The Centre’s focus remained on providing a safety-net to the vulnerable sections of society as well as well as giving a coherent response to health consequences of Covid-19 as India faced the onslaught of the pandemic during the last two years, according to the Economic Survey presented in Parliament today by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“The response of the Union Government to the pandemic has been agile, strategic and pre-emptive,” it said.

The survey stated that India, the country with the second-largest population and a large elderly population, adopted a multi-pronged approach to Covid-19 response and management.

Measures were taken to break the chain of transmission in terms of containment and buffer zones; perimeter control; contact tracing; isolation and testing of suspect cases and high-risk contacts, and creation of quarantine facilities. Preventive strategy changed in response to the changing situation based on real-time data and evidence.

The survey noted that testing facilities in the country have increased exponentially. Tests for Covid-19 were made free in all government centers. Rapid Antigen Test Kits for faster screening were introduced. Manufacturing capacity of N-95 masks, ventilators, personal protective equipment kits, sanitizers were ramped up in a mission mode.

The survey also highlighted the massive infrastructure created for isolation beds, dedicated intensive care unit beds, and supply of medical oxygen. To meet the exponential rise in medical oxygen demand during the second Covid-19 surge, the government even engaged Railways, Air force, Navy and Industry to work with ‘whole of government’ approach.

In the fight against the pandemic, COVID vaccines emerged as the best shield against the disease to save lives and sustained livelihood.

The survey noted that vaccination was not merely a health response but was critical for opening up the economy, particularly contact-intensive services.

The survey noted that India’s national Covid vaccination programme, one of the world’s largest vaccination programmes, has not only supported production of Covid-vaccines domestically but also ensured free vaccines to its population.

From 16 January 2021 till 16 January 2022, a total of 156.76 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered, 90.75 crore first dose and 65.58 crore second dose. Vaccination at this scale and speed has enabled the swift revival of livelihoods, the Survey underscored. It highlighted that India was among the few countries producing Covid vaccines. The country started with two made in India Covid vaccines.

The survey said the government’s spending on social services increased significantly during the pandemic. An increase of 9.8 per cent was made in the expenditure allocation to the social services sector in 2021-22 over 2020-21.