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BASIC TENETS OF DECENTRALISATION

Governments around the world are increasingly elected on a platform of greater citizen participation. The antagonist for progress in effective decentralisation is poorly conceived policies where design don’t match objectives. Roy Bahl makes a neat attempt to explain the vital guidelines for designing the implementation strategy for fiscal decentralisation. In this part of our blog … Continue reading "BASIC TENETS OF DECENTRALISATION"

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How Important are Deadlines in the Bureaucracy?

This is the final blog of a five-part series to unpack the meaning of some of the frequently heard terms and phrases in the Indian bureaucracy. Webster’s definition Deadline: 1. A date or time before which something must be done 2. A line drawn within or around a prison that a prisoner passes at the … Continue reading "How Important are Deadlines in the Bureaucracy?"

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The Worrying Status of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Implementation in Bihar

Historically, Bihar has been a major centre for learning and education. In recent years however, owing potentially to population explosion and poor governance, the status of education in the state has been steadily deteriorating. A symptom of this is Bihar’s low expenditure on the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) -– the centre’s flagship scheme for elementary … Continue reading "The Worrying Status of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Implementation in Bihar"

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Of Authorisation Letters, Samosas and Chai

This is the second blog of a five-part series to unpack the meaning of some of the frequently heard terms and phrases in the Indian bureaucracy. Oxford definition: Authority: (1) The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. (2) A person or organisation having political or administrative power and control. Authorisation: … Continue reading "Of Authorisation Letters, Samosas and Chai"

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How to Conduct a Participatory Expenditure Tracking Survey

In 2009, Accountability Initiative (AI) partnered with the ASER Centre to roll out India’s first national citizen-led public expenditure tracking survey called PAISA. The survey focused on tracking government funds for elementary education. Since 2009, AI has conducted six national PAISA surveys in partnership with ASER as well as three rounds of in-depth district focused expenditure … Continue reading "How to Conduct a Participatory Expenditure Tracking Survey"