank credit (ONBC) ratio of schedule commercial banks (SCBs) positively and states' dependency on central transfers (DCT) negatively impact the tax revenue efforts of the state governments. Furthermore, the GST adoption has a greater impact on the revenue efficiency of the minor states in comparison to major states which may widen the inter-state disparity gap as GST revenue constitutes a major share in the Own Tax Revenue (OTR) of the Indian states in aggregate.Practical implicationsThe current study will act as a guide for government, policymakers and for the sitting of the fifteenth finance commission in India for future policy formulation on GST and compensation to the Indian states. Similarly, this study can be used as a base for conducting future studies on the implications of GST at the national, sub-national, and international levels.Originality/valuePrevious studies on the implications of GST are theoretical and conceptual. There is hardly any study at the national or sub-national level that has focused on the implications of GST on the revenue efficiency of the Indian states.

Bioecology and Management of Major Insect Pests of Rice in West Bengal

West Bengal is considered a large producer state of rice in India with an output of nearly 55.48% of total crop production of Bengal. In West Bengal, rice has grown in three different cropping seasons such as Aus (autumn rice), Aman (winter rice) and Boro (summer rice), contributing about 20.69% to the total net State Domestic Product (SDP). Rice production in West Bengal hampered by many biotic stresses mostly by stem borers [Scirphophaga incertulas (Walker, 1863), Sesamia inference (Walker, 1856), Chilo polychrysus (Meyrick, 1932), Chilo suppressalis(Meyrick, 1863)] leaf folder [Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee, 1854)], plant hoppers [Nilaparvata lugens(Stal, 1854), Sogatella furcifera (Horvath, 1899)], leaf hoppers [Nephotettix virescens (Distant, 1908), Nephotettix nigropictus (Stal, 1870)], rice hispa [Dicladispa armigera (Olivier, 1808)], rice bugs [Leptocorisa acuta (Thunberg, 1783), Leptocorisa oratorius (Fabricius, 1794), Brevennia rehi (Lindinger, 1943)], gall midge [Orseolia oryzae (Wood-Mason, 1889)], etc. Demographic parameter has shown that rice pests are greatly affecting rice host either caused directly by creating dead heart (DH), hopperburn, onion leaf, silver shoot during different stages of harvesting or by indirectly transmitting grassy stunt virus (RGSV), rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV), rice tungro viruses (RTV), rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) etc. resulting 9.5% production loss. For minimize the infestation farmers use different rice varieties which provide resistance effect in pest population. For controlling rice pest population farmers mostly use chemical insecticide [e.g. fipronil, acephate, fipronil, monocrotophos] which exhibit good results against rice pests. Beside those other techniques including using biological and biochemical pesticides [neem oil, karanj oil, mahua oil, conidial suspension of M. anisopliae], pheromones [(Z)-11-hexadecinal, (Z)-9-hexadecenal], allomones [5: 1 mixture of 2-(E)-octenyl acetate and octanol 3-octenal], cultutal methods [synchronized planting, using of trap crop etc.] are effective for controlling rice pests. The population ecology based sustainable management of such pest species will support E 3 strategy [Ecosystem service-based ecological engineering for ecological pest management (ESS-EE-EPM)] of pest management for successful cultivation of rice in the near future.

Current distribution of medical colleges in India and its potential predictors: A public domain data audit.

A teaching hospital or medical college may help provide better health care delivery to the people of the vicinity. Hence, building new medical colleges and upgrading existing hospitals to teaching hospitals are being implemented in India. This study aimed to observe the current distribution of medical colleges in Indian states and find correlation with area, population, and net state domestic product (NSDP). We collected data from public domain websites provided by government agencies. The State-wise number of government and private medical colleges and their annual intake were obtained from the National Medical Commission website. The state-wise number of medical colleges, geographical area, and population were calculated as the percentage of total Indian colleges, area, and population, respectively. Spearman's correlation was calculated to find any correlation of colleges and annual intake versus parameters such as area, population, and NSDP. India has a total of 612 [321 (52.45%) government-run and 291 (47.55%) private] medical colleges. Tamil Nadu (70), Uttar Pradesh (67), Karnataka (63), Maharashtra (62), and Telangana (34) are the top five states with 296 (48.37%) medical colleges. States and union territories such as Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana have higher medical colleges, and states such as Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have lower medical colleges when compared with their population percentages. There was significant positive correlation of number of medical colleges with area (rs = 0.769, P < 0.0001), population (rs = 0.91, P < 0.0001), and NSDP (rs = 0.91, P < 0.0001). The current distribution of medical colleges in India is clustered over some states. Although geographical area and population are major predictors of medical colleges in Indian states, a more population-based balanced distribution of medical colleges would help distribute quality health care to the majority of the population.

Socio-Economic Status Differences in Changing Affordability of Tobacco Products from 2011–2012 to 2018–2019 in India

IntroductionWe studied the change in affordability of tobacco products, an important determinant of tobacco use, across the different socio-economic status (SES) in India.Aims and MethodsWe calculated affordability in the form of relative income price (RIP-cost of tobacco products relative to income) for the years 2011–2012 and 2018–2019 using three different denominators, that is per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and net state domestic product at national and state levels, respectively; monthly per capita consumer expenditure (MPCE); and individual wages. We investigated RIP for cigarettes, bidis, and smokeless tobacco (SLT) across different SES groups (caste groups, type of employment, and education).ResultsRIP increased marginally for cigarettes, bidis and remained almost constant for SLT across casual workers. However, when RIP was adjusted with SES variables, there was no significant change (p > .05) in the affordability of products for casual workers in the year 2018–2019 as compared to 2011–2012. For regular workers, cigarettes and bidis became marginally less affordable (β < 1), whereas affordability remained constant for SLT. All products became more affordable for backward caste groups within regular workers. When RIP was calculated using MPCE all tobacco products became less affordable in the year 2018–2019. However, after adjusting for SES variables SLT reported no change in affordability. There was a marginal increase in affordability for all products when RIP was calculated with GDP.ConclusionsAlthough implementation of GST has increased the price of tobacco products, it is still not sufficient to reduce the affordability of tobacco products, particularly SLT and especially for the lower SES group.ImplicationsTobacco use and economic disadvantage conditions of the population are intricately linked. Affordability of tobacco products is influenced by socio-economic indicators like age, sex, income, education, etc. The literature measuring the affordability of tobacco products across different SES groups is scant in India. Additionally, existing literature measures affordability of tobacco products based on per capita GDP as a proxy for income. This is the first study in Indian context to report the change in affordability of tobacco products across different SES groups after adjusting for SES indicators, using individual-level income data. We have calculated the change in affordability of tobacco products between the year 2011–2012 and 2018–2019 using GDP, household income, and individual wages as a proxy for income.

Determinants Of Maternal Mortality: An Empirical Study of Indian States Based on The Random Effect Model Analysis

Background: Healthcare for mothers and children is a significant indicator of a country's well-being. India is one of the nations that were experiencing a rather slow improvement in maternal and child health. Aims: The objective of this study is to analyse the changes in maternal healthcare in India from 2010-11 in health inputs like health infrastructure and government expenditure, health outcomes like antenatal care, postnatal care, institutional delivery, and health impact like Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR). Methodology: The study is based on secondary data. It employs Average Increasing Rate (AIR) and Average Reduction Rate (ARR), as well as a panel data random effect model, on key health indicators for Indian states. Results: Empirical results say MMR has a statistically significant inverse relationship with female literacy, Per capita Net State Domestic Product (PNSDP), and institutional delivery. The study concludes that after the introduction of NRHM and its constituent elements like JSY and JSSK, government expenditure on health, infrastructure, the percentage of antenatal care, post-natal care, and institutional delivery increased in most of the Indian states, thus helping to increase the pace of the reduction of MMR. However, state performance varies greatly. Conclusions: Policy alone will not provide the desired results; it is also critical to focus on education, particularly female literacy, and economic empowerment. We can make a difference in the health sector if these come together.

Population Growth and Its Impact on Economic Development in Nagaland: An Empirical Analysis

This study empirically tests the impact of population growth on economic development of Nagaland for the period of 1981-2011. Demographic transition helps in creating a policy environment that takes maximum advantage of the demographic potential of the State. The regression technique was incorporated to investigate the relationship between population growth and economic development. The findings indicate that the labour forces were shifting from the low-productivity agriculture sector to the higher-productivity industry and service sectors. The domino effect of the study indicates that population growth has positively and significantly contributed to economic development but is negatively affected by the unemployment rate. Now although on the one hand, if it increases growth but on the other hand, it creates a problem of unemployment and leads to a decline in net state domestic product and per-capita income. The government is advised to utilize this additional workforce efficiently as a policy tool to achieve a high and desired level of growth.

Newer tools to assess socioeconomic status of Indian households.

“Let there be no distinction between rich and poor, high and low.” – The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Publications Division XXVI – 199 Dear Editor, Ananthan in May 2021 issue of the Journal highlights modified Kuppuswamy scale for (measuring) socioeconomic status of an Indian family – Update based on new CPI (IW) series from September 2020 (data). Recently Labour Bureau, Government of India revised base year of existing CPI (IW) series from 2001 to 2016 and this letter updates the income ranges for Modified Kuppuswamy scale on this basis.[1] Notwithstanding what effect the economic revision will have on assessing socioeconomic status of an Indian family, we disagree with the basic assumption that this status is one of the most important determinants of health status of a family. If we look at current status of various States of our nation, there is a hidden lesson in relationship (or its lack) between average income per person (Net State domestic Product) and various health indicators. National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) – a government body – in collaboration with World Bank released Healthy States – Progressive India, which has a Report on the Ranks of States and Union Territories, two years ago. The Report counts on as basic health services indicators as vacancy of Medical Officers at PHCs and of Specialists at District Hospitals, proportion of functional 24 × 7 PHCs and proportion of ANC registered within first trimester against total registrations etc., It has a Figure E1 – Larger States: Incremental scores and ranks with overall performance on page 17. What this figure highlights is that Kerala is the best overall performer in ensuring welfare of its citizens, whereas richer ones like Karnataka and Telangana lag behind. Similarly, Figure E.4 on page 21 of the Report provides us a relationship between composite Health index score (a measurement of health indicators) and per capita State Domestic Product (for income). If health indicators are simple products of income, the relationship should be linear. But surprisingly that is not the case. States higher on the y axis are better social performers where Kerala tops the graph. What is striking to observe is that several other States – despite having similar wealth fare – not as good as this one. We need to learn a simple lesson from this official report[2] and others[3] that higher funds don’t automatically translate into indicators for making our lives better and much complexities exist in between. Another basic indicator of health of a society is that how many women die during childbirth. Here UNICEF provides an updated map of maternal mortality ratio.[4] When we look at it, what is obvious is that Thailand, Sri Lanka. Malaysia and Vietnam have very low figures whereas they don’t have much higher income per person than us. Hence we learn while looking around is that relationship between economic status and health indicators is complex one and several factors, for example improvement of primary and preventive care as well as providing universal basic education play a strong intermediate role to decide final outcome. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest. We accessed all the webpages while submitting this letter to the Editor.