More than half of Indian women and almost a quarter of Indian men of working age suffer from anaemia. According to studies, they are anywhere from 5-15% less productive than they could be, as a result thereof. India also has the largest tuberculosis burden in the world, costing 170 million workdays to the country annually. But what is just as important as lost productivity now is lost potential in the future. It is becoming increasingly clear that on many measures of cognitive ability, malnourished Indian children perform, two or three times worse than their adequately nourished peers. For an economy that will be more dependent on highly skilled workers, this poses a significant challenge. And it is one that really should be addressed given India's demographic outlook. Which one the following statements best reflects what is implied by the passage?

The passage highlights how widespread health issues (anaemia, tuberculosis) and malnutrition (among children) lead to reduced productivity now and lost cognitive potential in the future. It explicitly states these issues pose a "significant challenge" for an economy dependent on skilled workers and "should be addressed." Analyzing the options: A) Education system must be strengthened in rural areas: While malnutrition affects cognitive ability, the passage doesn't focus on the education system or specifically rural areas. It's too narrow. B) Large scale and effective implementation of skill development programme is the need of the hour: The passage points to health and nutrition as foundational issues affecting people's ability to be productive and learn. Addressing these is a prerequisite for skill development to be truly effective; skill development alone doesn't solve the underlying health and nutrition problems. C) For economic development, health and nutrition of only skilled workers needs special attention: The passage discusses anaemia in a large proportion of working-age men and women, and malnutrition in children, indicating a concern for the general population, not just "only skilled workers." This makes the statement too restrictive. D) For rapid economic growth as envisaged by us, attention should be paid to health and nutrition of the people: This statement directly reflects the core message. The passage links poor health and nutrition to lost productivity, lost potential, and a significant challenge for the economy, implying that addressing these issues for the general population ("of the people") is crucial for economic growth.