The government has achieved 100 per cent tap water coverage in all households of Telangana, surpassing India’s national average of 70.76 per cent. Telangana’s flagship ‘Bhagiratha scheme,’ which ensures purified drinking water through taps to every household, was given the Jal Jeewan Award in September 2022 for this achievement.  

Gross enrollment ratio for the primary school category in the State has increased from 108.2 in 2018-19 to 112.52 in 2021-22. Simultaneously, the State witnessed a reduction in dropout rates within this category. It declined 0.47 percentage points over four years, as per the UDISE data. 

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) shows there has been a notable improvement in the percentage of live births, increasing from 92 per cent in 2015-16 (NFHS 4) to 97 per cent in 2019-21 (NFHS 5). This puts the State on similar footing as the best performing States in this metric.  

The under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) in Telangana at 29 is also way below the national average of 42. In the 2015-16 period, Telangana’s under-five mortality rate was 32. 

Key concerns

However, of concern is the fact that despite advancements in health facilities, Telangana has observed a rise in its stunting rate. The proportion of stunting in children (between 0 and 59 months) increased from 29 per cent in 2015-16 to 33 per cent in 2019-21. This is close to the national average of 35 per cent. 

The percentage of people in Telangana living in pucca houses has increased from 75 per cent to 79.2 per cent in five years, according to NFHS 4 and NFHS 5 reports. This is much higher than the all-India average of 60.3 per cent. 

The elevated unemployment level among youth is, however, a concern. The Periodic Labour Force Survey annual report for 2022-23 reveals that youth unemployment rate among the age category 15-29 years stands at 15.1 per cent in the State, exceeding the national average of 10 per cent.  

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