Search Results for: paisa study
Why decentralization matters
This article was also published in the Financial Express on May 11, 2013. On the 24th of April 2013, India celebrated the 20th anniversary of the passage of the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments mandating the creation of a third tier of elected government -Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in rural areas and municipal councils in … Continue reading "Why decentralization matters"
Increasing transparency in aid delivery
As part of the PAISA project that tracks expenditure in elementary education in India, we collect information from state and district offices, over and above our school-level surveys. While we do face roadblocks when collecting this information, headmasters, as well as block and district and state-level officials, are usually forthcoming with their opinions and open … Continue reading "Increasing transparency in aid delivery"
Navigating the Subsidised Grain Delivery Labyrinth
The Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, the world’s largest school-feeding programme,[1] guarantees a hot, cooked meal to each school-going child between the ages of 6 and 14 years in government elementary schools. Its main objectives are to increase enrolment, attendance and retention, while also improving the nutritional status of students. The scheme is beset with several … Continue reading "Navigating the Subsidised Grain Delivery Labyrinth"
All for One and None for Another? Entitlements, Attendance and Conditional Cash Transfers in Bihar: Part II
Since mid-January, Bihar’s public schools have seen great activity as an ambitious campaign to distribute student entitlements was rolled out. These entitlements are given out each year; however, this year there is an added twist in the form of a required attendance rate of 75 per cent between April and September 2012 to be eligible. … Continue reading "All for One and None for Another? Entitlements, Attendance and Conditional Cash Transfers in Bihar: Part II"
All for One and None for Another? Linking Entitlements and Attendance in Bihar: Part I
Picture this: a sunny winter morning, bright yellow mustard fields in full bloom, children in assorted uniforms making their way to school in rural Bihar. As the rest of the Delhi team continued working on the PAISA-MDM report, I’d arrived in Bihar last month to learn more about a much-publicised government campaign to distribute entitlements … Continue reading "All for One and None for Another? Linking Entitlements and Attendance in Bihar: Part I"