While India’s gender budgets have succeeded in drawing attention to gender issues, experts say ministries and departments consider them as an aggregation exercise only, and allocate arbitrary amounts without grassroots-level planning.
Author: accountability
Budget Byte: Public Health & Wellness Centres Saw Huge Turnout in 2020
In 2020, health and wellness centres (HWCs) saw an unprecedented turnout — over three times that in 2018-2019. In some states such as Rajasthan and Maharashtra, footfall went up four to six times.
PM-KISAN Sees Higher Spend, But All Welfare Schemes Aren’t As Lucky
The central government’s COVID-19 response has seen more funds flow towards some of its flagship welfare programmes but less to others.
The Partial NFHS-5 Data Is Reason Enough for Serious Concern, Urgent Action
Partial results from the National Family Health Survey Round 5 (NFHS-5) released last week draw attention to the crisis of malnutrition in the country. There is an improvement in some indicators in some states, but on the whole in most states there is a worsening in indicators.
Decoding the Dip in Public Expenditure
Typically, when a crisis hits, the expectation is that the Centre — which has more revenue-raising abilities than states — will take the lead in preparing a fiscal road map, loosen its purse strings and raise expenditure significantly. The Covid-19 pandemic is unprecedented in its scale and impact. But this is also when the government is needed even more.
Child Nutrition Crisis May Derail India’s Aspirations
It can be tempting to blame every crisis on the Covid-19 pandemic. But quite often, facts get in the way. Many things were bad enough even prior to the onset of the pandemic, that gutted so many lives and livelihoods. The latest data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) is a case in point.
Where Are All The Women In Governance And Public Finance?
For decades, women’s heart attacks have been rampantly undiagnosed because some physicians are unaware that symptoms can manifest differently in the sexes. Similarly, Invisible Women by Caroline Perez highlights the extent to which women have been overlooked – be it in policy-making, developing government programmes, or designing consumer products.
Commitment to Action: Ensuring Nutrition Financing in India
While low revenues due to the pandemic may mean substantial funds for nutrition may not be possible, there are still ways to ensure more nutrition for the money. Here’s how.
Rajasthan Plans Electrification of Anganwadis
Rajasthan’s Churu district, which often records the hottest summer at over 50 degrees Celsius and reels under a severe cold wave during winters, may soon see its anganwadi centres connected with power supply for the first time as the State government plans electrification of 37,000 anganwadis as part of its efforts to improve infrastructure facilities for beneficiaries of government programmes.
Why India Needs to Urgently Ensure Adequate Finances for Mid-Day Meal Scheme
While States were quick to adapt by providing grains or food security allowance (FSA) directly to families, recent studies have shown that the actual provision of nutrition through the scheme remains far from adequate. These challenges existed even prior to the pandemic and have now been magnified. Unless these are resolved soon, we could be headed for a crisis within a crisis.