This week, one of the government’s signature schemes – the Swachh Bharat Mission – turns three years old. We examine the data and travel to the ground to investigate the claims of a scheme on which an estimated Rs. 50,000 crore have already been spent.
Tag: Centrally Sponsored Schemes
More toilet talk vital for a cleaner India
Meeting sanitation targets is important but targets alone won’t mean much unless the people buy into the messages behind the toilet talk.
3 years of Swachh Bharat: 2.5 lakh villages declared open defecation free, but 1.5 lakh claims not verified
While the government’s data reveal substantial progress over three years, experts pointed out much of these claims were not verified.
The vicious cycle of unspent balances – Part 2
Why is the money allocated to social sector schemes left unspent.
The vicious cycle of unspent balances – Part 1
Why is the money allocated to social sector schemes left unspent.
Union Budget 2017 was a status quo budget for the social sector
There were no surprises—no helicopter drop of money into Jan-Dhan accounts, no move to dismantle ongoing welfare schemes in favour of a universal basic income (UBI). Far from being the populist, game-changing budget that many had expected, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley presented a sombre, status quo budget which, apart from some tinkering with allocations, offers no vision and agenda for social policy, especially when it comes to core sectors like health and education.
Renewed focus on maternal and child health a welcome first step
The demonetisation sop is a unique opportunity to evolve the maternal and child health agenda into a universal Maternity Benefits Programme in the budget.
Three Years On, the Modi Government Still Has Gaping Holes in its Social Policy
Despite emphasis on ’empowerment’ over ‘entitlements’, which comes with its own set of problems, health and education remain invisible in the Modi government’s social policy agenda.
Pull, not push, to open up spending
In the run-up to every budget season, public debate on social sector schemes inevitably turns to the question of the paltry sums allocated. True to script, the question of allocations and potential budget cuts is already making headlines. What gets relatively less attention is the issue of how well the government spends even the limited sums of money that it does commit. In recent years, there has been some debate on the question of outcomes—especially in sectors like health and education. Indeed, this annual budget series is an effort to engage with precisely this question.