Social audits are a citizen-driven form of social accountability. In a social audit, state documents are made available for public scrutiny and public hearings are held with the officers responsible.
Category: Op-Eds
Unbearable Lightness of Being the State
The State is, and will, remain for the conceivable future, given the trajectory of our economy, the primary vehicle of empowerment, of dignity and status
Keep India’s Delicate Federal Balance Intact
Dual control of the IAS is at the heart of the federal structure. The Delhi ordinance challenges it. It can create fissures between Centre, states
There’s No Poverty Data, Therefore There’s No Poverty
Here is the irony: Despite this plethora of political announcements, India has not witnessed a significant expansion in its welfare spending
Grassroots Democracy Needs Urgent Attention
India’s experiment with grassroots democracy, 30 years after the creation of local government institutions, highlights the dangers of overcentralisation.
In India, Is A Guaranteed Funded Pension Feasible?
New models piloted by Andhra Pradesh and Brazil show a path beyond political posturing, and ensuring fiscal sustainability, certainty of benefits and innovation.
Democracy, Bureaucracy, and State Capacity: The False Choices We Make
Too often, debates on State capacity veer in the direction of setting up a false dichotomy between democracy and efficiency.
The Structural Constraints that Hinder Reform in India
Data from the 2023 Economic Survey illustrates an enduring tension in the dynamics of Centre-state relations that constrains policy reforms.
Young Indian Women are being Let Down in Labour Market. What Governments Must Do
Create more formal sector jobs in labour-intensive industries, improve skills for women with secondary and primary school level education, and bolster social sector spending that creates frontline and community mobilisation work in nutrition, education and health.
Has Budget 2023-24 Been Successful in Balancing Gender Priorities?
Ahead of International Women’s Day, the article categorises and analyses scheme allocations through the Union Budget’s Gender Budget Statement (GBS), by looking at what schemes various ministries and departments prioritise under the two parts of the GBS.