India’s Flagship Programs – A Farce?

India’s Flagship Programs – A Farce?

Every successive Government announces ambitious flagship programs, mega investments and tall claims, but the reality is far from imagination.   India has over 8 million children out of school, over 42% of its population lives below poverty line, the maternal mortality rate is 450 per one lakh live births and over 16% of its labour force has received formal education till the secondary level.

Whether we blame it on indifferent attitudes of bureaucrats, or complacency of policy makers or even outdated delivery mechanisms, the fact remains that our outlays on various flagship programs are not converted into outcomes. 

If we take an example of Anganwadi s promoted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the government needs to spend nearly Rs.30,000 crores to meet the expansion needs of anganwadis, whereas the allocation for Integrated Child Development Schme (ICDS) is only one-fourth. 

Flagship Programs have failed to deliver despite increased annual outlays.

ICDS – Integrated Child Development Scheme; MDMS – Mid-Day Meal Scheme; SSA – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan; NREGS – National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme; SGSY – Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna; PMGSY – Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna; NRHM – National Rural Health Mission.

Figures in Crores                                                     Source: Ministry of Finance

It's not that India lacks resources. The budgetary allocations are pumped up by a cess of 2 per cent on all the central taxes and duties and generous funding by external agencies. Even then, India spends only 3-4 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on basic needs like education even as the government mulls a hike in infrastructure spending from 4 per cent to 7 per cent of the GDP in the 12th Plan.