📅 May 9, 2025, Post 12: Life Expectancy in India Drops for First Time in 50 Years: Pandemic’s Lingering Toll | Mains Essay / Target IAS-26 MCQs Attached: A complete Package, Dear Aspirants!
Life Expectancy in India Drops for First Time in 50 Years: Pandemic’s Lingering Toll
NEWS DROP — PETAL 012
🗓️ Date: May 9, 2025
🩺 Thematic Focus: GS2 – Health | GS1 – Demographic Trends | GS3 – Crisis Response
🌿 Intro Whisper:
In a country once rising in years, the pandemic carved a pause—revealing gaps, grief, and the urgent need for reform.
📉 What’s in the News?
- India’s life expectancy at birth fell by 0.2 years, now at 69.8 years for the 2017–2021 period.
- This is the first recorded decline in half a century, reflecting the fallout of COVID-19 and health system stress.
🧭 Breakdown of Trends
- Urban-Rural Divide:
➤ Urban life expectancy fell by 0.3 years
➤ Rural life expectancy fell by 0.1 years - Gender Gap:
➤ Women live ~2 years longer than men at birth
➤ At age 70, women still live about 1 year longer
🗺️ Regional Variations
- Highest Male Life Expectancy: Delhi (73 years)
- Highest Female Life Expectancy: Kerala (77.9 years)
- Lowest Figures: Chhattisgarh
➤ Males – 62.8 years
➤ Females – 66.4 years - Notable Gains:
➤ Odisha (Men) and Himachal Pradesh (Women) saw highest improvements
➤ Kerala (Women) saw the least change
☠️ COVID-19 and Mortality Impact
- Total Deaths rose from 8.1 million (2020) to 10.2 million (2021)
- Official COVID-related deaths: 0.6 million
- But excess deaths (including indirect causes): ~1.4 million
💔 Shifting Causes of Death
- 25–34 age group:
➤ Circulatory diseases and COVID-19 contributed over 36% of deaths - 35–44 age group:
➤ Similar patterns observed—signaling early-age vulnerability - Respiratory Diseases:
➤ Deaths jumped from 181,160 (2020) to 305,191 (2021)
🧬 Broader Health Implications
- Reverses decades of death rate declines
- Indicates systemic fragility and underpreparedness
- Demands urgent investment in:
➤ Preventive healthcare
➤ Public health infrastructure
➤ Mental and lifestyle disease management
📘 GS Paper Mapping:
- GS Paper 2: Issues Relating to Health | Demographic Trends | Government Health Schemes
- GS Paper 3: Disaster Management | Pandemic Response | Public Policy Failures
- Essay: “Measuring a Nation’s Health: When Longevity Shrinks, What Must Expand?”
🌠 Closing Thought:
Death came not only in numbers—but in warning signs. The challenge ahead is not just to live longer, but to build a country where every year counts.
Target IAS-26: Daily MCQs :
📌 Prelims Practice MCQs
Topic:
MCQ 1: Type-1 — “How many of the above statements are correct?”
Consider the following statements regarding the recent trends in India’s life expectancy:
1. India’s life expectancy at birth fell to 69.8 years during the 2017–2021 period.
2. Urban life expectancy declined more than rural during this period.
3. Women live longer than men in India by more than 5 years on average.
4. Delhi recorded the highest male life expectancy, while Kerala topped for females.
How many of the above statements are correct?
A) Only two
B) Only three
C) All four
D) Only one
🌀 Didn’t get it? Click here (▸) for the Correct Answer & Explanation
✅ Correct Answer: B) Only three
🧠 Explanation:
1) Correct – Life expectancy dropped to 69.8 years.
2) Correct – Urban fell by 0.3 years, rural by 0.1 years.
3) Incorrect – The difference is about 2 years, not 5.
4) Correct – Delhi (male) and Kerala (female) lead in longevity.
MCQ 2: Type-2 — Two-Statement Assertion
Consider the following statements:
1. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed directly and indirectly to the drop in life expectancy.
2. The number of deaths due to respiratory diseases in India declined between 2020 and 2021.
A) Only 1 is correct
B) Only 2 is correct
C) Both are correct
D) Neither is correct
🌀 Didn’t get it? Click here (▸) for the Correct Answer & Explanation
✅ Correct Answer: A) Only 1 is correct
🧠 Explanation:
1) Correct – COVID-19 caused direct and excess deaths, lowering average lifespan.
2) Incorrect – Respiratory deaths increased from 181,160 to 305,191.
MCQ 3: Type-3 — “Which of the above statements is/are correct?”
Consider the following statements about mortality and health trends in India:
1. The 25–34 and 35–44 age groups saw circulatory diseases and COVID-19 as top causes of death.
2. Kerala showed the maximum increase in female life expectancy among all states.
3. Around 1.4 million excess deaths were reported in India even after excluding COVID-19 fatalities.
4. Life expectancy in India has declined for the first time since the 1970s.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A) 1, 3 and 4 only
B) 2, 3 and 4 only
C) 1, 2 and 4 only
D) All four
🌀 Didn’t get it? Click here (▸) for the Correct Answer & Explanation
✅ Correct Answer: A) 1, 3 and 4 only
🧠 Explanation:
1) Correct – These age groups had circulatory diseases and COVID-19 as top killers.
2) Incorrect – Kerala showed the least improvement in female life expectancy.
3) Correct – 1.4 million excess deaths were reported beyond the official COVID-19 toll.
4) Correct – This marks the first decline in 50 years.
MCQ 4: Type-4 — Direct Factual Question
Which state recorded the lowest male and female life expectancy in India according to the 2017–2021 data?
A) Uttar Pradesh
B) Madhya Pradesh
C) Chhattisgarh
D) Assam
🌀 Didn’t get it? Click here (▸) for the Correct Answer & Explanation.
✅ Correct Answer: C) Chhattisgarh
🧠 Explanation:
C) Chhattisgarh reported lowest life expectancy: 62.8 years (males) and 66.4 years (females).
