UPSC CSE Prelims
Health and Nutrition Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

Both statements are individually correct but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I. The curative focus of India's public healthcare system stems from historical policy priorities and resource allocation patterns, not from the constitutional decentralization of health services.

✅ Statement-I – Correct: India's public healthcare system has historically emphasized curative care through hospitals and dispensaries, while preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative services receive limited budgetary and infrastructural support.

✅ Statement-II – Correct: Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, 'Public health and sanitation; hospitals and dispensaries' fall under the State List (Entry 6), making States primarily responsible for organizing and delivering health services.

Relationship: The decentralized administrative structure (Statement-II) describes the constitutional framework for health governance but does not cause or explain the curative-heavy approach (Statement-I). The latter is a result of policy choices, funding models, and infrastructure development priorities rather than federalism itself.