Keep up-to-date with all that is happening in welfare policy with this curated selection of news, published every fortnight. 

Policy News 

General:

• The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), or the PMEAC, has been reconstituted for a period of two years. For details of changes made, visit here.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the United Nations General Assembly, outlining the achievements of his government and the vision for the future. Of note is a campaign against single-use plastic. He reiterated the important role played by the Swachh Bharat Mission and Ayushman Bharat for safe sanitation and health protection respectively. More can be found here.

Health and Nutrition: 

• Ayushman Bharat completed a year on 23 September 2019. Download our latest brief on the scheme to understand its progress and challenges.

• Over 3.5 crore women and children across Anganwadi Centres in 24 states have been registered in ICDS-CAS, a nutrition monitoring app introduced by the Government of India. The app’s focus is on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, and will provide a slew of features for beneficiaries as well as Anganwadi Workers.

Accountability: 

• The Government of Rajasthan has launched the Jan Soochna Portal for greater accountability. The portal is expected to provide real-time updates on the progress of 23 flagship schemes and 13 state departments.

Water and Sanitation: 

• The 6th edition of India Water Week was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind on 24 September 2019. This year’s theme is Water Cooperation-Coping with 21st-Century Challenge. He called on citizens to reduce their “water-footprint,” and the need to show the “same dedication and commitment” to the Jal Shakti Abhiyan as has been for full sanitation coverage in the country. Download our latest brief on the National Rural Drinking Water Mission for insights into this major union government programme. 

Opinion

“India risks ease of living becoming a substitute for a serious engagement with the challenge of ensuring that India’s poor become active participants in the economy,” writes Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive, Centre for Policy Research.