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Data: Many states witness a decline in the Cattle population
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 5, 2021
As per the 2019 Livestock Census, many states have reported a decline in the cattle population. Across states, the population of the male cattle & male buffaloes has decreased substantially compared to their female counterparts. West Bengal is now the state with the most cattle population overtaking states like UP & MP.
In the earlier story, we had reviewed various “Prevention of Cow Slaughter” laws in the country. Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana made changes to their respective law in recent years, with a new ordinance being approved in Karnataka recently.
With the exception of 5 states and one UT, the remaining States/UTs have laws related to the prevention of slaughter and protection of cattle. Nevertheless, the scope of the law in each of the stats varies as observed in our earlier story.  One of the key reasons cited for the recent changes in the cow-slaughter laws was protection and to facilitate the propagation of the cattle in India.
We take a look at what the numbers say regarding the bovine population in the country over the years. The information is collated from the “Livestock Census” conducted by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying. The first Livestock Census was conducted in 1919, with the latest being the 20th Livestock Census, conducted in the year 2019.
Slight improvement in the Cattle numbers in the latest census after the drop observed in previous census
The Bovine population as per the Livestock Census includes 4 species – Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun & Yak. Of these, Cattle & Buffalo are the more widespread and have the major share of the bovine population in the country.
Cattle refers only to the species of Cows and their progeny – Bullocks, bulls, etc. i.e. the bovine species under “Bos Indicus” & “Bos Taurus” (the livestock includes both indigenous and exotic breeds). Buffaloes are categorized separately.
As per the 2019 census, the total Cattle population in the country is 19.34 cores i.e. an increase of 1.34% compared to the previous census in 2012, wherein it was 19.09 crores.  The improvement comes after a decline recorded in the 2012 census by about  4.1 % compared to the census in 2007. The trends over the last five censuses indicate fluctuations in the growth trends of the Cattle population of India.
On the other hand, there is a steady growth in the population of buffaloes over the past 5 censuses. As per the 2019 census, the total population of buffaloes in the country was 10.98 crores compared to 10.87 crores in the previous census 0f 2012.
Unlike the recent legislation in Karnataka, where even buffaloes are included in the scope of protection against slaughter, most of the state laws allow for the slaughter of the buffalo under certain conditions. However, it is interesting to note the consistent increase in the numbers for buffaloes, despite no specific ban on slaughter. It contrasts with the trend for cows (cattle). As highlighted in the earlier story, most of the states have Cow-protection laws for many decades. In spite of these protection laws, the growth in Cattle numbers has been inconsistent. Specifically, there has been a decline during the 17 (2003) and 19 (2012) censuses, compared to the respective previous census.
Odisha, Karnataka, M.P, U.P & Gujarat report a decline in Cattle population
Although the population of Cattle has increased at the national level as per the 2019 Livestock Census compared to the 2012 Census, the trend is not even across the different states.
The increase in the population of Cattle at the national level is majorly contributed by the increase in the cattle population of Bihar, West Bengal, and Jharkhand. As per the 2019 census, West Bengal overtook M.P & U.P as the state with the highest Cattle population in the country.
Kerala, one of the states without any cow-slaughter law, has also reported an increase in the population of cows.
Punjab & Haryana report a decline in the Buffalo population
While U.P, M.P & Gujarat were among the states which have reported a decline in the population of Cattle during the 2019 census, the population of Buffaloes in these states has increased. Buffalo’s population in Madhya Pradesh has increased by more than 25 %. Chhattisgarh on the other hand has reported a fall in the population of buffaloes in contrast to the increase in the number of cattle in the state. The same is the case with Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, states including Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) have reported a decline in the buffalo population similar to the decline observed in the cattle population in these states. Punjab and Haryana have reported the largest decline in the population of buffaloes in the 2019 census when compared to the 2012 census.
Decline in the numbers for both Male Cattle & Male Buffaloes
The marginal increase in the national level numbers for both Cattle & Buffaloes in the 2019 survey compared to 2012, can be attributed largely to an increase in the number of females of both Cattle & Buffaloes.  This increase was able to cover up the decline in the male gender of both the cattle and buffaloes.
In terms of total numbers, the number of female animals of cattle and buffalo outnumbers that of males by a large margin. In the case of buffaloes, the decline is more evident. In 2012, there were 1.61 crore male buffaloes which by 2019  decreased to 92 lakhs, a reduction of around 42%. Correspondingly there has been a marginal increase in the number of female buffaloes with it reaching 10 crores in 2019 compared to 9.25 crores in 2012.
In the case of Cattle, there has been a substantial increase in the female. In 2019, the number of female cattle was 14.59 crores compared to 12.29 crores in 2012 whereas the number declined by nearly 19% for male cattle during the same period.
Information not available for the offences booked under the Anti-slaughter laws
While there could be various reasons for the decline in the population of the bovine, the decreased dependency on the male cattle/buffaloes (bulls, bullocks, etc.) for agriculture & allied sectors could be a reason for their decline.  In contrast, Cows & Buffaloes (female) are seen to be retained for a longer period due to their milk productivity. This trend is observed across states.
For example, in Uttar Pradesh which is among the states with a major decline in the Cattle Population, the population of Male cattle fell by more than half. In 2017, the population of Male cattle in the State was around 49 lakhs which fell to 20.1 lakhs by the 2019 census. Whereas the decline in female cattle population was just around 1.6% i.e. decline by around 3.1 lakhs from the 1.89 crores recorded in the 2012 census.
The correlation between productivity and survival of the Cattle can also be ascertained by the fact that nearly 98% Female cattle in the country as per 2019 census are productive cattle, indicating that the probability of cattle being disposed beyond their productive age is very high.
The legislation in many states does allow for the slaughter of bovines including cows if they are certified to be fit for slaughter i.e. are unproductive or for other reasons. However, with the legislative changes being brought in to prevent the slaughter of these animals also, it may prove to be an additional burden on the cattle rearers unless the government provides support for the care of these animals.
The National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) annual ‘Crime in India’ (CII) report is a compilation of the offences registered, disposed & pending of the various crimes committed in the country, as reported by the respective states. The offences include those registered under IPC (Indian Penal Code) & SLL (Special & Local Laws).
Since the Anti-cow slaughter laws are passed by states, they become part of SLL. However, the NCRB’s CII report does-not provide specific information on offences registered for cow slaughter or under any of the bovine protection laws. In the absence of such data,  it is difficult to judge the implementation & the efficacy of these legislations.
Featured Image: Cattle population

created: January 5, 2021


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Market Borrowings of State Governments increased by 57% in 1st half of 2020-21
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 24, 2020
In its latest ‘Nowcast’ Report, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that India has entered a technical recession, on the back of contraction in the economy in two successive quarters. It is estimated that India’s GDP contracted by 8.6% in Q2 of  the financial year 2020-21, reflecting the state of Indian economy affected by COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown measures.
A contraction in the economy implies that there is a fall in the revenue of individuals and businesses, which in turn has an impact on the earnings of the governments – both central and the states. The Centre’s inability to pay GST compensation due to the states, is a result of the fall in expected GST revenues.
Delays in receipt of GST compensation from the Centre puts further strain on revenues of State Governments who have the challenges of their own in managing the fiscal deficit due to the fall in the State’s Own Tax Revenues (SOTR). The Centre has initially proposed that the States borrow from the RBI in lieu of GST compensation, which was opposed by many of the states. One of the reasons is the fact that the States have already been borrowing through various sources to bridge the revenue deficit and did not want to borrow further. Nevertheless, the Central government has recently announced that it would borrow from the RBI on behalf of states.
For many years, the State Governments have been financing their deficits through ‘Market Borrowings’. More recently, a major portion of the Market borrowings were through State Development Loans (SDLs). We have earlier written a story on the borrowings of the States via SDLs and observed a 50% increase in the SDL borrowings by the States during the first four months of the current financial year i.e. 2020-21 compared to the same period last year. This period also coincided with the COVID-19 induced lockdown in the country and the subsequent initial unlock phases. In this story, we take a look at the trends in Market borrowings by state governments during the first six months of the current financial year, which would throw light on the financial burden on the States due to COVID-19 lockdown and its aftermath.
As per the information provided by RBI as part of its Monthly Bulletin for November’ 2020, the combined Gross Market borrowings of all the State Governments during the first half of 2020-21 i.e. April- September’2020 was more than Rs. 3.53 lakh crores. During the same period in 2019-20 i.e. April-September’2019, the combined Market Borrowings of all the State Governments was Rs. 2.25 lakh crores indicating that the market borrowings of the states increased by 57% in 2020-21.
The market borrowings in 2019-20 were Rs. 6.34 lakh crores implying that only 35.5% of the total market borrowings in 2019-20 was during the first six months and a major portion was during the latter half of 2019-20. Data for 2018-19 also indicates that only 33% of the total borrowings in the year was during first six months of 2018-19.
State governments might be staring at a heavy burden of market borrowings in 2020-21 if similar trend continues. It has to be noted that the total borrowings during the first half of 2020-21 is already 57% more than the borrowings during the same period in 2019-20.
In the first complete month after the imposition of lockdown i.e. April 2020, the combined market borrowings of all the State Governments were Rs. 59.2 thousand crores. This is twice the amount of borrowings recorded during the same month in 2019-20 i.e. Rs. 29.57 thousand crores.  In the next month (May 2020), although there was a fall in the borrowings with Rs. 47.95 thousand crores, it was 117% higher compared to the amount in May’2019.
In June 2020 when the first phase of Unlock was implemented, although the volume of borrowings increased compared to the previous month, the difference with same period of 2019-20 was not as much as in May.  During April-June of 2020-21, there was a 61% increase in the combined market borrowings of states compared to the same period in 2019-20.
The same trend continued in the ensuing months, where in a higher amount was borrowed by the states, but the difference with the previous year has not been as much as it was in April & May.  However, in September 2020, the was a substantial increase in the Market borrowings by the State governments with a total of Rs. 83.12 thousand crores borrowed. This amount is 70.5% higher than the market borrowings of the States during September 2019. September 2020 marked an increase in the quantum of borrowings compared to the previous months.
During July to September’2020, the amount borrowed by the states from the market was 38% more than the amount borrowed during the same period in 2019-20.
The deadlock with the Centre regarding GST compensation could have been a factor in States resorting to higher market borrowings in Septmeber’2020.
While there is an increase in the overall market borrowings of the State Governments during April-September’2020 compared to same period of last year, there are variances in the Market borrowings of individual states.
The highest volume of borrowing during the first half of 2020-21 was by Maharashtra with Rs. 48.5 thousand crores. This is more than triple the state’s borrowings during the same period last year where it was Rs. 14.5 thousand crores.
Maharashtra is followed by Tamil Nadu in terms of the volume of Market Borrowings during the first half of 2020-21, with Rs. 48 thousand crores. While the variance with previous year has not been as much as Maharashtra, it is still more than double of last year.
The most significant increase when compared to the Market borrowings of last year during the period of April-September is in case of Karnataka. During the first half of 2019-20, Karnataka State government had Market borrowings to the tune of Rs. 5 thousand crores which increased nearly 6 times with Market borrowings of Rs. 29 thousand crores during the first half of 2020-21.
All these three states are among the worst affected states by COVID-19 infection. Apart from that, these three states are among the leading states in terms of revenue generation and are those which receive a higher GST compensation.
Among the other larger states, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana also have reported more than 60% increase in market borrowings when compared to last year with 83% and 68% respectively. Apart from these, the North Eastern States of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram also have reported a substantial increase in market borrowings compared to 2019-20 though the absolute amounts are lower. The proportion of increase in the market borrowings of these states during the first half of 2020-21 is higher than the national average.
Among the remaining States, Andhra Pradesh borrowed Rs. 31.2 thousand crores during the first half of 2020-21, a 55% increase compared to that of last year. Although the amount of borrowings is lesser, Uttarakhand, Goa & Odisha are the only other states which borrowed 50% or more than the amount of borrowings during same period last year. These are followed by Telangana, which borrowed Rs. 22.9 thousand crores in the first half of 2020-21 which is 45% more than last year.  Kerala, Rajasthan & Gujarat are among the other larger states which have reported more than a 25% increase in market borrowings during the first half of 2020-21 compared to last year.
Meanwhile, Punjab & Uttar Pradesh are among the larger states which have so far borrowed less during the first half of 2020-21 compared to their market borrowings during same period of last year. Jharkhand is the only state which has not yet resorted to Market borrowings in current financial year.
As indicated earlier, September 2020 recorded the highest total amount of Market Borrowings by the states in this financial year so far. The significant aspect of the numbers for this month is that nearly every state has resorted to Market borrowings, including those who have refrained from or had borrowed less in the months before September.
For few of the larger states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra & Karnataka, borrowings in September 2020 form a significant part of their total market borrowings in the current year so far.
While the situation seemed to improve since June 2020, September 2020 presents a reversal of trend. If the overall trend of higher market borrowings during the second half of the financial year continues, we might be looking at an almost 60% increase in the market borrowings of states in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20. This will complicate & weaken the fiscal position of the states. The delay in GST compensation & other dues from the centre may also add to the woes of state governments.
Featured Image: Market Borrowings of State Governments

source: news-factly

created: November 24, 2020

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Market Borrowings of States increase in May 2021 compared to April 2021
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 20, 2021
The second wave of COVID-19 resulted in lockdown restrictions in most states. These measures seem to have impacted state revenues considerably. State governments together raised more than Rs. 50,000 crores in May 2021 through ‘Market Borrowings’. This is an increase of five times over borrowings in April 2021.
In the previous story, we highlighted the increased reliance of  State governments on ‘Advances & OD facilities’ extended by the RBI to manage the pandemic-induced Financial stress. Apart from this assistance provided by RBI, the states also resort to ‘Market borrowings’ to manage the fiscal deficit and expenditure. In an earlier story, we had observed that there is a 57% increase in the Market borrowings of the State governments during the first half of 2020-21 compared to the same period in 2019-20.  In this story, we take a look at the trends in market borrowing during the whole of 2020-21 and also compare the figure with the previous years.
While the volume of Market Borrowings has increased, the growth has decreased
In the earlier story on the trends in Market Borrowings, it was observed that the increasing trend in Market borrowings by the States was evident even prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of the data over the last 5 financial years reflects this observation.
In terms of absolute value, the combined Gross value of Market Borrowings of all the States amounted to Rs. 7.98 lakh crores for 2020-21. This is the highest annual gross value of combined Market borrowings of the States over a five-year period i.e., since 2016-17. In view of the trends observed in the case of the other sources of deficit management by the States, it is fair to say that the increase in ‘Market Borrowings’ is a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The increase in ‘Market Borrowings’ is around 26% in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20. However, this is lower than the growth in ‘Market Borrowings’ in 2019-20 when it was close to 33% compared to 2018-19.  While it is true that the states have resorted to increased Market borrowings during the pandemic, it has to be noted that this is in continuation of a trend of increased reliance on ‘Market Borrowings’, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of the increase in Market Borrowings in 2020-21 is during the first three quarters
In the earlier story on ‘Market Borrowings’, we had observed that the combined ‘Market Borrowings’ of all the states during the first half of 2020-21 was 57% higher than during the same period in 2019-20. In particular, the borrowings have been substantially higher during the month of September 2020. The total market borrowings by the states during this month were 70% higher in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20.
The comparative increase in ‘Market Borrowings’ during 2020-21 continued during the third quarter also, though the increase was lower. The borrowings during Q3 of 2020-21 were around 33% higher during the same period in 2019-20.
Over the years, it is observed that the ‘Market Borrowings’ during the last quarter of a financial year are usually higher compared to the rest of the year. Based on this, we have anticipated in the earlier story, that the overall ‘Market Borrowings’ could be much higher in 2020-21. However, the last quarter of 2020-21 bucked this trend of increased borrowings. The overall volume of the ‘Market Borrowings’ by the States during Q4 is higher than each of the previous quarters but is lower than the Q4 amount of 2019-20. This could be because states had already borrowed a lot during the previous quarters and the economic situation improved because of the complete opening up of the economy in this quarter.
Tamil Nadu ‘Market Borrowings’ are the highest in 2020-21, while those of MP more than doubled
As part of the half-yearly review of ‘Market Borrowings’, it was observed that Karnataka, Maharashtra & Tamil Nadu had the highest proportionate increase in Market borrowings during the first half of 2020-21 compared to the same period in 2019-20. However, the trends observed in the first half did not prevail in most of the states during the second half of the financial year.
In terms of the absolute value of the ‘Market Borrowings’, Tamil Nadu reported the most amount with Rs. 87.97 thousand crores, followed by U.P.  During 2020-21, the total worth of ‘Market Borrowings’ by UP was Rs. 75.5 thousand crores.
Five-fold increase in market Borrowings during May 2021 compared to April 2021
The ‘Market Borrowings’ by the States reduced drastically in the first month of 2021-22, i.e., April 2021 compared to March 2021.  The overall market borrowings amounted to Rs. 9.15 thousand crores in April 2021 compared to Rs. 107.5 thousand crores in March 2021.
While this is in line with the trend in the previous years, where the ‘Market Borrowings’ at the beginning of a financial year are usually less than the amount during the end of the previous financial year, the decline is not as steep as seen in 2021-22.
This trend was soon reversed in May 2021. During the earlier years, the ‘Market Borrowings’ for May have generally been lower than that of April. This was true even in the pandemic hit 2020-21. In 2021-22 however, the ‘Market Borrowings’  during May 2021 were Rs. 50.55 thousand crores, more than a five-fold increase compared to April 2021. In fact, the ‘Market Borrowings’ during May 2021 is the highest during the month of May since 2017-18, the year when RBI began publishing the state-wise information of Market borrowings. The states of Maharashtra & Tamil Nadu are the major contributors towards this increase in May 2021.  It ought to be noted that many of the states have resorted to lockdown measures during April & May 2021 in view of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, with Maharashtra & Tamil Nadu among the states that were severely hit. The lockdown measures seem to have hit the ability of the states to mop up revenue as they resorted to increased ‘Market Borrowings’.
The trend of increased ‘Market Borrowings’ might continue in 2021-22
As the data indicates, although the volume of ‘Market Borrowings’ during the last quarter of 2020-21 was higher than the earlier quarters, the increase was comparatively lower than in 2019-20.
At the beginning of the second half of 2020-21, it was anticipated that the rate of increase in the ‘Market Borrowings’ would persist and the volume of borrowings in the second half would be much higher than in the first half in line with the general trend every year. However, with the economy opening up after the first wave of COVID-19, most of the states did not report a major increase in the borrowings as was expected.
As far as 2021-22 is concerned, a five-fold increase in ‘Market Borrowings’ was reported in May 2021 compared to April 2021. This is due to the impact of the lockdown measures in most states during the second wave of COVID-19.  While the second wave seems to have abated, the impact of this on ‘Market Borrowings’ of the states would only be known once the data for the subsequent months of June and July is available.
The uncertainty surrounding future waves of COVID-19 could cause further stress on the fiscal situation of the states, resulting in increased ‘Market Borrowings’.  As highlighted in the previous story, the rate of vaccination and growth in state revenues are going to be the key to reduce the reliance on ‘Market Borrowings’.


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Data: Market Loans Now Make Up About 2/3rds of Outstanding Debt of States/UTs
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 7, 2023
Data on the outstanding debt of States/UTs indicates that the total outstanding liabilities of States/UTs tripled in the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, from Rs. 18.6 lakh crores to Rs. 61.5 lakh crores. Market Loans now make up close to 2/3rds of the outstanding liabilities of States/UTs.
The level of public debt remains a key indicator to measure the fiscal strength of an economy. A lower public debt can ease up fiscal space for the governments to implement their policies. Hence, governments aim to limit their liabilities below acceptable debt levels. What constitutes the exact safe level of public debt is difficult to pin down precisely as it depends on the context and other market factors. However, for ease of analysis, classifying debt levels into three bands can really be helpful: a green band, in which fiscal space is ample; a yellow band, in which space is positive but sovereign risks are salient; and a red band, in which fiscal space has run out, and urgent action is needed. In this context, we look at the outstanding liabilities of the States and Union Territories in India.
Total outstanding liabilities of the states/UTs tripled between 2011 and 2021.
In India, most states do not generate adequate non-debt receipts to finance their development needs. As a result, they resort to borrowing. While they are not bad, unnecessary, and uncontrolled accumulation of debt liabilities can pose an issue of financial stability to the states. The enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003 is a step towards reaching sustainable levels of debt.
The total outstanding liabilities of the states and UT’s more than tripled between 2011 and 2021, from Rs. 18.6 lakh crores to Rs. 61.5 lakh crores.  The total outstanding liabilities grew by 15% between 2020 and 2021, whereas between 2011 to 2021, the annual growth has been below 12% except for 2016 and 2017 where the growth stood at 18%. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2020 and 2023 Budget estimates, the total outstanding liabilities grew by more than 40%.
Tamil Nadu stood as the top state with the highest outstanding liabilities as per the Budget estimates (BE) of 2023 with Rs. 7.5 lakh crores, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 7.1 lakh crores. Odisha is the only state that reduced in outstanding liabilities in 2023 BE as compared to 2022 Revised estimates (RE).
Market Loans account for more than 60% of the total outstanding liabilities of states.
States can borrow from multiple sources. It can raise market loans, it can seek loans from financial institutions, among others. The data on the ‘Composition of Outstanding Liabilities of State Governments and UTs’ indicate that the share of market loans out of the total liabilities has been increasing consistently.  From 33% in 2011 to 65% in 2023 BE, the share of market loans out of the total outstanding liabilities grew considerably. At the same time, the share of loans from the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) reduced from 27% to 4%, the share of loans and advances from the centre fell from 7.9% to 7%, Provident Funds declined from 12.5% to 8.1%, and Reserve Fund from 5.6% to 2.6% during the same period.
60% growth in loans by PSBs to corporations & PSUs of States/UTs from 2018-19 to 2022-23
The data on the number of loans disbursed by nationalized banks to corporations and public sector undertakings of the State/UTs during the past five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23 show that there is a growth of more than 60% in the loan disbursals, from Rs. 2.5 lakh crores to Rs. 4.1 lakh crores. In 2022-23, Canara Bank remains the top disburser with Rs. 1,87,813 crores, followed by Punjab National Bank with Rs. 70,143 Crores and State Bank of India with Rs. 66,523 Crores. Between 2018-19 and 2022-23, the loan disbursal from SBI declined by 1%, while that from Canara Bank grew by 57%.  The loans from Punjab National Bank grew from Rs. 5,653 crores in 2018-19 to a whopping highest of Rs. 96, 396 Crore in 2021-22. In 2022-23, it fell marginally to Rs. 70,143 Crore.
Upward growth in lending from NABARD can be seen between 2018-19 and 2022-23.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an important agency in the grant of institutional credit for boosting the rural economy.  It lends to states, corporations, co-operatives, specialized corporations, and any other dedicated funds for specific purposes. The data for the past five years about loan disbursals to different corporations under various states indicate a growing trend in credit disbursements.
Under the NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA), loan disbursal at the all-India level stood at Rs. 6,329 Crore in 2022-23, up from Rs. 2,326 Crore in 2018-19. The lending of NABARD to the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) grew from Rs. 27,623 Crore to Rs. 37,317 Crore during the same period. Under the Credit Facility to Federations (CFF), the lending grew from Rs. 29,680 Crore in 2018-19 to Rs. 47,853 Crore in 2020-21. It declined thereafter consecutively to reach Rs. 31,487 Crore in 2022-23.

created: August 7, 2023


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More elderly couples staying alone than in 2004, reveals recent NSS report
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 22, 2020
The recently released 75th round report of the National Sample Survey focused on health issues including the status of the aged persons or elderly. Data from this report indicates that more aged women are living alone compared to aged men and that more elderly couples are staying alone compared to 2004.
The National Sample Survey is an exercise carried out regularly by the government, across the country, to collect data on various socio-economic aspects influencing the life of population such as education, health, demography, employment, and agriculture. Since the most comprehensive and largest such exercise, the Census, happens only every 10 years, the NSS reports in the interim serve an important purpose for the government, policy makers, and others to identify the issues in specific areas and address the same.
Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 75th Round of NSS report which provides insights on the health sector. The survey collected quantitative information on aspects such as morbidity, government and private facilities and their roles, expenditure on treatment and consultation, condition of aged persons, among others. We look at the survey results related to ‘aged persons’ in this story.
Biologically, ageing is the result of accumulation of wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over time. Thus, as a person gets older, their physical and mental capacity may decline, making them more vulnerable to ailments and diseases. Ageing is also associated with transition in life like retirement. Aged persons may be dependent on others for financial reasons, or health related reasons. All these aspects have been covered in the NSS survey.
10.4 crore persons in India are those aged 60 and above
According to the Census 2011, there were nearly 10.4 crore aged persons in India- accounting for 8.6% of the population. ‘Aged persons’ are those who are 60 years and above. The NSS Survey revealed that percentage of aged persons was 6.6% in rural India and 7.8% in urban India.
More ‘Aged Women’ living alone as compared to ‘Aged Men’
Around 4.4% of the aged persons in rural India and 3.6% of them in urban areas were living alone, as per the survey. Gender wise distribution reveals that 7.2% of the aged women in rural areas and 5.5% of the aged women in urban areas are living alone. In contrast,  only 1.6% of the aged men in rural areas and 1.7% aged men in urban areas are living alone. Nearly 19% of the aged women in rural Andhra Pradesh and 23.4% of them in rural Telangana are living alone. Living alone includes persons in old age homes as well.
Around 13.4% of aged persons in rural areas and 15.5% of them in urban areas are living with their spouse only whereas 51.1% in rural and 48.6% in urban areas are living with spouse and other members. 39.9% of aged females in rural and 44.4% of them in urban areas are living without their spouse but with their children. Only a small fraction, 0.1% of the persons in urban areas are living with people who are not related to them.
Sizable portion of aged persons are living in their own houses
Majority of the aged persons, more than 92% in rural areas and 87% in urban areas are living in their own house. In rural areas, nearly 96% of the aged men and 89% of aged women are living in their own house. In urban areas, 91% aged men and 83% aged women are living in their own house.
Percentage of aged persons living with only spouse has increased
If we compare the current data with the previous NSS round, it is observed that the aged persons living with only their spouse in urban areas has increased from 10.4% during the 60 round in 2004 to 15.5% in the latest report while the same in rural areas has increased from 12.5% to 13.4%. This may be indicative of an increasing number of nuclear families with couples choosing to live outside the joint family setup.  The proportion of aged persons living with spouse and other members has also increased from 44.2% to 51.1% in rural areas and from 46.8% to 48.6% in urban areas.
Hardly one in three aged persons were financially independent
The financial independence of aged persons in the country, as indicated by the survey shows that only around 28% of them in rural areas (including 48% men and 10% women) and 33% of them in urban areas (including 57% men and 11% women) were financially independent. Close to a quarter of the aged persons in rural and one-fifth the persons in urban areas were partially dependent on others for their financial needs. About 47% in both rural and urban areas were fully dependent. This includes 66% of aged women in rural areas and 47% of them in urban areas who are fully dependent on others. In rural Delhi, 70% of the persons were financially independent. In Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, 40% of the aged persons in urban areas were financially independent.
As per the previous survey, nearly 52% in rural and 51% of the aged persons in urban areas were dependent fully on others. The proportion of persons who were financially independent or partially dependent on others, has increased as compared to the previous NSS Survey, again indicating the possible shift in the family structure.
Of those who are financially dependent, more than 90% of aged men depended on children and grandchildren
Majority of the aged persons who were economically dependent were dependent on their children- 79% in rural and 76% in urban areas. Of such persons, 93% of aged males in rural areas and 92% of them in urban areas and 75% aged women in rural and 72% of them in urban areas depended on their children and grandchildren.  Around 21% to 24% aged women depended on their spouse for money. Compared to the 52 round of the survey in 1995-96, the proportion of persons in both urban and rural areas, dependent on grandchildren and others has declined.
9 in 10 aged persons in India were physically mobile
Physical condition shows that around 91% of aged females and 94% of aged males in India were physically mobile, that is, they could move around. With age, the proportion of persons confined to bed and houses also increases. The proportion in rural and urban areas was not that different. About 34% aged persons in urban areas and 25% in rural areas reported illnesses. About two-thirds of aged persons with chronic illnesses and more than three-fourths of those without chronic illnesses felt that their current health was good.
Ageing population is a cause of concern
Globally, the phenomenon of ageing population is gaining attention for the last few years. Increased life expectancy coupled with dwindling fertility rates is increasing the proportion of aged persons on the planet. For instance, in India, the proportion of aged persons was around 6.7% in 1991 and has increased to 8.5% in 2011. In 2021, it is projected to increase further to 10%. Their increased proportion reduces the working age population, puts strain the health care system among other things. Governments will also be forced to spend more for aged persons as their proportion increases.
About the NSS 75th round survey: The survey was conducted between July 2017 and June 2018, collecting data from 1.13 Lakh households & 5.55 lakh persons from every district in the country. Households from about 8,077 randomly selected villages and 6,181 randomly selected urban blocks were considered for the survey. The data in the NSS report is based on responses of persons and not based on any official government records.
Featured Image: By balouriarajesh

created: September 22, 2020


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More than 1.32 crore beneficiaries registered directly for second dose of vaccine on Co-WIN
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 5, 2021
As per data shared by the MoHFW in response to a RTI application, more than 1.32 crore beneficiaries registered directly for the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine on the Co-WIN portal. While the exact scenarios in which such direct registration is allowed are not known, there are variations between states & age groups.
A vaccination certificate is issued to individuals in India after they receive the COVID-19 vaccine by registering on the Co-WIN platform. After the first dose, a provisional COVID-19 vaccine certificate is issued. The final certificate is issued after both the required doses are given.
The provisional COVID-19 vaccination certificate in India that is given after the first dose contains details like the beneficiary’s name, type of vaccine, date of vaccination, location of vaccination centre, and scheduled time period for receiving the second dose. The certificate is important as it is a confirmation that an individual has received the first dose and the eligible date for the second dose is based on this. It is also considered a valid proof of vaccination and is important to ensure that the second dose is not mixed up with that of another vaccine.
What are the issues with registrations & vaccine certificates?
Delays: Recently, there were multiple media reports about the delay in receiving the COVID-19 vaccination certificate. There were complaints that even after weeks of taking the first dose, they had not received their vaccine certificate. Delay in the issue of these certificates has raised concerns among beneficiaries since the eligibility for the second dose is dependent on this.
Errors in entry & non-registration: Moreover, with the increase in vaccination speed, errors in data entry, and technical glitches meant that individuals have received certificates with mistakes in date or names. Incidents of receiving multiple certificates as well as not being registered for the first dose in spite of having taken it were also reported from across the country. According to another report in The New Indian Express, from March 2021, at least 20% of the vaccinated in Kerala had failed to register because of a glitch in the Co-WIN portal. Those who do not register in the portal do not get the vaccine certificate and hence may not be eligible for the second dose. The registration on the portal is vital as it helps keep track of vaccination status and related statistics. Further, progress in vaccination is one of the criteria for vaccine allocation by the centre to the states. In June 2021, the government announced that one can make corrections to the name, year of birth and gender on the vaccination certificates if inadvertent errors had come in.
Merging two first doses: Since the mobile number is used as the primary identifier for registration on the Co-WIN portal, there have been cases where individuals have registered using two different mobile numbers during the two doses and ended up receiving two certificates but both for the first dose. In June 2021, the government has enabled merging of doses based on ID credentials in case people have got the 2 doses with different phone numbers. The two first dose vaccination certificates that a fully vaccinated individual receives, should be merged to get the final certificate of vaccination. Issues have also been reported in the merging process because of spellings errors and others.
Vaccine through the backdoor: Besides the issues mentioned above, there are individuals who took the first dose through the backdoor illegally when the vaccination was not open for his/her age group. Registration & slot booking for the second dose is an issue for such individuals who got their first dose ‘illegally’ with connivance of staff at government hospitals, primary health centres, and other vaccination centres as their first dose is not entered in the online database. Even though they can get the second dose similarly, they still may not get a certificate as their details are not registered.
Factly filed an RTI to know if there are provisions for direct registration of 2nd Dose in Co-WIN portal
Following such media reports, Factly filed a Right to Information application (RTI) with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) to find out if there are individuals who registered directly for the 2 dose on the Co-WIN portal without registering during their first dose. The following information was sought.
We received the response with the relevant data up to 19 July 2021.
When is direct registration for the second dose allowed?
We could not find any information in the public domain about the conditions or scenarios in which direct registration for the second dose is allowed. There could be multiple reasons like non-registration during the first dose, registration with a wrong mobile number, persons taking the first dose in a different country, taking the first dose illegally without registration when one is not eligible etc.
To know about such conditions in detail, we have written to the MoHFW seeking clarification on the following aspects. The article would be updated as and when a response is received.
Clarity on these would help us better understand the reasons behind such direct registrations and the variation among states.
More than 1.3 crore beneficiaries have registered directly for the second dose on the Co-WIN portal
According to the data provided by MoHFW in response to the RTI application, more than 21.6 lakh beneficiaries aged 18 to 44 years and over 1.11 crore beneficiaries aged 45 years and above, registered directly for the second dose on the Co-WIN portal. As of 03 August 2021, over 10 crore persons have been administered both doses of the vaccine according to the Co-WIN dashboard.
As per the data provided by the government, no beneficiaries were reported to have registered directly for the 2 dose in January 2021 because India began the administration of COVID-19 vaccines only on 16 January 2021 in phases. The first phase focused on healthcare workers, and frontline workers like police, military, and sanitization staff, and those aged above 50 years. Persons with co-morbidities below 50 years of age were also included in this phase.
Most registrations among the 18 to 44 years group took place in March while among >44 years age group in April
Monthly data reveals that in the months of February and March 2021, the number of beneficiaries who had registered directly on Co-WIN for the second dose in the 18 to 44 years age group were more than their counterparts in the 45 years old and above category. It should be remembered that the Phase-II of the vaccination drive was rolled out from 01 March 2021 and 01 April 2021 and focused on vaccinating the most vulnerable population (those aged more than 45 years) and Phase-III was rolled out from 01 May 2021 making those aged 18 years and above eligible for vaccination.
However, since April 2021, the number of beneficiaries who registered for the second dose directly in the 45 years and above category witnessed a sudden spike. About 25 lakh such direct registrations have taken place in each of the months between April and June in the 45 years and above age group. The registrations in the 18 to 44 years old age group have also gone up from 1.77 lakhs in April to more than 4 lakhs in June 2021. The number of registrations in the 18 to 44 years old age group has crossed 4 lakhs in just 19 days of July 2021. This increase could be because of the increased gap between doses of Covishield which came into implementation from mid-May 2021. In other words, those who took the first dose of vaccine in March and April would become eligible for the second dose in June & July instead of May 2021.
90% of direct registrations among 18 to 44 years age group were from 16 states
State-wise data shows that 16 states together accounted for more than 90% of the direct registrations for the second dose in the 18 to 44 years age group. Each of these states had more than 50,000 such registrations in this age group. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra had more than 2 lakh such beneficiaries each, followed by UP, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh with more than 1 lakh beneficiaries each. In UP and Gujarat, more than 1 lakh such direct registrations took place in the month of March alone. Among the top 16 states, most direct registrations took place in the month of March in 12 states while in the remaining four, June or July had the most direct registrations for the second dose.
12 states accounted for 81% of registrations among those aged 45 years and above
The trend across states for the 45 years and above age group is different from the 18 to 44 age group. Most states recorded an increase in the months of April and May.  12 states which had more than 4 lakh direct registrations each accounted for almost 81% of such registrations. UP, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, which are among the states with the highest number of second doses administered, had more than 10 lakh direct registrations each followed by AP, Gujarat, and Rajasthan with more than 9 lakh direct registrations each.
Andhra Pradesh has a higher Ratio of ‘Direct Second dose registrations to number of first doses’
With over 9.58 lakh direct registrations for the second dose across age groups, Andhra Pradesh ranks fourth among all the states. These direct registrations for the second dose amount to 6.6% of the first dose vaccinations in the state. Among the top-15 states with the highest number of direct 2 dose registrations, Andhra Pradesh has the highest ratio.
The closest state to Andhra Pradesh is Karnataka with the direct second dose registrations at 4.7% of the total number of first doses administered in the state.  Although U.P has the most direct second dose registrations, it accounts for only 3.1% of the state’s first doses administered.
86% direct second dose registrations were for Covishield
As of 03 August 2021, over 41.9 crore doses of Covishield and 4.73 crore doses of Covaxin have been administered in India. Among the two, Covishield accounts for almost 90% of the doses while Covaxin accounts for the remaining 10%. As per the data shared by the government in response to the RTI application, as of 19 July 2021, over 1.15 crore direct registrations for the second dose, accounting for 86% of the total were for Covishield, whereas over 18.3 lakh direct registrations accounting for the remaining 14% were for Covaxin.
Provision has been made for vaccinating foreign returnee Indians who have taken the first dose in a different country
On 23 July 2021, the Health Department of Odisha issued a circular asking the district officials to administer a second dose of vaccine to foreign returnees who have taken the first dose of Covishield or AstraZeneca outside India, if they register online. This announcement was made following the Union Health Ministry’s communication to the states. Going forward, this could be one scenario in which people could register directly for the second dose.
Featured Image: Second dose of COVID-19

created: August 5, 2021


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Data: More than 11,000 Athletes Competed in the 2018 Asian Games, the Highest till Date - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 15, 2023
The 19th edition of the Asian Games will begin soon on Hangzhou, China. Asian Games, considered the second largest sporting spectacle after the Olympics will see participation from more than 40 countries. In the 2018 edition, more than 11,000 athletes competed, the first time the number crossed 10,000. Here is a low-down on the history of the games.
The 19 edition of the Asian Games will soon begin in Hangzhou, China. Initially scheduled for 2022, the Games were deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be held over a span of fifteen days from 23 September to 08 October 2023. Asia’s best athletes will be competing for top honours across 40 sports, 61 disciplines, and 481 events at the quadrennial event. Also known as Asiad, the Asian Games are considered the second-largest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympics. All member nations of the Olympic Council of Asia are eligible to participate in the event.
In this story, we look at how the Asian Games have evolved and improved in several ways over the years to become one of the most significant sporting events in the world by looking at participation and competition over the years. The data for this story has been taken from Dataful.
Asian Games officially started in 1951 after decolonization
The history & evolution of the Asian Games is an interesting journey that spans decades and reflects not only the growth of sports in Asia but the region’s evolving socio-political landscape too. As decolonization gained momentum after World War II, the notion of a continental sporting event for emerging nations gained traction. Asian nations sought a platform to promote mutual understanding and cooperation while asserting their independence and athletic capabilities.
While the 1951 edition is formally recognized as the First Asian Games, the Far Eastern Championship Games, also known as the Oriental Olympics, and conducted between 1913 and 1934, are often regarded as the precursors to the Asian Games. However, Guru Dutt Sondhi, the Indian International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative in London in 1948, proposed a more inclusive competition, involving more nations than just countries from the Far East. India played a leading role and hosted the inaugural 1951 Asian Games, although they were postponed by a year due to preparation delays.
The Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China, postponed to 2023 due to COVID-19, marks only the second time this event has been rescheduled. From the 1951 New Delhi Games held in India to the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games in Indonesia, the event has been hosted a total of 18 times by 9 nations.
Thailand has hosted the highest number of Asian Games having staged 4 editions (1966, 1970, 1978, and 1998). The country’s capital Bangkok hosted all four Games. South Korea hosted the games thrice (1986, 2002 and 2014). This year’s games will also be China’s third time hosting the Games after having hosted the games previously in 1990 and 2010. After 1951, India hosted the games once again in 1982. Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia will be hosting the Games in 2026, 2030 and 2034, respectively.
46 Nations have participated in the Games so far
A total of 46 nations have participated in the Games, including Israel, which was excluded from the Games after its last participation in 1974 due to political reasons. The number of participating nations was only 11 in the first edition of the Games which has now increased to 45 since 2006. Afghanistan, Burma (present-day Myanmar), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and India were the 11 participating countries in the first Asian Games.
Five Regional Sports are included apart from the Olympic Sports
Over the years, the number of sports has also increased. Usually, as per the rules, the Games may include all the Olympic Sports and events, as approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) including the mandatory sports of Athletics and Swimming. In addition, it can also include five regional sports and two sports proposed by the Asian Games Organizing Committee (AGOC) and approved by the OCA Executive Board (EB).
Following these provisions, unique Asian sports such as kabaddi, kurash, and sepak takraw have been included in past Asian Games, alongside Olympic sports. Competitions in archery, artistic swimming, boxing, breaking, hockey, modern pentathlon, sailing, tennis, and water polo will also serve as Olympic qualifiers, with 74 Paris Olympics 2024 quota spots available in those nine sports. The 2023 Games also has medals up for grabs in cricket as the sport returns to the event after nine years. Cricket was previously included as a medal event in 2010 and was contested again at the next edition in 2014.
The highest number of sports included was 42 in 2010. A total of 40 different sports have been included in the Games for 2023. India will be competing in 38 of them.
Along with the number of sports, the number of events has also increased. From 57 events contested in 1951, the number of events in the Asian Games has crossed 400 since 2002. Around 465 events were held in the Games 2018. This year, the competition will be across 481 events.
More than 11,000 athletes took part in 2018
For the first time, the number of participants touched five digits in 2018 with 11,800 participants. This is the all-time highest number of participants in the Asian Games since its inception. The number was less than 500 in the initial year. In fact, India alone will be sending 634 athletes to the Asian Games 2023. China has reported that 886 athletes will be participating.
Appu – the elephant is regarded the first mascot
The mascots of the Asian Games have varied in appearance and symbolism over the years, reflecting the host country’s culture, heritage, and values. The 1982 Games held in New Delhi was the first Asian Games to have a mascot. The mascot for the Games was Appu – a kid elephant. Known in real life as “Kuttinarayanan”, this elephant fractured its leg in an accident when he was seven years old and succumbed to the injury later. The official mascots of the 19th Asian Games are robots Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen, which symbolize the internet prowess of Hangzhou City and Zhejiang province.
The performance of countries in the Asian Games varies from edition to edition, and certain countries have historically been strong contenders in terms of medal counts. While some countries consistently perform well across multiple sports, others excel in specific disciplines. In the next story, we will look at the medals won by different nations while focusing on India’s performance.

created: September 15, 2023


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More than 120 countries reported some level of disruption in ‘Routine Immunization’ due to COVID-19
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 23, 2021
A recently released ‘Lancet’ study notes that around 126 countries reported some level of disruption in routine immunization services due to the pandemic. South Asia seems to be the most affected region. However, the Union Health Ministry has denied poor coverage of immunization services due to the pandemic.
Childhood immunization is important to protect children from severe illnesses and potentially life-threatening diseases such as polio, measles, whooping cough, and others. Routine immunization must be undertaken as per the recommended schedule to protect infants and children by providing immunity early in life. Vaccines are known to have reduced child mortality rates to half, saving millions of lives. Delaying or not taking a vaccine has its own risks and has the potential to affect a child’s health for life.
However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, severe disruptions in routine and essential health services including routine immunization for children were reported in many parts of the world. ‘The Lancet’ recently published a study report on the scale & extent of this disruption.
126 out of 170 countries faced some level of disruption in routine immunization due to pandemic
According to a recent study published in ‘The Lancet’, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the most widespread and largest global disruption to life-saving immunization programmes in recent history, putting millions of children at risk of measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough) in both rich and poor countries. Some level of disruption was reported by 126 of 170 countries (74%) during the earlier phase of the pandemic. Factors such as mobility restrictions, fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2, diversion of resources towards tackling the pandemic, unavailability of healthcare workers, shortages in PPE Kits, need for social distancing, have led to the disruption around the world.
The study analysed global and regional patterns in disruptions to the routine immunization through administration of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, third dose (DTP3) vaccine and measles-containing vaccine, first dose (MCV1) in 2020 based on data reported by countries and supplementary sources. The study involved modelling to estimate the number of doses expected to be given in 2020 had the pandemic not broken out and compared it with the actual number of doses administered to estimate the number of additional children who missed the routine vaccine doses in 2020 because of COVID-19.
8.5 million doses of DTP3 and 8.9 million doses of MCV1 were not given to children in 2020 due to pandemic
Between January to December 2020, an estimated 30 million children missed doses of DTP3, and 27.2 million children missed MCV1 doses. An estimated 8.5 million third doses of the DTP vaccine and 8.9 million first doses of the measles vaccine were not given to children worldwide in 2020 because of the pandemic. As compared to the expected coverage levels if the COVID-19 outbreak had not taken place, DTP3 vaccine coverage dropped by 7.7% while MCV1 vaccine coverage dropped by 7.9% in 2020.
The findings of the study indicated that South Asia was the most acutely affected region in 2020 with the greatest drop in vaccination coverage.  An estimated 3.6 million doses of DTP3 and 2.2 million doses of MCV1 vaccine missed by eligible children due to the pandemic were in South Asia. In South Asia, DTP3 was estimated to have fallen by 13% and MCV1 by 4%, compared to expected levels, because of the pandemic. Nonetheless, between May and December 2020, vaccine delivery appeared to improve, with the monthly estimated doses administered approaching expected levels by the end of the year.
23 million children were unvaccinated or under-vaccinated in 2020, according to UNICEF
Meanwhile, data published by WHO and UNICEF showed that global coverage of the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) fell from 86% in 2019 to 83% in 2020, the lowest since  2008. 90% of countries that reported 2020 data experienced stagnant or declining coverage of DTP3 compared to 2019, as per UNICEF. Further, 23 million children were unvaccinated or under-vaccinated as they missed out on basic vaccines through routine immunization services in 2020. More than 60% of these 23 million children lived in ten countries including India, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Philippines, Angola, and Mexico, and 17 million of them did not receive any vaccines. South Asia witnessed the sharpest decline in DTP3 coverage- from 90% in 2019 to 84% in 2020.
Meanwhile, the coverage of DTP1 had dropped from 90% to 87% and coverage of MCV1 had dropped from 86% to 84%. Compared to 2019, 3.5 million more children did not receive the first dose of the DTP1 vaccine around the world, while 3 million more children missed their first measles dose.
Huge increase in children who did not receive the first dose of DTP vaccine in India: UNICEF
With respect to DTP1 vaccine coverage, in absolute numbers, India recorded the greatest increase in children who did not receive the first dose of the DTP vaccine. Over 3 million children in India missed out on their DTP1 vaccine in 2020. In other words, an additional 1.64 million children in India did not receive DTP1 in 2020 as compared to 2019 when over 1.4 million children missed the vaccine, according to UNICEF’s data. Countries with the largest increase in children who did not receive DTP1 is given in the following chart.
Union Health Ministry denied reports of poor immunization coverage
India’s Union Health Ministry issued a statement on 16 July 2021 stating that “there have been some media reports alleging that lakhs of Indian children may have missed their routine vaccinations due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 leading to increased risk of future outbreaks and deaths. These reports are not based on facts and do not reflect the true picture.”
Furthermore, the statement clarified that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Health Ministry has been focused on maintaining essential services, including immunization under the Universal Immunization Programme. In the first quarter of 2021, between January and March 2021, India has achieved 99% DTP3 coverage, the highest to date. The Ministry also listed the measures taken amidst the pandemic to mitigate negative impacts of COVID-19 on vaccination services such as issuance of guidelines, training, identification of high-risk areas for risk mitigation etc.
HMIS data shows India’s vaccination coverage dropped slightly in 2020
According to the Health Management Information System (HMIS), India administered over 1.08 lakh doses of the DTP1 vaccine in 2018, which reduced to around 80,000 doses in 2019. Likewise, over 81,000 doses of the DTP3 vaccine were administered in 2018, which also reduced to less than 43,500 doses in 2019. In 2020, the year of outbreak, while the total number of doses of DTP1 administered further dropped to around 76,000 doses, the number of DTP3 doses administered increased to nearly 56,000 doses. In the first five months of 2021, more than 39,000 doses of DTP1 and 28,000 doses of DTP3 have been administered. At this rate, the doses administered in 2021 might cross the 2020 levels by the end of 2021.
Rotavirus1 administration increased in 2020
Other important vaccines administered in India are the BCG vaccine, a birth dose of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Vaccine against Measles (MCV1), and the vaccine against Rotavirus. The number of doses of BCG vaccines administered in 2018 was about 23.4 million, and 24.1 million in 2019. However, in 2020, the number dropped to 22.6 million doses. A similar trend is observed with respect to the polio vaccine- from 17.7 million doses in 2018, the coverage increased to 18.6 million doses in 2019, to 17.5 million doses in 2020. In contrast, the first doses of the rotavirus vaccine increased from 8.2 million in 2018 to 22.42 million in 2020. Meanwhile, the MCV1 vaccine administration dropped slightly from 23.4 million doses in 2019 to 23 million doses in 2020. In the first five months of 2021, approximately 40% of doses administered in 2020 have been administered.
Routine immunization must continue
Routine vaccination services were disrupted during the pandemic in many countries across the world, especially the highly populated South Asian countries. Though the second half of 2020 witnessed recovery efforts, it was not enough to get back to usual levels. With new variants of COVID-19 emerging, it continues to be a threat even in 2021. While governments are focused on the administration of COVID-19 vaccines, routine immunization must also continue with adequate safety measures. The progress made in the past many years in immunization has suffered a setback due to COVID-19. Past outbreaks such as the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, also led to large disruptions to routine immunisation and resulted in a subsequent measles outbreak. There is a real danger of disease outbreaks if routine immunization is not taken care of alongside the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. Such disease outbreaks during a pandemic will further burden the healthcare system and hence it is imperative that countries across the world make efforts to continue with routine immunization.
Featured Image: Disruption in Routine Immunization


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Data: More than 20% of the Centre’s Indirect tax revenue is through excise duty on Petrol & Diesel
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 10, 2020
Data indicates that in the last five years, more than 20% of the Centre’s indirect tax revenue is earned through excise duty on petrol & diesel. State Governments also have a similar reliance on VAT on fuel. Here is a detailed analysis.
After a 21-day continuous surge, the prices of fuel (petrol & diesel) in India came to a halt on 28June 2020. During this period, the price of diesel has recorded a historic high and the prices of both petrol & diesel have crossed ₹80 per litre (in Delhi).  The surge in fuel prices during this period can be attributed to the increase in the crude oil prices in the international market coupled with the increase in central excise duty in May 2020 and other state taxes.
However, this price rise is in continuation of the increase in fuel prices that can be traced back as far as April 2020. It ought to be noted that, there has been a record-fall in the global crude-oil prices during that period. This has resulted in reduced prices of Indian crude-oil basket, but there was no corresponding reduction in the fuel prices in India because of the steep increase in central excise duty.
With the adverse effect of COVID-19 induced lockdown on economy and incomes of people, there have been calls from the opposition asking to government reduce taxes to ease the fuel-price burden.
Central Excise duty and State Taxes form a key component of Retail fuel prices
Retail Petrol/Diesel prices in India are an outcome of price build-up of four different components.
As per the price build-up updated by one of the OMC’s, HPCL, the latest retail price of petrol in a HPCL retail Pump outlet is ₹ 80.47 in Delhi as of 01 July 2020. Of the retail selling price, the price charged to dealers by HPCL is ₹ 25.28 and the Commission being paid to the dealers is ₹ 3.64. The Central Excise Duty forms the major component with ₹ 32.98 i.e. nearly 41% of the total retail price at the petrol outlet.  The States VAT charged in Delhi amounts to ₹18.57. The state VAT varies from state to state based on the tax rate in that state.  The retail price of Diesel also has similar workings in its price build-up.
Nine-fold increase in Central Excise duty on Diesel since May  2014
As highlighted earlier, Central Excise Duty is a fixed amount that is levied by the Government of India. This duty is not a percentage on price of the fuel. Hence the amount of duty is not impacted by the price of crude oil in the international market.
When the NDA Government under PM Modi first came to power in May 2014, the Central Excise Duty on Diesel was ₹ 3.56 and the excise duty on Petrol was ₹ 9.48.
The first hike in Central Excise duty was made in November’2014 with the duty increased to ₹ 11.02 and ₹ 5.11 on petrol and diesel respectively with a further increase in December’2014. The excise duty was revised a further four times in 2015 and thrice in 2016. Each time there has been an increase in the duty on both petrol and diesel with it reaching ₹ 21.48 and ₹ 17.33 respectively.
On 04 October 2017, there was another revision, but this time the excise duty was reduced to ₹19.48 and ₹ 13.33 respectively. This was the first excise duty cut by the Modi Government. The cut in excise duty on fuel continued in 2018, with two more revisions. By end of 2018, the Central excise duty on petrol and diesel was ₹ 15.98 and ₹ 11.83 respectively.
In May 2019, the Narendra Modi government came to power for the second time. In July 2019, there was a revision with a ₹ 2 increase in excise duty on both petrol & diesel.  In March’2020 there was a significant hike in the excise duty on fuel by ₹ 5 per litre on both petrol & diesel.
The latest revision of excise duty was on 06 May’2020 when the Central Government announced another major hike in the Central excise duty with an increase of ₹ 10 on petrol and ₹13 on diesel.  As on date, the excise duty on Petrol is ₹ 32.98, while it is ₹ 31.83 in the case of diesel. Overall, in these six years of NDA government, the excise duty on petrol increased three-fold and it increased almost nine-fold in the case of diesel.
Rajasthan, Karnataka and Telangana among states which levy highest VAT % on Fuel
VAT & other taxes levied by the states has large variances in terms of type of charges, calculation as well as the extent of charges. Each individual state has autonomy in fixing these charges.
In terms of the VAT % on Fuel, Rajasthan levies the highest with 38% & 28% VAT on petrol & diesel. Telangana charges 35.2% and 27%, while Andhra Pradesh charges 31% and 22.5% on petrol & diesel respectively. Karnataka charges a Sales Tax of 35% and 24%.  While Maharashtra charges comparatively less VAT %, it has a higher fixed rate per lite with approximately ₹ 10 for petrol & ₹ 3 for diesel.
Central Excise Duty on fuel contributed to more than 20% of the revenue through Indirect Taxes
As per the information provided by Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the Ministry of Petroleum, contribution of Excise duty on Crude oil and Petroleum products towards Central exchequer was ₹ 2.14 lakh crores in 2018-19.
As per the update provided in Lok Sabha on 03 February’2020, revenue from Indirect taxes amounted to ₹ 9.37 lakh crores i.e. Central Excise on Fuel was around 23% of the indirect tax revenue. This Central Excise revenue on fuel in 2018-19 was lesser than the previous year 2017-18 which was 2.29 lakh crores, which further fell from ₹ 2.42 lakh crores in 2016-17. The share of Central Excise on fuel in the total revenue through indirect taxes also fell from 28.17 % in 2016-17 and 25.2 % in 2017-18 to 23% in 2018-19.
However, the quantum of revenue through Excise duty on petrol and its share in Indirect taxes in 2018-19 is significantly higher than the numbers in 2014-15, where in it was ₹0.99 lakh crores and 18.9% respectively. The provisional revenue through Excise duty on fuel is estimated at ₹2.23 lakh crores for 2019-20. This might increase substantially in 2020-21 because of the steep rise in excise duty on petrol & diesel.
Revenue earned by States through VAT & Sales Tax has increased over the years
In 2014-15, the States together earned a combined ₹1.37 lakh crores as revenue from VAT & Sales Tax on fuel, with an increase in the subsequent years. In 2016-17, there was an increase by 23 thousand crores compared to that of previous year. In 2018-19, the revenue generated by states through VAT and other taxes on fuel crossed 2 lakh crores with total revenue amounting to ₹ 2.01 lakh crores.
Maharashtra earned the highest revenue in 2018-19, with more than ₹ 27 thousand crores followed by Uttar Pradesh & Tamil Nadu with ₹ 19 thousand crores and ₹18 thousand crores respectively. The information provided by PPAC, further states that Gujarat has earned over ₹16 thousand crores followed by  Karnataka at ₹14 thousand crores in 2018-19. All these amounts contribute to a significant share in the respective state tax revenues.
Share of excise revenue in Central’s revenue can increase further
Trends over the past few years suggest a fall in the Union revenues compared to the budgetary estimates, which is leading to a higher fiscal deficit and not enough funds to meet the budgeted expenditure. The situation of the states is no different with the revenues of states shrinking over the past few years especially with the economy slowing down.
Experts opine that the lockdown imposed in wake of COVID-19, could further have a detrimental effect on the economy. The lack of economic activity and the challenges in revival of various sectors of economy could mean a severe shortfall in the estimated tax revenues of both the centre & states. The GST revenues have also fallen compared to previous years.
As the data indicates, the share of revenue earned through excise duty in overall indirect tax revenue has increased considerably over the years. States also have a similar dependence on VAT on petrol & diesel with the  VAT share ranging from 10% to 20% of the State’s own tax revenue (SoTR).
The huge increase in the central excise duty by ₹10 and ₹13 on petrol and diesel respectively could further increase the overall revenue earned through duties and taxes levied on fuel. With declining revenues from other sources and prospective increase in the revenues from taxing fuel, the reliance on tax revenue from fuel would further increase both for the centre & the states. The governments have a difficult choice to make whether to reduce taxes on fuel or not miss the opportunity to increase tax revenue.


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Data: More than 25% of the Cancer cases in India due to Tobacco usage
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 28, 2020
The NCRP report on cancer incidence in India was released recently. The report estimates that the number of cancer cases in India would reach 15.7 lakhs by 2025. The report also mentions that more than 25% of these cases are due to tobacco usage which is preventable. The global cancer incidence is estimated to reach 2.94 crores by 2040 with 2/3rd of these cases in lower & middle-income countries.
The month of October is globally observed as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month during which a dedicated campaign is organized to educate people about breast cancer. However, according to the recently released National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) Report 2020, the incidence of  many different types of cancer is on a rise along with breast cancer.  The report, published by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, estimates that there will be over 13.9 lakh cancer cases by the end of 2020 which is likely to increase to 15.7 lakhs by 2025.
Considered the emperor of all maladies, cancer is a generic term for a collection of related diseases which may develop in almost any organ or tissue in the body when there is an uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells formed due to the alterations in DNA spread and damage the surrounding tissues/organs. When these cells spread to other organs, the process is called metastasizing, which is a major cause of death from cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death across the world among the ‘Noncommunicable diseases’ (NCDs), after cardiovascular diseases. About one in six deaths in the world is because of cancer, according to the WHO.
Multiple factors cause cancer
The cause of cancer cannot be pin pointed as it is multifactorial in origin. Interaction between a person’s genetic factors and the different types of external carcinogenic agents such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, chemicals such as tobacco smoke components, asbestos, and infections from certain pathogens such as human papillomavirus, is what results in the abnormality in cells. Other factors include ageing and physical inactivity. Cancer cells could develop even because of genetic mutations inherited from parents. It can be acute (sudden onset), sub-acute (slow onset), or chronic (long period). The International Classification of Diseases lists more than 600 types of cancer. Cancer of lung, mouth, stomach, and oesophagus were the most common among males and cancer of breast and cervix uteri were the most common among females.
Many Countries implementing National Cancer Control Plans
Many countries are implementing their own National Cancer Control Plans in preventing the disease, treatment, rehabilitation, and other purposes. Under these plans, it is necessary to keep track of the cancer burden in the country and its future evolution. Effectiveness of interventions need to be monitored too. Cancer registries that are maintained by countries which is like a census of cancer cases serves this purpose. The registry collates data on incidence, type, and mortality due to cancer in the country. The National Cancer Registry Programme Report (NCRP) provides the information on estimated incidence and mortality in India.
The latest NCRP report is based on the data from 2012-16. Data from 28 Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) and 58 Hospital Based Cancer Registries (HBCR) have been used. PBCRs record new cancer cases in a defined population whereas HBCRs record information on cancer patients attending a particular hospital. The report has estimated that the incidence of cancer cases in India rose from 12.6 lakh cases in 2016 to 13.25 lakhs in 2018. Further, it is projected that the incidence of cases would go up to at least 13.9 lakh cases by the end of 2020 and increase to nearly 15.7 lakh cases by 2025, an increase of almost 13%.
Incidence of Cancer among female is higher than the male counterparts
The incidence of cancer among females is estimated to be higher than males. Incidence of the disease among females was 6.43 lakhs in 2016 and estimated to be 6.95 lakh cases in 2019. The number of females diagnosed with cancer is projected to cross 7 lakh cases in 2020 and 8 lakh cases by 2025. Meanwhile, the incidence of the disease among males was 6.16 lakhs in 2016, which increased to 6.47 lakhs in 2018 and is projected to reach 7.63 lakh cases by 2025. It is projected that the number of males with cancer will increase by 12.4% between 2020 and 2025 while that of females will increase by around 13.1%.
27% of the cancer cases in India are due to tobacco usage
Estimates by site of cancer for 2019 shows that Breast Cancer accounted for nearly 15% of the cancer cases in India in 2019. Among females, 28.8% of the cases (more than 2 lakh cases), were that of breast cancer and cervix cancer was the site in about 10.5% of the cases (around 0.73 lakhs). Among males, lung cancer was the most common, accounting for 10.5% of the cases, nearly 0.7 lakh cases. Mouth cancer accounted for over 8.4% of the cases. Breast cancer was more common in metros.
The 2020 projection indicates that 27.1% of the cases in India, about 3.77 lakh cases, are due to tobacco related causes. This is projected to increase to 4.27 lakh cases by 2025. Cancers in the gastrointestinal tract is estimated to contribute to 19.7% of the cancer cases in 2020. It is also observed that the incidence of cancer was high in the north-eastern region. Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, has the highest incidence rate for cancer in the male population with more than 269 persons per lakh population diagnosed with cancer. Papum Pare district in Arunachal Pradesh had the highest incidence rate of cancer among females with nearly 220 females diagnosed per lakh population. It is also seen that the cancers related to tobacco was highest in the north-eastern region as compared to other parts of the country.
The incidence rate of stomach cancer among males in Aizawl district was the highest even compared to non-Asian countries. The highest incidence of lung cancer in females in Asia was also recorded in Aizawl. It must also be noted that the nortḥ-eastern region does not have adequate medical facilities. Accessibility is also a problem in this region. Incidence of tobacco related cancers such as oral and lung cancers and cervix cancers are an indication of the poor socio-economic conditions of a country since both these are preventable. Lower- and middle-income countries have more incidence of cervix and tobacco related cancers.
Cancer rates projected to increase by 60% in the next 20 years
According to WHO, nearly every country has seen an increase in cancer cases over the past decade. The cancer rates are projected to rise by at least 60% over the next 20 years. In 2018, a total of 1.81 crore cancer cases were recorded worldwide and around 96 lakh people lost their lives to the deadly disease. Lung, breast, and colorectal cancer were the most prominent and together accounted for 33.4% of the cancer cases globally in 2018. It is projected that by 2040, there will be over 2.94 crore cases of cancer. Nearly 67% of these will be in lower and middle-income countries. Vaccination against HPV virus, limiting tobacco usage, encouraging an active lifestyle, are some of the measures that could be taken to reduce the disease burden.
Cancer cases in India

created: October 28, 2020


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More than 40% of the Complaints against Airlines in 2020 & 2021 were about ‘Refund’, more than 90% of them against ‘Air India’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 22, 2022
Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) indicates that while the total number of complaints against scheduled airlines reduced in 2020 & 2021, there was a dramatic and more than 10-fold increase in the number of complaints related to ‘Refund’ in 2020 & 2021. While complaints related to ‘Refund’ made up for more than 40% of all complaints in 2020 & 2021, more than 90% of the ‘Refund’ related complaints were against ‘Air India’ alone.
The aviation industry is among the most severely impacted sectors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions on air travel in wake of the first wave of COVID-19 in India had severely impacted the airline industry. The recovery after the first wave was hampered with the onset of the second wave. The industry is once again on the path of recovery, though slower than expected.  During the first wave and in the later months, the restrictions on air travel resulted in the cancellation of the airline services thereby impacting the travellers.
The Air-Sewa application launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation is a digital platform that enables travellers to submit grievances and seek information on air travel in India. Even otherwise, the domestic scheduled airlines are required to submit the details of the complaints to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as part of their monthly submission. Here is a look at the trends in passenger complaints received by domestic airlines over the years.
A decline in the complaints during the pandemic
Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, the Minister for Civil Aviation on 10 February 2022, provided information on the complaints received against domestic airlines between 2019 and 2021.
As per this information, a total of 5380 complaints were received against scheduled domestic airlines in the country during 2021. The number of complaints in 2021 was higher compared to the year 2020 when 4768 complaints were recorded. However, this is a sharp fall compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, when 9074 complaints were received. With the suspension of airline services during the pandemic, it is understandable that the number of complaints reduced due to lack of airline activity.
However, prior to 2019, there has been a gradual declining trend in the number of complaints from 2015 to 2018.  As per the information provided in Rajya Sabha in 2016, based on the data received by DGCA from scheduled domestic airlines, a total of 11,052 complaints were received in 2015, which is the highest during the 9-year period of (2013-2021).
Most of the complaints during the pandemic were regarding ‘Refund’
The impact of the pandemic was clearly visible in the nature of the complaints received prior to and during the pandemic.  In 2020, when restrictions were placed on air travel, 47.5% of the complaints received were related to “refund”. This may have been due to large scale flight cancellations. The trend continued even in 2021, which was also hit by the pandemic. In 2021, 2259 out of 5380 complaints i.e., 42% were related to refund.
The proportion of the complaints that were about refunds was much lower in the earlier years.
In 2019, these complaints constituted only 195 out of the 9074 complaints, just around 2% of all the complaints. The same is the case even in the earlier years, with the number of complaints relating to refund was not among the major type of complaints in terms of numbers.
In view of COVID-19, DGCA had issued a circular on 07 October 2020, with directions relating to the refund on cancellation of air tickets during COVID-19 lockdown. This was following the directions of the Supreme Court  (W.P (Civil) – 570 of 2020) in a case filed by aggrieved persons about cancellation charges.
Prior to the pandemic, most of the complaints were related to ‘Baggage’, ‘Customer Service” & ‘Flight problem’
As highlighted earlier, ‘Refund’ formed a small share of the complaints received by the Airlines prior to 2020. Most of the complaints received to prior to 2020 were under three main categories – ‘Baggage’, ‘Customer Service’ & ‘Flight Problem’.
The complaints in these categories were lower in 2020 & 2021, which has also contributed towards a lower number of complaints overall, despite a more than 10-fold increase in complaints related to ‘refund’ during 2020.
These complaints are generally a result of flight operations. The restrictions in flight operations during the pandemic meant that a lower number of operations related complaints were filed by the consumers.
The other type of complaints against domestic airlines is related to – Staff behaviour, disability, fare, catering, etc., though they are low in number.
Air India received the most complaints related to ‘Refund’
In the response provided in Lok Sabha in February 2022, the government provided a breakup of the complaints received against the respective domestic airlines. The information is for the period 2019 to 2021 and is based on the monthly traffic data submitted by the scheduled airlines to DGCA.
Among the domestic airlines, Air India, Spice Jet & Indigo received the greatest number of complaints during the 3 years. It is imperative since these airlines have the highest market share among the scheduled domestic airlines.
As highlighted earlier, the trend in the nature of complaints changed in 2020 & 2021. A major share of complaints during these two years was related to refunds.
In 2020 & 2021, Air India received the most complaints. In 2020, 3104 complaints out of 4768 i.e., around 65% were received by India.   In 2021, this share for Air India went up to 72% of the total 5380 complaints, which is 3868 complaints.
The majority of these complaints against Air India were related to ‘Refund’ in both years. In 2021, complaints related to ‘Customer service’ of Air India have also increased. Air India accounted for 855 out of 1054 complaints about ‘Customer service’ in 2021. Further, Air India accounted for 300 out of 331 complaints related to Staff behaviour in 2021.
Featured Image: Complaints against Airlines

created: February 22, 2022


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Data: More Than 4000 Personnel Lost Their Lives in UN Peacekeeping Missions Since 1948, India Lost the Most Than Any Other Nation
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 6, 2023
The UN Peacekeeping Mission completed 75 years of its existence in 2023. Data reveals that more than 70 peacekeeping missions were deployed by the UN during this period. More than 4.3 thousand personnel belonging to various countries lost their lives during these 75 years. India lost 179 of its personnel in these missions, the most for any nation.
More than 30 countries are currently in conflict, with the type and severity of conflict varying widely. The duration that these countries are in conflict also varies, with each of them having a significant impact on the affected population, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations (UN) is at the forefront of maintaining peace in the world and plays an important role in conflict prevention, using diplomacy, mediation, and other actions to help nations prevent and resolve conflicts peacefully. Since its inception, the UN was involved in resolving conflict in many countries and actively engaged with these in maintaining peace.  As such, the United Nations Peacekeeping by the UN’s Department of Peace Operations is an instrument developed by the UN to help countries torn by conflict to create conditions for lasting peace.
A key role of Peacekeeping is to monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas and assist the respective nations and authorities in implementing the peace agreements they might have signed. The assistance is in various forms – electoral assistance, strengthening the rule of law, economic & social development, power-sharing arrangements, etc. This is enabled through peacekeeping missions. The peacekeeping personnel as part of such missions include soldiers, police officers and civilian personnel.
Because of the conditions in which the peacekeeping operations function, there is a higher exposure to various risks which could result in fatalities. What have been the trends in fatalities over the years of the various UN Peace Keeping Missions? Which regions are more prone to cause fatalities? Here is an analysis of the fatalities in UN Peace Keeping operations since its inception.
The data for analysis is picked up from datasets as part of Dataful’s collection on UN Peacekeeping, which is collated from the data available on the UN Peacekeeping website.
Increase in number of fatalities in the recent decades
The first Peace Keeping Mission was in the year 1948, when the UN authorized a mission to monitor the agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours, officially known as United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).  Since then, there have been more than 70 peacekeeping missions deployed by the UN. As per the latest data available as on 31 May 2023, there have been more than 4.3 thousand fatalities in UN peace Keeping missions since 1948.
The trends have varied over the years, accentuated by individual years of higher number of fatalities. The first time that the number of fatalities was more than a hundred was in 1961, with 155 peacekeeping personnel killed in that year. This figure was overtaken in 1993 when there were 252 fatalities. This continues to be the year with the greatest number of fatalities.
While the yearly fatalities have not been more than that in 1993, there is an increase in the frequency of the years with more than 100 fatalities in a year. Before 1990, the year 1961 was the only year with more than 100 fatalities. In the next decade (1990 to 2000), there were 3 such years. Between 2001 and 2010, there were 7 such years. In the next decade i.e., 2011 to 2020, the number of fatalities crossed 100 in every year except in 2018. Even in that year, the number of fatalities was 99. This trend continued even in the current decade.
Peace Keeping Missions in Lebanon and Mali among the deadliest in history
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) established in 1978 accounts for the highest number of fatalities. The mission is an ongoing mission, and since its establishment has resulted in 330 fatalities. The mission was established to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon and its mandate has been revised twice. The continued conflict in the area resulting in a civil war and other incidents has resulted in the mission being continued with a revised mandate.
Here is a quick look at a few other missions with higher fatalities:
Apart from these missions, two other missions UNPROFOR and UNMIL also have resulted in fatalities of more than 200 each. Nine other missions have more than 100 (and less than 200) fatalities each.
The majority of the missions with the highest fatalities are in African countries followed by Middle East and East European nations, reflecting the conflict situations in these regions over the decades.
Highest number of fatalities are of Military personnel
Peacekeeping Missions include various personnel – military personnel, police, civilians, etc. performing various roles in the mission. A majority of the peacekeeping missions involve the use of armed personnel of the UN and other countries involved in peacekeeping operations, to ensure law and order are maintained post-conflict.
Further, armed forces are on-ground personnel who are closer to the conflict. Nearly 70% of the fatalities across various peacekeeping missions over the years are military personnel. Nearly 2.98 thousand military personnel died in peacekeeping missions over the years.  Among the other personnel involved in peacekeeping operations, the next greatest fatalities are of international civilians followed by Police. A further 95 personnel sent as military observers also died as part of the missions.  Fatalities as part of peacekeeping missions also include 525 locals.  Nearly 95% of the fatalities are males.
Sub-continent nations of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have the highest casualties
Among various countries, India lost the greatest number of its nationals in Peace Keeping Missions. A total of 179 Indians have lost their lives as part of these UN missions. Mission ONUC mentioned above has resulted in 39 Indian fatalities.
Pakistan and Bangladesh account for the next highest number of casualties with 169 and 166 respectively. In the case of Pakistan, the mission in Somalia i.e., UNOSM has resulted in 40 deaths.
Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia are among the African countries with the highest number of fatalities. Personnel from these countries were involved in various missions in the neighbouring African countries. Peacekeeping operations in Balkan republics (post-Yugoslavia) like UNPROFOR have resulted in the highest number of fatalities for other European countries like France and the UK.
Featured Image: UN Peacekeeping