The committee which was appointed in 1974 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Health and Family Planning for medical education and supporting manpower is known as the?

Appeared in: DSSSB -28 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

The Shrivastav Committee was appointed in 1974 and was officially titled the 'Group on Medical Education and Support Manpower'.
Its main objective was to reorient medical education to be more community-focused and to develop a cadre of health workers to serve rural populations.
The committee's recommendations led to the launch of the Rural Health Scheme in 1977, which introduced Community Health Workers (CHWs).
This committee was instrumental in shifting the focus towards creating paraprofessional and semi-professional health workers to strengthen community-level healthcare.

Option A: The Mudaliar Committee, also known as the Health Survey and Planning Committee, was appointed in 1962. Its focus was on consolidating the gains from the first two five-year plans and strengthening existing primary health centers, not on creating new manpower.
Option B: The Chadha Committee was appointed in 1963 to study the requirements for the maintenance phase of the National Malaria Eradication Programme. It recommended that basic health workers perform malaria surveillance alongside their other duties.
Option C: The Mukerjee Committee was formed in 1965 to review the family planning program. It found that multipurpose workers (as suggested by the Chadha committee) were overburdened and recommended delinking malaria activities from family planning.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Health Committees in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
The recommendations of the Shrivastav Committee directly led to the creation of a structured, three-tier rural healthcare system and the formal introduction of community-based health workers.
Nurses working in the Indian public health system, especially in PHCs and sub-centers, are part of the structure envisioned by these committees. The roles of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and their collaboration with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are a legacy of this policy shift.
Understanding this history helps nurses appreciate the 'why' behind the community-oriented focus of national health programs and the importance of their role in delivering primary care.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key phrases in the question stem: 'committee', 'appointed in 1974', and 'medical education and supporting manpower'.
This is a factual recall question. The year '1974' is the most critical piece of information.
Mentally review the timeline and purpose of major health committees in India.
Match the year (1974) and the purpose (medical education and support manpower) to the correct committee from the options.
Eliminate other options based on their known year of establishment and primary focus (e.g., Mudaliar-1962, Chadha-1963, Mukerjee-1965).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Health Committees in India
Stem keywords: committee, 1974, Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Planning, medical education, supporting manpower
Lead-in keywords: known as the

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Practise the full DSSSB -28 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.