MK Yadav Sir'S: Mains Booster Series

MK YADAV Sir's
MAINS BOOSTER SERIES

12 Booklets. 600 Pages.
COMPLETE MAINS COVERAGE!
Current + Static Integrated Series

forUPSCCSEMAINS2023/24
Get Access to Our FREE Resources
http://bit.ly/aaj-ka-enrichment
Aaj ka Quality Enrichment

(Subscribe Our Youtube Channel)
https://t.me/theiashub
Join Our Telegram Channel
https://theiashub.com/free-resources
Download Our Free Resources
https://theiashub.com/
Check out Our Courses
CONTACT
MK YADAV SIR’s: MAINS BOOSTER SERIES
Current + Static Integrated
Table of Content
1. POLICY AND POLICY FORMULATION ..................................................................................................................... 2
PUBLIC POLICY IN INDIA...................................................................................................................................... 2
2. DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES & THE DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY .............................................................................. 6
ROLE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL ORGANIZATIONS .............................................................................................................. 7
3. GOVERNANCE AND GOOD-GOVERNANCE .......................................................................................................... 20
SPORTS GOVERNANCE IN INDIA .......................................................................................................................... 24
4. E-GOVERNANCE.................................................................................................................................................. 26
5. CITIZEN CHARTER ............................................................................................................................................... 30
6. MEANS TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY .................................................................................. 33
RIGHT TO INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................. 33
SOCIAL AUDIT ................................................................................................................................................ 37
WHISTLE BLOWERS PROTECTION ACT, 2014 ......................................................................................................... 39
LOKPAL & LOKAYUKTAS ACT 2013 ..................................................................................................................... 41
7. ROLE OF CIVIL SERVICES IN INDIA ....................................................................................................................... 45
8. WELFARE SCHEMES FOR VULNERABLE SECTIONS ............................................................................................... 51
A) WOMEN ........................................................................................................................................................... 51
B) CHILDREN.......................................................................................................................................................... 54
C) SCHEDULE CASTE ................................................................................................................................................ 57
D) SCHEDULE TRIBE ................................................................................................................................................. 59
E) OTHER BACKWARD CLASSES (OBCS): ...................................................................................................................... 63
F) PERSON WITH DISABILITIES .................................................................................................................................... 66
G) LGBTQ ............................................................................................................................................................ 68
H) SENIOR CITIZENS/AGED ........................................................................................................................................ 70
I) MINORITIES ....................................................................................................................................................... 72
J) BEGGARS .......................................................................................................................................................... 74
9. ISSUES RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL SECTOR/SERVICES ...................................... 75
HEALTH SECTOR OF INDIA ................................................................................................................................. 75
EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................................... 86
10. ISSUES RELATING TO POVERTY & HUNGER .................................................................................................... 90
POVERTY IN INDIA ........................................................................................................................................... 91
HUNGER IN INDIA ........................................................................................................................................... 92
Published by: www.theiashub.com I Contact: Delhi: 9560082909, Bengaluru: 9900540262, Bhopal/Indore: 9650708779, Chandigarh: 8800019591
theIAShub © 2023 | All Rights Reserved
1
MK YADAV Sir's
MAINS BOOSTER SERIES
12
BOOKLETS.
600
PAGES.
COMPLETE MAINS COVERAGE!
“ INCREASE YOUR GS MAINS SCORE
by 200+ MARKS ”
CURRENT & STATIC INTEGRATED

Practically Substantiate your Answers
RECENT EXAMPLES, FACTS, & RELEVANT QUOTES

Enrichment dose for Quality Answers
READY USE DIAGRAMS & MIND MAPS

For High Impact Answer Presentation
DOWNLOAD
Your FREE Copies
1. Policy and policy formulation
1. Policy and policy formulation

Keywords from Aaj Ka Quality Enrichment (http://bit.ly/aaj-ka-enrichment)
 People-centric development policy, From Heavy Handed to Soft Touch Approach, From
Government-first approach to Citizen-first approach, From Transient Growth to Organic growth,
Engaged, Entrepreneurial, and Responsive government, Performance-oriented mindset, New-age
local governance, Poly-crisis to multi-sectoral advancement
Introduction
 A policy must provide direction and a course of action to run a state. Governance and policy were
intertwined from the start.
o It received some attention after the Second World War.
 Political scientists and public administrators wanted to know why government programmes succeed or
fail.
Nature and Scope of Public Policy

 Political science has dominated policy study since its inception, focusing on values to be implemented by
governments.
o Public administration and management only became core research areas in the 1960s.
Meaning of Public Meaning of Public Policy
 Due to its vastness and contextualization  Policy refers to a proposed course of action of
challenges, social sciences find it hard to relate an individual, a group, an institution or a
and define public. government to realise specific objectives within
 The word "public" has many meanings. It comes a given environment. Public policies are
from the Latin word publicus. formulated and implemented by the
 It is related to "populus" in English. In general, governmental bodies and officials.
public denotes some mass population ("the  It has certain commonalities: a set of decisions;
people"). prescribed procedures and approval levels;
o Here it means governmental. suitability; rationality, organisational and
 Thus, public policy is simply governmental personal politics.
policy formulated in a political setting.  From a general perspective, it has been
○ They are related with civic or public described as the process of deciding who gets
affairs, or affairs of office or state. what, when, where, and how.
Public Policy in India

 Post-independence India concentrated on policy research to evaluate public policy implementation.
 As demand for independent assessment increased, the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) conducted
evaluation studies.
 India established various institutions i.e. NCERT, IIPA, and NCAER.
 The Indian Council of Social Sciences Research (ICSSR) was founded in 1969, starting the second phase. It
attempted to create a policy research institute outside of universities.
2
Evolution of Public Policy in India

● First Phase: Post-independence India selected planned economic growth. It was believed that economic
progress would spur social, political, and human development.
○ The Planning Commission shaped the nation's policies and opinions.
○ The FYP formed the basis for all government policies.
● Second Phase: It was started after LPG reforms in India and marked with devolution of power through the
73rd and 74th constitutional amendments act.
● Present Phase: It is characterised by the creation of the NITI Aayog and the emergence of cooperative and
competitive federalism in India.
Major Types of Public Policy

 Depending on their geographic scope or expansion, public policies can be divided into two major
categories: domestic and foreign.
 A country's domestic policy is a collection of actions made by the government that have an immediate
impact on its citizens.
o This policy's scope is limited to the borders of one country.
o It encompasses a wide range of topics across all facets of the nation.
o Regulatory policies, economic policies, and social policies are only a few examples of the many
sorts of domestic policies.
 Regulatory Policy: Regulating policies strive to keep people and groups within social norms by controlling
their behaviours.
o These rules may curb their discretionary behaviour. Example Anti-Dumping duty.
o Regulatory policies can be competitive or protectionist. Ex: Establishment of SEBI and RBI.
 Economic Policies: integral aspect of public finance of a country. These refer to all those actions which are
taken by the government to influence the economy and economic conditions.
o Example Mudra Yojana, LPG reforms, Aatamnirbhar Bharat. Stabilisation policy, monetary policy,
fiscal policy, industrial policy, investment policy and trade policy.
 Social Policies: These policies aim at social control and social change.
o These are concerned with creation of favourable social conditions for fostering social existence.
o Example: National Nutrition Policy, 1993, Poshan Abhiyan, MGNREGA etc.
 Foreign Policy: strategy to deal with other nations on bilateral and multilateral issues.
o The policy is particularly meant to safeguard national interests and foster international relations
to enable peaceful co-existence of nations.
o Example NAM, Gujral Doctrine, Neighbourhood first Policy, etc,.
Stages in the Policy Process

Thomas Dye (2004) sets out the following stages in his analysis of the policy process:
 Problem Identification: The identification of policy problems through demands for government action.
 Agenda Setting: Focusing the attention of the mass media and public officials on specific public problems
as a prelude to decision making.
 Policy Formulation: The development of policy proposals by interest groups, officers of the chief
executive’s office, committees of the legislature, think tanks, etc.
 Policy Legitimation: The selection and enactment of policies through political actions by the executive, the
legislature, and the courts.
 Policy Implementation: The implementation of policies through organised bureaucracies, public
expenditures, and the activities of executive agencies.
 Policy Evaluation: The evaluation of policies by government agencies themselves, outside consultants, the
press, and the public.
3
Significance of Public Policy

 Public policies are key instruments in the hands of the government to realise public ends.
 Redistribution of Economic growth: For example, giving grants in aid and special category status to the
underdeveloped states.
 Promoting inclusive growth through
financial inclusion and social inclusion.
o Example: JAM trinity.
 Reformative and progressive in society:
Eliminating poverty and hunger, giving
universal health coverage.
o Example- MGNREGA, Ayushman
Bharat Abhiyan, Zamindari
reforms, national food security
act-2013.
 The main objective of policies is to provide
social stability by reducing deprivation and
social conflict.
Issues with the policies in India

In India, when policies are made and implemented without the desired impact, the blame is often placed at
the implementation end.
● Conceived in nature: Policies essentially flow from problem discovery, followed by problem definition.
○ Hence policies need to be designed, they
cannot be conceived.
○ For example, Operation Blackboard
began with a rudimentary problem
diagnosis. If teachers are missing,
children don't go to school.
● The temptation to roll out policies quickly: leads
to a rush to accept inadequate design, despite
the lack of adequate information and data.
● Impact evaluation is too slow and too small, and
willingness to acknowledge weak points is
almost nonexistent.
○ Evaluation should have led to problem
redefinition and possibly changes in
policy.
○ For example, in Beti bachao Beti
Padhao scheme, the component-wise
distribution of expenditure for 2017-18
and the planned expenditure profile for 2018-19 and 2019-20 show that media campaigns at the
national level account for 43% of expenditure, with 4% going to district campaigns.
● Politicians and bureaucrats struggle to retract huge commitments.
○ MGNREGA was initially limited to 200 drought-prone districts, and the 100-day employment
guarantee would have provided vital input.
○ But either due to activist pressure or political attraction, it was expanded to all 600 districts quickly
with unsatisfactory results, pushing reasonable and viable policy goals away.
● Problem of implementation: An insufficiently conceived policy lacks manpower and funds for
implementation, especially at the grassroots level, while top-down programmes require substantial
documentation.
4
○ As per MGNREGA requirements, the majority of states have not paid wages within 15 days.
Workers also don't get paid for late wages.
● Inadequate professionalism of policy-makers and advisers. For example, three farm laws formulated
without consulting the stakeholders and due to widespread protest, the government has to roll back these
laws.
● Left to bureaucrats, policy-making results in flawed, unrealistic, and undesirable policies and without
them owning up, it becomes political predation.
○ It creates problem of red tapism, corruption and operation inefficiencies.
Measures needed to be taken
For Better policy formulation

 Decentralization of policy making process and separating policy-making from implementation
 Improving the flow of information and feedback mechanism to guide policy making as demand driven.
 Ensure participation of all stakeholders and civil society in policy making to reflect the inclusiveness and
comprehensiveness in Policy
 Strengthen the environment for Policy monitoring and assessment.
 Collect real time empirical data
 Building linkages among government agencies and academic institutions: inherent limitations of
competence, lack of time and attention, while dealing with the sheer magnitude of bureaucratic
procedures making executive and legislature confined their thinking.
For better Implementation:

 Developing a robust delivery mechanism that encourages active participation of individuals at the
grassroots level.
 Promoting convergence of schemes.
 Emphasizing the importance of raising awareness among the public about details of various schemes
enabling them to access benefits effectively.
 Incorporating provisions for social auditing to ensure transparency and accountability in the
implementation of policies and programs.
 Establishing a strong institutional framework.
Conclusion
Clearly, if public arguments about enhancing service delivery remain misinformed about implementation
issues, reforms may fail and potentially do more harm. Better public services are improbable without
fundamental field administration reform based on profound awareness of the difficulties.
5
2. Development Processes & the Development Industry
2. Development Processes & the Development Industry

 Human-centric Development, Demographic doldrums, Government as an Enabler, Fulcrum of the
development, Cooperative based Economic Development, Sahakar-se-Samriddhi, From Mere
Opportunity to Guarantee of The Future,
“Government control gives rise to fraud, suppression of truth, intensification of the black market and
artificial scarcity. Above all, it unmans the people and deprives them of initiative; it undoes the teaching of
self-help.” Mahatma Gandhi
Development processes and the development industry play a crucial role in governance, particularly in the
context of public sector initiatives and policy implementation.
Institutions Definition of development

UNDP  The UNDP defines development as "the process of broadening people's
choices and liberties and improving their well-being."
World Bank  According to the World Bank, development is "the long-term, inclusive, and
equitable process of improving people's well-being."
Amartya Sen  It focuses on enabling individuals to have opportunities and freedoms to live
a fulfilling life, beyond mere economic growth.
Components of Development
 Economic Dimension: GDP, per capita income, employment, poverty reduction, infrastructure
development, and financial resources are indicators.
 Social Dimension: Access to quality education, healthcare, nutrition, housing, social security, gender
equality, social cohesion, and inequality reduction are indicators.
 Human Development: It includes life expectancy, literacy, education, access to clean water and sanitation,
basic services, and empowerment to participate in decision-making.
 Environmental Dimension: It includes indicators such as environmental conservation, climate change
mitigation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management, and renewable energy
promotion.
 Governance and Institutions: This dimension emphasises governance, rule of law, transparency,
accountability, public institution effectiveness, and democratic values and institutions.
 Cultural Dimension: The cultural dimension recognises the importance of preserving and promoting
cultural heritage, diversity, and identity.
 Technological Dimension: It includes technological advancements, digital connectivity, innovation, access
to ICTs, and digital literacy promotion.
Challenges associated with development

 Poverty and Inequality: As per the Oxfam report on inequality the top 10% of the Indian population holds
77% of the total national wealth.
o 73% of the wealth generated in 2017 went to the richest 1%, while *670 million Indians who
comprise the poorest half of the population saw only a 1% increase in their wealth.
6
 Education and Skill Development: India has 4.7% of its workforce trained in formal skills, compared to 52%
in the US, 80% in Japan, and 96% in South Korea, according to the 2015 National Policy on Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship.
 Healthcare: In the Economic Survey of 2022, India's public expenditure on healthcare stood at 2.1% of GDP
in 2021-22 against 1.8% in 2020-21 and 1.3% in 2019-20.
 Infrastructure Development: Poor transportation, power, and urban amenities hinder economic growth
and quality of life.
o Upgrading rural and remote infrastructure requires significant investment and effective
implementation.
 Environmental Sustainability: India faces environmental challenges such as air and water pollution,
deforestation, and climate change.
o Environmental Performance Index 2022 ranks India last among 180 countries. India ranked at the
last position with an EPI score of 18.9.
 Employment: India's demographic dividend offers opportunities and challenges. Creating enough non-
agricultural jobs to absorb the growing workforce is the challenge. India had an employment rate of 46.3%
in 2021.
o The indicator recorded a growth of 5.2% in 2021 as compared to the previous year.
o Between 2010-2021, the indicator decreased by 13.3%.
 Agricultural Distress: Challenges such as low productivity, water scarcity, lack of access to credit and
markets, and vulnerability to climate change impact farmers' well-being.
o Ensuring sustainable agricultural practices, market reforms, and income security for farmers are
critical.
 Corruption: Effective governance and curbing corruption are important for successful development.
o Challenges such as bureaucratic inefficiencies, red tape, and corruption hinder the implementation
and impact of development policies.
 Social Issues: India grapples with various social issues, including gender inequality, caste-based
discrimination, and social exclusion.
Digital Divide: The 2022 Oxfam report on digital divides, based on CMIE data, reports a much wider gap with
the richest 60 per cent being four times more likely to make a digital payment than the poorest 40 per cent.
o Scheduled Tribe households in rural India use formal financial services least.
Conclusion
India’s development process is now guided by a goal of a $5 trillion GDP by 2024-25. Achieving it calls for
setting in motion all the means of economic growth like investment, consumption, and exports across all three
sectors agriculture, manufacturing, and services.
Role of Social Capital Organizations

 Social capital is a valuable asset that facilitates effective collaboration and the achievement of common
goals within a group or organization. It is a key element in the functioning of a society, corporation, or non-
profit organization, as it fosters trust, shared identity, shared norms and values, and mutual relationships.
These aspects collectively contribute to what is often referred to as a civil society, where people can work
together harmoniously and productively.
Classification of social capital organizations in India

2nd ARC, based on the laws under which the civil society operate and the kind of activities they
take up, classified them as:
o Registered Societies formed for specific purposes
o Charitable organisations and Trusts
o Cooperatives
o Bodies without having any formal organisational structure
o Government promoted Third Sector organisations
7
o Local Stakeholders Groups, Microcredit and Thrift Enterprises, SHGs Student Government
promoted Third Sector organisations
o Professional Self-Regulatory Bodies
Civil society and Development process
Social capital has been a useful conceptual umbrella for networks, group memberships, civic and political
participation, and subjective factors like trust in institutions and
people.
Tax exemptions for Voluntary
organizations
Social capital organisations, also known as non-profit
 Voluntary organizations in India can
organisations, are vital to India's growth and social well-being.
Socially mission-driven organisations address social, economic, and apply for income tax exemptions
environmental issues. Indian social capital organisations perform under Section 12A and Section 80G
the following: of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
 Social Services: They may provide healthcare, education,  Section 12A provides registration
poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, child welfare, and for exemption from income tax for
elderly or disabled support. Example NGO- Pratham, Savelife
organizations engaged in charitable
foundation etc.,
activities.
 They address socioeconomic inequality: by improving access
to quality services for underprivileged groups and distant  Section 80G allows donors to claim
places with limited government resources. and service gaps. tax deductions for their
 Influencing Policy: promote the rights and interests of various contributions to eligible
socioeconomic groups. They impact policymaking and systemic organizations.
change. Example Kisan organisations during the Anti farm law
protest.
 These organisations conduct research, policy analysis, and advocacy campaigns to promote social issues,
policy improvements, and their implementation.
o Example Birdlife India foundation, Savenarmada Movement, etc,
o They monitor governments and institutions and promote inclusive and equitable policies.
 Community Empowerment: They support community-led initiatives, capacity building, and social
entrepreneurship.
 Social Innovation: They discover growing social issues, devise novel ways, and test new solutions to
challenging situations. Example India against corruption movement.
 Resources and Philanthropy: Social capital organisations fundraise, grant write, and philanthropy.
o They survive and grow on contributions, grants, CSR funds, and collaborations.
 Emergency Relief: They mobilise resources, give immediate help, and aid recovery and rehabilitation
following natural disasters, pandemics, and humanitarian crises. They help vulnerable populations recover
from calamities.
Indian social capital organisations range from huge
national NGOs to community-based ones. They greatly
advance social development, address social issues, and
promote inclusive and sustainable progress.
National Policy on the “Voluntary Sector” 2007

● Meaning of Voluntary organisation: “Voluntary
Organisations (VOs) mean to include organisations
engaged in public service, based on ethical,
cultural, social, economic, political, religious, spiritual, philanthropic or scientific and technological
considerations.
8
○ For example, NGOs, SHGs, Societies, charitable institutions etc.,
Societies Charitable institutions
 It's a group of people working towards a  It's a single-party entity where the second party
philanthropic, literary, or scientific goal. holds the first party's assets for the third party.
 Society registration is simple: 7 members must  The Trustee accepts the Trustor's proposal and
sign the MoA (Memorandum of Association) and manages the Trustor's property for the third
file it with the ROC (Registrar of Companies). party (beneficiary).
 The Societies Registration Act, 1860, registers  The Trust Deed contains all the terms and
societies. conditions of the Trust, which is Trust Property.
 Registered by: the Registrar of Company.  Registered by the Registrar/Deputy Registrar of
 Annually, the Society must submit the names, Societies of the concerned State or Charity
addresses, and occupations of its Managing Commissioner.
Committee members to the Registrar.  No need to give any disclosure.
Self Help Groups

 Self-Help Groups are an untapped powerhouse of women and other marginalised sections of society and
highly potential vehicles to deliver social goods.
 It is an informal homogeneous affinity group, with the objective of - Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment
and Sustainable development.
 It can be defined as self-governed, peer-controlled with similar socio-economic backgrounds and having a
desire to collectively perform a common purpose.
Advantages of SHGs
 Social integrity – SHGs encourage collective efforts for combating practises like dowry, alcoholism etc.
 Gender Equity – SHGs empower women and inculcate leadership skills among them. Empowered women
participate more actively in the Gram Sabha and elections.
 Economic empowerment: Women get self-assurance to take part in decision-making processes both at
the household and community levels. Ex. Kudumbashree in Kerala
 Resource mobilisation: SHG initiatives can effectively mobilize underutilized and underused community
resources.
 Alternate source of income – SHGs reduce reliance on agriculture by assisting in the establishment of
micro businesses.
o For example, individualised businesses like grocers, tailors, and tool repair shops.
 Role Model: Successful SHGs act as resource persons for different community developmental initiatives.
o For Example – Lijjat Papad led to many
establishments of many households’
industries.
 Leadership: Active involvement in various SHG
initiatives aids members in developing their
leadership abilities.
o Ex. Women SHG leaders are frequently
selected as candidates for Panchayat
Pradhan or as PRI representatives.
 Pressure Groups – Enables women to highlight
issues such as dowry, alcoholism, menstrual
hygiene, and sanitation etc. and impact policy
decisions.
9
 Voice to marginalised section – Mostly marginalised communities are beneficiary of schemes and hence
their participation through SHGs ensures social justice.
 Financial Inclusion – The SHG-Bank linkage Programme pioneered by NABARD has eased credit access and
reduced the dependence on traditional money lenders.
 Check corrupt practices: Improving the efficiency of government schemes and reducing corruption
through social audits.
 Changes in Consumption Pattern – It has enabled the participating households to spend more on
education, food, and health than non-client households.
 Impact on Housing & Health – Housing and health effects through better nutrition, housing, and health—
especially for women and children get improved.
 Banking literacy – It encourages and motivates its members to save and act as a conduit for formal banking
services to reach them.
Challenges of SHGs
Challenges can be classified into three categories, such as-

 Sociocultural challenge – Ex. Class differences within SHGs, lacking homogeneous nature in SHGs, Creation
of hierarchy etc.
 Policy Related challenge: Ex. Lack of Financial inclusion, training issues etc
 Institutional challenge: Ex. No Policy for movability from Nano to Micro and Micro to Small industries; No
national policy on SHGs
Other challenges are, as -

 e-Market Access: The goods produced by SHGs do not have access to the e-marketplace. It reduces the
chances scaling of the business.
 Issues of Skilling, Reskilling, and Upskilling:
lack of proficiency in using new technologies
and limited awareness of SHGs results in
issues of skill set.
 Lack of Training Facility: The SHG members
are not provided with training in the areas of
product selection, product quality, production
methods, managerial skills, packing.
 Agricultural Activities: Most SHGs farm. Rural
SHGs need innovative equipment and access
to non-agricultural businesses.
 Issues with Raw Materials: SHG buys raw
materials in smaller quantities, so they don't
get discounts, credit, etc.
 Lack of Professionalism: The wages of the
members and living conditions also do not get
better. This also leads to errors in accounting
and mismanagement.
 Devoid of Modern Technology: Most of the SHGs work with rudimentary or no technology.
 Poor Financial Management: Generally, returns from the enterprises are diverted for other purposes like
marriage, construction of a house etc. and hence debt trap continues.
 Credit Mobilization: About 48% of the members must borrow from local money lenders, relatives due to
unavailability of adequate loans from groups.
 Exploitation by dominant groups: Strong members try to earn a lion’s share of the profit of the group, by
exploiting the ignorance and illiterate members.
10
 Dependency: Many SHGs rely on promoter organizations to survive. The SHGs are vulnerable to failure if
these agencies stop providing support.
Way Forward
 Facilitator and Promoter role: The Government should play the role of facilitator and promoter with the
objective to create a supportive environment for this movement. For Example-
o Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme of NABARD to connect the informal banking sector with
the organised sector (as per SK Kalia Committee).
o GOI has included SHG as a priority sector which bring ease in lending
o Permitted to run Grain banks to secure food security.
o Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran Pariyojana to promote agro-ecological practices
 Priority on Women’s literacy: The literacy levels of rural women are low and hence efforts to enhance
literacy levels in the area should be given priority.
 Legislative Empowerment: The government could make SHGs statutory bodies and allow them to work
with the local bodies to channel women’s development programmes.
 Support for Exports: The government should raise awareness of world trade's sanitary and phytosanitary
issues to encourage group members' exports.
o Ex. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) to facilitate credit support to poor women
 Financial management training: Training programmes relating to the management of finances,
maintaining accounts, production and marketing activities etc. should be given.
o Ex. Priyadarshini scheme for women’s empowerment and livelihood enhancement through SHGs.
 Provide gender sensitization training to bank staff so that they are sensitized to the needs of rural clients,
especially women.
o Ex. DAY-NRLM) to alleviate rural poverty by building sustainable community institutions for the
poor.
 Expansion of SHGs: The SHG movement needs to be extended to urban and peri-urban areas. State
Governments, NABARD and commercial Banks should join to prepare a directory of activities and financial
products relevant to such areas.
 e- Market space availability: NGOs may help SHG in identifying new marketing areas and methods of
distribution of products manufactured or marketed by SHGs.
Conclusion:
 The government should create an environment that is favourable for the expansion and development of
the SHG movement. It ought to serve as a promoter and a facilitator.
NGOs
 A non-governmental organisation (NGO) is an organisation that is neither a part of a government nor a
conventional for-profit business. Usually set up by ordinary citizens.
 NGO activities include, but are not limited to, environmental, social, advocacy, and human rights work.
 They can work to promote social or political change on a broad scale or very locally. NGOs play a critical
role in developing society, improving communities, and promoting citizen participation.
11
Evolution of NGOs in India & Recommendation of Committee
2019: FCRA
(Amendment)
1999: Foreign Act - 2019
Exchange
Management
1976: FCRA Regulation
(FEMA) Act -1999
1951: Five year Act- followed by 2010
Plan recognised Amendment
1871: First trace necessity of
of NGO NGOs
movement-
"Bhil Seva
Mandal"
Recommendation of Committees for the Role of NGOs
Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020

 Prohibition to accept foreign contributions: Public servants are not permitted to accept foreign
contributions.
 Transfer of foreign contribution: It prohibits the transfer of foreign contributions to anyone who is not
registered to accept this.
 Aadhaar for registration: All office holders must have an Aadhaar number.
 FCRA account: The foreign contributions must be received only in an account designated by the bank as
an FCRA account in branches of the State Bank of India, New Delhi.
 Reduction in use of foreign contributions for administrative purposes: The Act suggests that a maximum
of 20% of the total amount of foreign contributions received may be used to cover administrative costs.
(FCRA 2010 up to 50%).
 Surrender of certificate: The central government may ask a person to give up their registration certificate.
Issues with the FCRA 2020

 Financial Inconvenience: Mandatory to open an account at the SBI, New Delhi, is arbitrary and violates the
right to equality. It is also inconvenient for NGOS working elsewhere.
 Cripples in NGO Functioning:
o Tight restrictions and the ban on the transfer of funds have rendered NGOs ineffective. As a result,
recipients are unable to provide funding for other organizations
o The blanket ban on the transfer of foreign contributions affects the smaller grassroots
organisations that may not meet the criteria to get access to grants from foreign countries.
12
o The 20% administrative expense cap also makes it difficult for NGOs to hire staff and pay for
administrative costs.
 Double Standards: On one hand the government invites foreign funds, but when such funds come for
educational and charitable purposes, it is prevented.
 Open the doors for Bureaucratic harassment: Introducing dubious amounts of micromanagement can
bring official interference and harassment in the sector.
 Tool for Targeting: The legislation may be used to target political opponents and religious minorities.
 Affects Fundamental Rights: The restrictions also have serious consequences on both the rights to free
speech and freedom of association under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(c) of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court’s observation

 The SC has upheld the Constitutional validity of the FCRA amendment and provided a stringent regime for
effectively regulating the inflow and utilisation of foreign contributions.
Highlights of the Judgement

 Medicine vs Intoxicant Metaphor: Foreign Contributions serve as medicine so long as it is consumed
moderately and discreetly.
o However, the free and uncontrolled flow of foreign contributions can act as an intoxicant that
could impact the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.
 Imposing Political Ideology: The SC underlined that foreign contributions may tend to influence or impose
a political ideology.
 Global Precedents: Receiving foreign donations cannot be an absolute or even a vested right.
o There is possibility of the national polity being influenced by foreign contribution is globally
recognised.
Interconnected Relations of NGOs with Citizens and States
Role of NGOs
 Evaluation and Monitoring - Acting as an independent "auditor" or "watchdog" of corporate and
governmental accountability and transparency.
 Service delivery - The operational delivery of vital aid, development projects and social services.
o For Example – Emergency health services were provided by the Red Cross Society during Russia –
Ukraine war.
13
 Capacity Building – Providing education, training, and information. For example, works of Pratham NGO
in the education sector.
 Role in Participative Governance: Many civil society initiatives have contributed to some of the path-
breaking laws in the country.
o For instance - Environmental Protection Act-1986, Right to Education Act-2009, FRA-2006 and RTI
Act-2005.
 Social awareness: NGOs act as catalysts and create awareness among people who have deep-rooted
thoughts about superstition, gender, creed, and religious discrimination.
o For Example: Jan Sahas – focussed on awareness and community empowerment to end manual
scavenging
 Bridging The Gap: NGOs endeavour to plug gaps in the government’s programmes and reach out to
sections of people often left untouched by state projects.
o For example, providing aid to migrant workers in the Covid-19 crisis, Reaching out to people for
vaccine awareness etc.
 Role of an Enabler: Community-level outfits and self-help groups are critical for bringing any change to the
ground.
o For Example, NGOs and research agencies provide financial aid to grassroots institutions.
 Acting as a Pressure Group: There are political NGOs that mobilise public opinion against the government’s
policies and actions and fix accountability on the performance of grassroots government functionaries.
Challenges for NGOs

 Lack of Performing NGOs: Only about 1.5% of NGOs are thought to work on developing countries.
 Political Activism: Many NGOs have actively participated in political campaigns, sometimes acting as
proxies for political parties. They also get funds from foreign institutions for the same.
 Obnoxious agenda: Despite claiming to be involved in social empowerment or human rights initiatives,
these organizations are allegedly sides for separatist groups
 Asymmetry of power: Some NGOs have acquired the capacity of multinational companies because of
large-scale offshore funding. On the other hand, several NGOs lack even operational funding.
 Siphoning of funds: NGOs are becoming safe havens to channel black money and tax evasion. Such NGOs
are causing loss to the exchequer by helping others to evade taxes.
 Lack of Strategic planning: This makes it difficult for them to carry out their goals and activities
successfully. As a result, they are unable to solicit and utilize financial support successfully.
 Ineffective Governance and Networking: It is all too common for NGOs to lack effective governance. A
founder might be overly preoccupied with running the NGO for their own gain.
 lack of youth volunteerism and social work: Due to less alluring pay scales and career opportunities, even
parents discourage their kids from participating in social activities.
 Localisation in urban areas: Most of the NGOs are Centralised in metropolitan and urban areas.
14
Issues emanating from NGOs
Recommendation to improve the working of NGOs

 Building Capacity: NGOs can easily train staff members and develop the organizational capabilities needed
to handle challenges in the future.
 Real-time advice from experts: It is extremely valuable to have access to advice and direction whenever
needed during a project or to improve NGO operations.
o Access to qualified experts will boost donor confidence and help the project succeed.
 Technology and communication: All NGOs should use the Internet, email, a website, and the appropriate
social media platforms.
 Financial complaints: Timely submission of annual income and expense reports will enhance NGOs'
perception of the governance of NGOs.
 Democratic leadership: NGOs face many obstacles on their way to success. By rotating leadership among
its members, such issues can be successfully overcome.
 Declaring foreign funding: In the era of Globalisation, keeping track of NGO’s foreign funding will ensure
that they operate transparently and deter unlawful conduct.
 Instill the Value of Volunteerism: NSS and NCC should encourage students to get involved in volunteer
work from an early age.
o For young graduates who are interested in volunteering, universities, colleges, and schools must
work with NGOs and hold campus interviews.
Way Forwards
 Reforms in Accreditation: Dynamic and diversified National Accreditation Council consisting of
academicians, activists, and retired bureaucrats to be established so that compliance of NGOs could be
ensured.
 Better Coordination: There should be better coordination between the Ministries of Home Affairs and
Finance in terms of monitoring and regulating illicit and unaccounted funds.
 Regulatory mechanism: Financial activities of NGOs are to be regulated by a Regulatory mechanism to
eliminate corrupt practices.
 Participation of Common People: It will democratise the functioning of NGOs and help to improve
capability.
15
 Increased Role in Rural Areas: In India, rural areas are home to 65% of the population. Therefore, NGOs
must work in rural areas more extensively for improving their quality of life.
Conclusion
 The work done by NGOs significantly aids in nations building. NGOs have the potential to affect millions
more lives through their work because the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Act requires large
corporations to spend 2% of their revenue on social issues.
16
Co-operatives
 Meaning: A co-operative is an autonomous group of people who have come together voluntarily to
achieve their common economic, social, and cultural needs and objectives through a democratically
governed and collectively owned business.
o The Ministry of Cooperation reports 8.5 lakh Indian cooperatives with 1.3 crore members.
 Principles of cooperatives: Cooperatives are founded on self-reliance, accountability, democracy, equality,
equity, and solidarity.
 According to Gandhiji, Co-operation was required for the formation of a socialist society and total
decentralisation of power. As he believed, Co-operation was one of the most crucial ways to empower
people.
Co-operative Movement in Post-Independence Era
Importance of Cooperatives
 Provides agricultural credits and funds to farmers,
traders etc. Ex. Sahkari banks of different states.
 Women Empowerment, Ex. Shree Mahila Gruha
Udyog (Lijjat Papad).
 Creating decent jobs Ex. Amul, Nandani, Provided
more than half million jobs in Kenya
 Provides strategic inputs for the agricultural sector,
Ex. IFFCO, KRIBHCO
 Wish to solve the problems of needy collectively Ex.
Cooperative housing society
 Reduces class conflicts and social cleavages
 Check bureaucratic evils and follies of political
factions
 Fosters the growth of small and cottage industries
EX. TRIFED, Indian Coffee House
 Consumer societies meet their consumption
requirements at concessional rates. Ex. National
Cooperative Development Corporation
 International cooperation, Ex. Ugandan Cooperative College, which provides training in cooperative
management and governance.
Challenges
 Mismanagement: If some secure methods are not used to manage such cooperatives, a massively large
membership turns out to be mismanaged.
o For Example- Recently failed Urban cooperative banks like Punjab and Maharashtra cooperative
bank.
 Manipulation: During voting for the governing bodies, money is used and mostly the richest farmers won
the top positions of chairman and vice-chairman etc.
17
 Lack of Knowledge: People are not well informed about the goals of the policies governing cooperative
institutions.
 Limited Coverage: The majority of these societies have only a small number of members, and they only
operate in one or two villages.
 Functional Weakness: The lack of adequately trained personnel has been detrimental to the Co-operative
Movement.
 Interference by the government: The administration has adopted a patronising tone toward the
cooperative movement.
 Flaws in operation
o They have been unable to progress along healthy lines due to this deficiency.
o Cooperative have failed to develop effective communication and public relations strategies that
promote the concept of collaboration among the general population.
Way Forward
 Training:
o Cooperatives should take up the task of training farmers in the right use of inputs such as fertilisers,
Pesticides, Water etc. and help them understand new technologies in farming.
o Take an active part in skilling rural youth.
o It must also extend support to children in academic and professional institutions, and to those who
want to form cooperatives, but who are not aware of the various modalities, and requirements.
 More inclusive: Increased participation of women in the cooperative movement.
 Checks & Balances to be updated regularly: There are irregularities in cooperatives and to check them
there must be rules and stricter implementation.
 Use of technology:
o To have a transparent, accountable, and efficient system, cooperatives should make effective use of
digital technology, especially in governance, banking, and business.
o Cooperative societies can contribute to making people familiar with new-age technologies.
Conclusion
 The cooperative movement's guiding principle is to unite people while maintaining anonymity.
 The movement has the power to provide solutions to people's issues. Cooperatives do have irregularities,
though, and to prevent them, rules and stricter enforcement are needed.
 Furthermore, market connections for agricultural farmers and cooperative societies are necessary to
strengthen cooperatives.
The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022

 The Bill seeks to amend the Act to align its provisions as per Part IXB of the Constitution and address
concerns with the functioning and governance of co-operative societies.
 Provision of the Bill –

Features Multi-State Co-operative Multi-State Co-operative Societies
Societies Act, 2002 (Amendment) Bill, 2022
Election of the Elections to the board are Co-operative Election Authority to be

Board members conducted by its existing board established by the Central government to
conduct elections and other functions
Amalgamation of By passing a resolution with at State co-operative societies to merge into an
co-operative least two-thirds of the members, existing multi-state co-operative society, subject
societies present and voting to the respective state laws.
Fund for sick co- No Provision It establishes the Co-operative Rehabilitation,
18
operative Reconstruction, and Development Fund for the

societies revival of sick multi-state co-operative societies.
Restriction on Shares of government authorities It stipulates that the central and state
redemption of can be redeemed based on the governments cannot redeem any shares without
government bye-laws of the society. their prior consent.
shareholding
Redressal of No Provision The central government will appoint one or
complaints more cooperative ombudsmen with territorial
jurisdiction.
Issues and Challenges

 Reviving sick co-operative societies may burden profitable societies as the bill is effectively imposing a
cost on well-functioning co-operatives to bail out poorly functioning ones.
 Restricting redemption of government shareholding may be against co-operative principles.
 The Report of the High-Powered Committee on Co-operatives (2009) had recommended against
government participation in the share capital of co-operatives since it leads to government control, which
could be detrimental to the autonomy of co-operatives.
Conclusion
Over 1500 multi-State co-operative societies in India help their members economically and socially. The
amendment proposes the Cooperative Election Authority, Cooperative Information Officer, and Cooperative
Ombudsman to make multi-State Cooperative societies more democratic, open, and responsible.
19
3. Governance and Good-Governance
3. Governance and Good-Governance

 Reform, Transform and Perform, Adhocism by government and judiciary, Balanced approach,
Political Savvy, Evidence based interventions, Culture of doing-little, Voices from the ground,
Collective code of conduct, 3P (Pro-poor public) welfare, Departmentalism, Governance of skew to
governance of saturation, Soft-touch approach/principle, Decisive government, Minimalistic power,
Swarajya” (self-rule) and “surajya” (good governance)
Kautilya emphasised the qualities of a well-governed monarch in his book Arthashastra, writing: "in the
happiness of his subjects lies his happiness, in their welfare, whatever pleases himself, he does not consider
as good, but whatever pleases his subjects he considers as good."
Introduction
Former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan said "good governance is perhaps the single most important factor
in eradicating poverty and promoting development". Therefore, knowing about the meaning of governance
has become important in studying development. Governance is
characterized mainly by transparency, accountability, participation, the
rule of law and efficiency.
Government and Governance

 A government is a body of people in charge of a nation's
administration. At any one time, the State is governed and
controlled by the body of representatives.
o The organised group of people who control a nation's
administration is known as the government.
o Although there are many different types of government,
including democracy and autocracy, they all have the same
function.
 Governance is the process of ruling or governing.
Stakeholders in Governance
o It is the collection of regulations and laws created by the
government and to be carried out by State officials.
Origin of concept of Governance:

 Governance has been used since the fourteenth century. It first appeared in France. It meant "seat of
government."
 It comes from the Greek term 'Kybernan,' which means "to steer and pilot or be at the helm of things."
o Harland Cleveland (1972) coined the phrase "governance."
Meaning of Governance:
 The World Bank defines governance as all means of exercising power over the distribution of resources.
o Thus, governance challenges are strongly related to the procedures and systems by which people
obtain resources.
 UNDP (1997) has viewed governance as “the exercise of economic, political, and administrative authority
to manage a nation’s affairs at all levels.
20
o It emphasises the transparency, accountability, integrity, and validity of the institutions, laws,
practises, and values that underpin society's functioning.
 Prof. Kuldeep Mathur opines in his book, From Government to Governance, that governance is concerned
with changes taking place in the organisation of the state, and with changes in its relationship with the
private sector and civil society actors.
Forms of Governance:
 Political: Along with civil society, NGOs, and the commercial sector, the state is an actor in the governance
process.
o The importance of new strategies based on informal influence, facilitating, and regulation has
expanded.
o The government is now the "enabler" rather than the "doer."
 Economic: Economic governance involves removing market distortions, creating service standards,
maintaining fair competition and a level playing field, and preserving important stakeholders' interests.
o The neoliberal political/economic system of the 1980s and 1990s shattered the notion of the state
as a direct service provider in part.
o For example: The introduction of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code helped improve ‘ease of
doing business in India.
 Social: Governance in this context means
developing, strengthening, and sustaining
collaborative and participative procedures,
networking, coordination and capacity
building.
o For example: The Government has
launched social sector schemes like
Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid-
Day Meal (MDM) scheme.
 Environmental: Environmental governance
refers to the processes of decision-making
involved in the control and management of
the environment and natural resources.
o It views natural resources and the
environment as global public goods,
belonging to the category of goods
that are not diminished when they are shared.
o For example: Declaration of Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) and Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ)
by the Government.
Measure of Governance
The World Bank Group's Worldwide Governance Indicators reports on six dimensions of governance. These
are:
(a) The process by which governments are selected, monitored, and replaced:
1. Voice and Accountability (VA): capturing perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able
to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and
a free media.
2. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism (PV): capturing perceptions of the likelihood that
the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including
politically-motivated violence and terrorism.
(b) The capacity of the government to effectively formulate and implement sound policies:
21
3. Government Effectiveness (GE): capturing perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of
the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy
formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.
4. Regulatory Quality (RQ): capturing perceptions of the ability of the government to formulate and
implement sound policies and regulations that permit and promote private sector development.
(c) The respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions
among them:
5. Rule of Law (RL): capturing perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by
the rules of society, and in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and
the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
6. Control of Corruption (CC): capturing perceptions of the extent to which public power is exercised for
private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as "capture" of the state by elites
and private interests.
Role of governance in development:

 The Asian Development Bank noted that inadequate governance slows and distorts development and
disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable.
 Governance is critically linked to reduction of corruption and ensuring rule-bound behaviour by all
institutions associated with governance.
o For example: Disbursement of welfare benefits directly to the citizens under various schemes of
the Government in a transparent manner through the Direct Benefit Transfer initiative and the
introduction of Government procurement through the Government e- Marketplace (GeM).
Concept of Good Governance:

 Good governance is felt rather than defined.
o Good governance requires efficient legislative, executive, judiciary, private institutions, NGOs, and
public cooperation.
 The 1992 World Bank study "Governance and Development" defined good governance as "the way
power is exercised in the development management of a country's economic and social resources."
The Need for Good Governance

 It provides vision and effective leadership.
 promotes a transparent work culture, and provides a corruption free mode of delivery of services.
 It strengthens the accountability mechanism.
 Reduces human interference in service delivery and, thus, eliminates human bias in the delivery of
services.
 Good governance allows all citizens to reach their greatest potential regardless of class, caste, or gender.
Components of Good Governance:

 Consensus oriented: Powers to the gram sabha on various matters under the PESA Act of 1996 and the
Forest Rights act-2006.
 Participatory: For example, in India, it is achieved through decentralisation of power as per the 73rd and
74th constitutional amendment acts.
 Equity and inclusiveness: A society's well-being hinges on making sure everyone feels like they belong.
o To achieve this, the constitution is having provisions for affirmative action (Article 15 and 16),
which prohibits discrimination and give reservations to a few vulnerable sections of society.
22
 Effectiveness and efficiency: good governance implies processes and institutions that meet social needs
while using resources efficiently.
o For example, the government came up with
the LiFE mission to encourage youth to
promote energy and resource efficiency.
 Accountability: There are various mechanism like
office of Lokpal and Lokayukta, office of CVC and RTI
Act etc.
 Responsiveness: Organisations must serve all
stakeholders within a fair timeline for good
governance.
o For example, government is implemented
the Ease of Doing policy, single window
clearance system and citizen charters to
deliver the services in a time bound manner.
o Pro-Active Governance and Timely
Implementation (PRAGATI) portal is formed
to give time bound delivery of services.
 Rule of law: Good governance requires unbiased
legal systems. It demands thorough protection of
human rights, especially minorities.
o Government came of Fugitive offenders act and Insolvency and bankruptcy code to enforce the
rule of law in financial and banking sectors of India.
 Transparent: Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act lays down the information which should be disclosed by Public
Authorities on a suo motu or proactive basis.
Issues with India in achieving Good Governance:

 Criminalization of politics: Nearly 50% of MPs in the new Lok Sabha have criminal records.
 Ineffective decentralisation of powers: Local Governments in India are facing issues like lack of staff,
insufficient funding and delayed elections.
 Obsolete rules and laws: Over 2,000 obsolete rules and laws were scrapped in last 9 years. Many more
obsolete laws are still operational.
Apart from these issues, in its 12th report, "CITIZEN CENTRIC ADMINISTRATION: The Heart of Governance,"
the 2nd ARC lists these governance hurdles:
 Lack of Accountability and Red Tapism.
 The Civil Service and administration are becoming rigid, inflexible, self-perpetuating, and inward-looking.
o Thus, their indifference and insensitivity to citizens' concerns and the tremendous power
disparity at all levels have worsened the issue.
 Ineffectiveness of Panchayati raj institutions and Urban local bodies in public service delivery.
 Parochial electoral reforms.
 Low levels of Awareness of the Rights and Duties of Citizens.
 Complicated judicial system and bureaucratic structure.
 Inefficient institutions: Modern issues require stronger legal and regulatory frameworks.
○ CBI, ED, CVC, and other public agencies fail to deliver. Inefficiency hinders government.
Initiatives for Good Governance in India:

 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments acts aimed at democratic decentralization, Right to
Information Act, 2005, Citizen's Charter, Social Audit, E-Governance, Use of ICT tools, Aspirational district
program to eliminate regional disparities, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, Consolidation of labour
23
laws, Sevottam Model of service delivery, Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System
(CPGRAMS).
Conclusion
 In a time when India is developing and prospering, our national plan must prioritise Gandhian "Antodaya"
to re-establish decent governance. When nation/state machinery is more efficient and accountable,
citizens can enjoy a better per capita income, widespread literacy, adequate health facilities, and a longer
average life.
Sports Governance in India
Recent context: The Supreme Court (SC) is investigating women wrestlers' sexual harassment claims against
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President, raising worries about Indian sports governance.
Current status of Sports governance in

India
Two organisations govern Indian sports:
1. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and
Sports (MYAS): The MYAS administers
several government agencies, including
the Sports Authority of India (SAI),
which provides athletes and coaches
with infrastructure, training, and
funding.
2. Indian Olympic Association (IOA): The
autonomous IOA represents India in
the International Olympic Committee
and other international sports
federations. It also hosts national
sports competitions.
Issues with the current Sports governance of India

 National Sports Federations (NSFs) lack autonomy and responsibility: NSFs are organisations that
regulate and develop several sports in India.
o They are associated with the IOA, which is the governing organisation for Olympic sports in the
country.
 NSFs are expected to be autonomous and democratic organisations that adhere to good governance
concepts such as openness, participation, and justice.
o However, many NSFs are plagued by nepotism, favouritism, and political and bureaucratic
intervention.
o In July 2010, the Central Vigilance Commission reported violations in 14 Commonwealth Games
projects in India.
 Some NSFs have been led for decades by the same person or family, with no elections or term limits.
 Some NSFs have also been accused of misappropriating funds, breaking rules, and discriminating against
athletes for a variety of reasons.
o The Delhi Police detained three cricketers for spot-fixing and betting in the 2013 Indian Premier
League.
 Coordination and collaboration among various parties are lacking: The MYAS, the SAI, the IOA, the NSFs,
state governments, the commercial sector, and civil society are all active in sports development and
management in India.
24
 Cooling off period for the sportsmen: The BCCI, in its recent amendment in constitution, has sought the
abolition of a cooling-off period for its office bearers.
Way ahead
 India needs strong sports legislation that covers all aspects of sports and gives no authority arbitrator
powers.
o The Sports Development Bill, 2011 and Sports Development Code, 2011 attempted to make the
National Olympic Committee (NOC) responsible for two-year National Games and four-year fair
and transparent elections.
 The retirement age for office bearers should be 70 years, and at least 25% of the Board Members shall be
eminent athletes.
 The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) needed to be revamped.
o National Anti-Doping Act 2022 was enacted to ensure highest standards of integrity while
participating and preparing for sports competitions, domestically and internationally.
o The Act creates a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports and a legal framework for the National
Anti-Doping Agency, the National Dope Testing Laboratory, and other dope testing labs.
o Punishment: Anti-doping violations can lead to disqualification, forfeiture of medals, points, and
prizes, ineligibility to compete for a period, and financial penalties.
 Cooling off period for the sportsmen should be mandatory.
 Representation and protection of Women: We can adopt the model of World Athletics which pledged to
have 40% female representation in its Council, the all-powerful decision-making body, and a woman vice
president this year in a significant step towards gender equity in the sport.
o Similarly, The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal)
Act, 2013 should be applicable in the case of sports.
 Other reforms needed such as, Bottom-Up Reforms, Creating Sports Awareness, Empowering Athletes
and autonomy and auditing of sports federations on regular basis.
Conclusion: Sports have a big role in national pride and psychology; hence the state must be involved in sports
governance. It must be delicate to avoid violating the Olympic charter. To create a national sports culture, the
primary education system must be reformed.
25
4. E-Governance
4. E-Governance
 Digital inclusion, ‘Technocratic’ government/bureaucracy, Digital Divide, Information Bubble, Digital
Footprints, Data as Public Good, Data Democratization, technology-driven audit and inspection
paperless, green offices
Introduction:
E-Governance, according to the 2nd Administrative Reform Commission (ARC) Report, is primarily related to
carrying out governance tasks and achieving governance outcomes through the use of what is today known as
ICT (information and communication technology).
Need for e-Governance

 Effective adoption of E-Governance initiatives may result in less corruption, improved accountability,
greater convenience, revenue gains, and/or cost savings.
 The goal of implementing e-governance is to improve performance and assure proper service delivery.
 This will be accomplished through the use of five "SMART" e-governance characteristics.
Factors Pushing India towards e-Governance:

 Rising numbers of mobile phone users and data consumption: According to a Nokia report, average data
consumption per user in India reached 19.5GB
per user a month in 2022.
 Due to the rising availability and falling cost of
high-speed broadband and smartphones, India
likely to have 900 million active internet users by
2025.
 Success of Digital India mission and eKranti: To
help millions connect online, the Digital India
programme is providing broadband internet to
250,000 gram panchayats.
 Rising eCommerce and digital economy: India is
poised for the next phase of growth, creating
tremendous economic value and empowering
citizens as new digital applications permeate
sector after sector.
o India's digital economy might generate
$1 trillion in 2025.
 JAM trinity: 1.21 billion Indians enlisted in the
government's biometric digital identity initiative.
o Jan Dhan Yojana and other government
initiatives have enabled banking,
pension (PMSBY and PMJJBY), and
insurance (Atal Pension Yojana) services
for average folks, digitally empowering
them.
26
Significance of e-Governance:
 Improved service delivery: The new India has pioneered e-
government, using ICT for elections, census, computerising
government offices, digi lockers, e-transportation, e-health, e-
education, and e-taxation.
o Through MC21 data, corporates and other stakeholders will
have convenient and secure online access to all registry-
related services provided by the Union Ministry of Corporate
Affairs.
 Improve industry-business interaction: E-governance accelerates Four Pillars of e-governance
industrial growth processes.
 De-bureaucratization: E-governance narrows the distance between the people and the government in all
services and reduces the people's dependence on the bureaucracy.
 Reducing corruption: E-governance tracked government activity online, eliminating corruption.
o Linking AADHAR with MGNREGA daily wage payments helped to eliminate bogus beneficiaries and
reducing corruption.
 Hierarchy Elimination: ICT involved all levels in decision-making.
 Plug leakages: The e-governance ecosystem has helped the union government to plug about $27 billion in
leakage by digitally transferring money via DBT.
 Automation in Administrative Processes: To eliminate the Great Indian Red Tape, Saharsa became Bihar's
first paperless (e-office) district.
Challenges with e-Governance:

 Trust deficit: Any entity may commit financial, value, or personal information fraud. Departmental data is
sometimes overlooked in government offices.
 Digital divide: According to the India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide by Oxfam, the richest 60 per
cent Indians are four times more likely to use digital payment facilities than the poorest 40 per cent.
 Adoption Cost: India spends 3% of GDP on the implementation of e-governance initiatives. The
government should encourage officials, administrators, and citizens to use e-governance services by using
public funds wisely.
 Privacy and Security and infrastructure related issues.
o Hackers released all CoWIN data on Telegram.
o Screenshots of the data contained names, mobile numbers, Aadhaar card details, PAN card
credentials, date of birth, and vaccination centre information. Some passport details were leaked.
Barriers in adoption of e-Governance in India:

 Accessibility: According to the India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide by Oxfam, access to the internet
through any kind of device was found to be far better in urban India at 44 percent than in rural areas at 17
percent.
 Usability: Only 38 percent of households in the country are digitally literate.
 Use of local languages: Between mother tongue, second and third language, the 2011 census records that
over 10% of Indians reported being able to speak some English.
o To improve e-services, the government should translate this language into regional languages.
 E-governance awareness: Due to illiteracy, rural internet access, lack of intent to use internet services,
etc., many people in the country are unaware of it.
o Thus, informed citizens, concerned institutions, and departments should help rural populations
use e-services.
o For this government came with the national e-governance policy (NeGP).
 E-governance operations and service upkeep cost the government a lot.
27
 Government models must be reusable. E-governance is a nationwide plan with software and modules for
other administrations.
 Maintainability: Because the IT ministry develops new
software to meet citizen wants. Thus, government introduced
new schemes like digital India.
 Portability: For administration reuse, portable applications
must be independent of hardware and software platforms.
 E-governance interoperability: Ministry-department
cooperation hampers data processing and exchange.
 E-governance challenges include web-based data collection
and format.
 Security: E-governance services like insurance, banking, and
utility bill payments have security concerns.
o Cases related to online frauds have come down by about 17.5 per cent in 2022 to ₹128 crore. But
the number is still very high.
 Privacy: Government should protect citizen data.
Steps needed to strengthen the e-Governance architecture of India:

 Greater Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity.
 Improve government-citizen dialogue.
 Services on Demand: With a bottom-up approach to
planning using separate urban-rural socio-economic
databases, government ministries must identify, evaluate,
formulate, implement, and correct data-driven policies to
meet population needs as soon as possible.
 Focus on Local E-governance: local governments are closest
to residents and serve as many people's main point of
contact with government.
 Deployment of Intermediaries: E-Governance is designed
to maximise citizen happiness by increasing public service
delivery and citizen participation in governance procedures.
 India's multilingual population benefits from e-government in regional languages.
 Understanding E-readiness: India's states are at varying levels of e-readiness, therefore e-Governance
reforms must take this into account.
Models of e-governance:
 Broadcasting Model: The model is based on dissemination;
broadcasting of useful Governance information and it will
also provide people with correct information.
 Critical Flow Model: The model is based on disseminating,
channeling information of critical value to the targeted
audience or into the wider public domain.
 Comparative Analysis Model: The model continuously
assimilates best practices in the area of governance and use
them as bench mark to evaluates other governance
practices.
 The e-advocacy Model: This model helps the global civil
society to impact on global decision-making process.
28
 The Interactive Service Model: the various services offered by the government and it became directly
available to its citizen in an interactive manner.
o Example: CoWin app, Digilocker and UPI.
Important e-governance models given by the 2nd ARC:
Model Examples
Government to ● The Karnataka government's Khajane Project computerises its treasury online.
government (G2G) ● SmartGov (Andhra Pradesh): SmartGov streamlines processes and improves
efficiency through workflow automation and knowledge management for the
Andhra Pradesh Secretariat.
Government to ● Digilocker, CoWin App, UPI etc.,

citizens (G2C) ● Rajasthan’s e-Mitra: Rajasthan Government provides citizen services quickly and
conveniently.
● Gyandoot: Madhya Pradesh government project. The Mission Mode Project
designated 2,50,000 panchayatiraj institutions to provide rural e-government
services.
Government to ● MCA 21 database: by Corporate Affairs Ministry.

Business (G2B)
Government to ● iGoT platform for employees to train them and equip them to handle emerging
employee (G2E) challenges in governance.
Recent Government Initiatives to Promote E-Governance in India:

 MyGov Initiative: It has been established as Government of India’s Citizen Engagement Platform which
collaborates with multiple Government bodies/Ministries to engage with citizens for policy formulation
and seeks the opinion of people on issues of public interest and welfare.
 National e-Governance Plan: It is an initiative of the Government of India to make all government services
available to the citizens of India via electronic media.
 National Center of Geo-informatics: It is a Geographic Information System (GIS) based decision support
system platform, under National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY).
 Darpan Portal: It is an initiative started by the National Informatics Centre and NITI Aayog. It facilitates an
interchange of information between NGOs, Voluntary Organisations (VOs) and government departments,
ministries and bodies.
Conclusion
E-Governance has improved citizen access to information and services, government efficiency, accountability,
and reach. The research recognises that e-Governance projects must be built for specific settings and
environments due to India's diverse conditions and vast range of e-Governance initiatives with various degrees
of success.
29
5. Citizen Charter
5. Citizen Charter
 Citizen-led transformation, Outcome-based delivery of quality services, People-driven efforts, Timely
information delivery, Reach of governance
 Meaning: A voluntary written document known as the Citizen's Charter outlines the steps the service
provider has made to concentrate on their commitment to meeting the requirements of the
citizens/customers.
 Origin: Former British Prime Minister John Major introduced the idea of a citizen's charter in 1991.
Citizen charter in India

 The concept of a citizen's charter was first adopted in India in May 1997 at the "Conference of Chief
Ministers of various States and Union Territories" in the
national capital.
 Nodal agency: The Department of Administrative
Reforms and Public Grievances oversees citizen charter
coordination, formulation, and implementation
(DARPG).
o The DARPG website lists more than 700 charters
ratified by Indian government agencies.
 Making a law: Citizens' Right to Timely Goods and
Services Delivery and Grievance Redress Bill, 2011
(Citizens Charter) was presented to Lok Sabha in
December 2011.
o However, as a result of the Lok Sabha's
dissolution in 2014, the bill expired.
 Not legally Binding: Citizens' charters are not binding
legal contracts. They are only recommendations to
improve the provision of services to citizens.
Components of the Citizen's Charter

 The mission and vision statements of the organisation.
 Information on the organization's operations and
other relevant information.
 Describe who the clients and citizens are.
 Description of citizen services, including availability,
quality, and other factors.
 Mechanisms for resolving disputes.
 Citizen/client expectations.
 Additional duties, such as reimbursement for poor
service.
30
Characteristics of Citizens' Charter

 Specifies precise requirements for the provision of services.
o The criteria must be quantifiable, time-bound, pertinent, precise, and correct.
 Provides comprehensive information about the services in plain language, including what services are
provided, what degree of quality to anticipate, how to file a complaint, etc.
 The charter should offer a variety of services.
 Regular consultations with stakeholders, including customers, should set quality standards.
 It should encourage politeness and helpfulness among service provider employees.
The difficulties encountered in establishing Citizen's Charters in India:
 Merely formalities: There is no

participation from personnel or people,
and the entire exercise is carried out
because it is a directive from the top.
 Inadequate staff training results in the
charter being merely created and not
properly implemented.
 Unrealistic charters are sometimes
drafted and the charters are not updated
on a regular basis.
 The citizen's charter is not legally binding
and it is not widely known among the
general public.
 No consultation with stakeholders:
Service providers draught charters
without client input.
 Ineffective implementation: Officers and field personnel have different hierarchies, which hinders
cooperation and motivation.
2nd ARC Recommendations:

 Citizen’s Charters should be made effective by adopting
the following principles:
 One size does not fit all,
 Citizen’s Charter should be prepared for each
independent unit under the overall umbrella of the
organization’s charter,
 Wide consultation which include civil society in the
process,
 Firm commitments to be made
 Internal process and structure should be reformed
to meet the commitments given in the Charter
 Redress mechanism is case of default
 Periodic evaluation of Citizen’s Charters
 Benchmark using end-user feedback
 Hold officers accountable for results
SEVOTTAM MODEL
 Meaning: The word, Sevottam is a combination of two Hindi words: 'Seva' (service) and 'Uttam'
(excellence). The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) established Sevottam model, a generic
31
framework for achieving excellence in public service delivery. It was created with the overarching goal of
increasing the country's public service delivery quality.
 Objectives: To address the shortcomings of Citizen Charters (CC) and to provide a framework for assessing
and improving the quality-of-service delivery to citizens.
 Origin: It was conceived in 2006 by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions' Department
of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
Three components of Sevottam model:

 Citizens' Charters - first component
 Public Grievance System - Second component
 Service Delivery Excellence - Third component
2nd ARC Seven Step Model for Citizen Centricity:

1. Define all services which you provide and identify your clients
2. Set standards and norms for each service
3. Develop capability to meet the set standards
4. Perform to achieve the standards
5. Monitor performance against the set standards.
6. Evaluate the impact through an independent mechanism
7. Continuous improvement based on monitoring and evaluation of results
The following are the important success factors for the Sevottam model:
 This concept requires organisation and implementation agency commitment and passion.
 Stakeholder involvement will also determine success.
 Performance management must replace "administrative management" for the government and other
interested parties.
 Adequate institutional frameworks must be in place for the Sevottam model to be adopted on a big scale.
Conclusion: The model measures Indian Public Sector Organizations' service quality, but its success depends
on the highest administrative levels' commitment to this activity. The Sevottam model will foster healthy
competition to improve service delivery in the country.
32
6. Means to ensure Transparency & Accountability
6. Means to ensure Transparency & Accountability

 Refer Aaj Ka Quality Enrichment Video’s by MK Yadav Sir for Keywords, their meaning and their usage.
Right to Information
“Information is the currency of democracy,” Thomas Jefferson
 Right to information is cornerstone of participatory democracy and is seen as a basic necessity of good
governance. It not only promotes transparency and accountability but also empowers people by opening
government’s records to public scrutiny.
 Global Recognition: Right to seek, receive, and impart information forms a part of the Article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights encompasses the right to freedom of opinion and expression,
including the.
 Constitutional Status: Right to Information is implicit part of the freedom of speech and expression under
Article 19(1) of the Constitution as ruled by Supreme Court in Raj Narayan vs State of Uttar Pradesh (1976).
Parliament enacted the Right to Information Act in 2005 which is hailed as a path breaking step in India’s
legislative journey.
What is Right to Information Act, 2005?

It is a legislation that sets out a system through which citizens can access the information which are under the
control of public authorities.
Roots of RTI
 The 1997 Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) Movement focused on demanding transparency in
rural development programs and led to the formation of the "Jan Sunwai" (public hearing) model, which
brought public officials and citizens together to discuss and resolve grievances.
 In 1996, a RTI draft was sent to the government, which was prepared by NCPRI and other related activist
with the help of press council of India in the guidance of Justice PB Savant.
 In 1997, this bill was sent to the Shourie committee which was setup by the government to providing
recommendations regarding practicability of this bill.
 The Central Freedom of Information Act 2002 was passed by both houses of Parliament and received
presidential assent but was never notified and therefore never became effective.
Key features of the RTI Act, 2005:

 Scope and Applicability: As per Section 1(2) RTI Act applies to the whole of India. It covers the central
government, state governments, and all public authorities defined under the act.
 Public Authorities: The RTI Act defines "public authorities" under section 2(h) as including government
departments, ministries, and public sector undertakings.
33
"Public authority" means any authority or body or institution of self-government established or

constituted—
o by or under the Constitution;
o by any other law made by the Parliament/State Legislature.
o by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any—
o body owned, controlled or substantially financed.
 Requesting Information: RTI application Judiciary under the Ambit of RTI

should be in writing, either in paper or 1. Central Public Information Officer, Supreme Court
electronic form, and clearly state the of India vs. Subhash Chandra Agarwal: In this 2009
information sought. The applicant must pay a judgment, the Central Information Commission
nominal application fee. Gujarat Information (CIC) held that the office of the Chief Justice of India
Commission has recommended to the state (CJI) is a public authority and comes under the
government to increase the fees to a purview of the RTI Act.
maximum of Rs 100 from the Rs 20 charged 2. Registrar, Supreme Court of India vs. Commodore
presently. Lokesh K. Batra (Retd.): In 2010, the Delhi High
 Timeframes and Response: The public Court held that the office of the CJI is a public
authority is required to respond within 30 authority under the RTI Act.
days. In cases involving the life or liberty of a 3. Secretary-General, Supreme Court of India vs.
person, the response time is reduced to 48 Subhash Chandra Agarwal: In 2019, the Supreme
hours. Failure to provide a response within the Court upheld the Delhi High Court's decision that
specified timeframe may attract penalties. the CJI's office is subject to the RTI Act.
 Exemptions: Section 8 (1) exempts 4. Anil Kumar vs. High Court of Punjab and Haryana:
information whose disclosure can affect In 2010, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled
sovereignty and integrity of the country, the that High Courts are public authorities under the RTI
security, strategic, scientific or economic Act. The judgment held that transparency and
interests of the State, relation with foreign accountability are crucial in the administration of
State or lead to incitement of an offence. justice, and citizens have the right to seek
Section 8 (2) provides for disclosure of information about the functioning of the judiciary.
information exempted under Official Secrets 5. It is important to note that while these judgments
Act, 1923 if larger public interest is served. have recognized the application of the RTI Act to
Section 24 provides that the Act does not certain aspects of the judiciary, there are still
apply to the security and intelligence debates and varying opinions on the extent of its
organizations mentioned in the Second applicability.
Schedule of the Act.
 Information Commissions: The RTI Act establishes independent Information Commissions at the central
and state levels. These commissions are responsible for ensuring the proper implementation of the act,
hearing appeals, imposing penalties on non-compliant public officials, and promoting transparency.
 Whistleblower Protection: The RTI Act includes provisions to protect whistleblowers who disclose
information in the public interest.
 Proactive Disclosure: The RTI Act emphasizes proactive disclosure of information by public authorities.
They are required to publish certain categories of information on their websites or through other means,
promoting transparency without the need for individual RTI applications.
34
Major scams that the Act helped uncover:
- Adarsh Housing Society scam: How politicians, bureaucrats and military officials flouted rules to acquire
flats below market rates was exposed. It culminated in the resignation of the then Maharashtra Chief
Minister whose own relatives were allottees in the building.
- 2G scandal: It involved the Telecom Ministry, led by Andimuthu Raja, undercharging mobile phone
companies for frequency allocation licenses which costed the Indian government Rs1,76,645 crores.
- Vedanta University fiasco: Land owners who challenged the acquisition in the Orissa High Court got a
document under RTI revealing that government did not give them an opportunity to be heard during an
inquiry authorised under the Land Acquisition (Companies) Rules, 1963, before land was bought.
Challenges in the implementation of the RTI Act:

 Lack of Awareness: According to PWC study, only 12% of the rural population and 30% in urban population
were aware of RTI Act.
 Delayed Responses: Public authorities often fail to provide timely responses to RTI applications within the
stipulated timeframe which undermines the purpose of the act. Analysing how long it would take for each
commission to handle a request, the
longest period for disposal was in West
Important Judgements related to the RTI act
Bengal, at 24 years and 3 months. It
1. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) vs. Aditya
was followed by Odisha (5 years and 4
Bandopadhyay: This landmark judgment by the Supreme
months) and Maharashtra (5 years and
Court of India in 2011 established that answer sheets of
3 months).
public examinations fall within the definition of
 Burden on Information Commissions:
"information" under the RTI Act.
Information Commissions, responsible
 It upheld the citizen's right to access evaluated
for adjudicating appeals and complaints
answer sheets.
related to the RTI Act, often face a high
2. Union of India vs. Namit Sharma: The Supreme Court, in
workload. The number of pending
this 2013 judgment, clarified that the RTI Act cannot be
appeals and complaints stand at over 3
used as a tool for surveillance or fishing expeditions. It
lakhs and is steadily increasing in
emphasized that the purpose of the Act is to promote
commissions. The largest number of
transparency and accountability and not to cause
pending cases were in Maharashtra at
unwarranted invasion of privacy.
99,722 which was followed by Uttar
3. Girish Ramchandra Deshpande vs. Central Information
Pradesh at 44,482 and Karnataka at
Commission: In this 2012 judgment, the Supreme Court
30,358.
held that the personal assets and liabilities of public
 Harassment against Applicants: In
servants can be disclosed under the RTI Act. It affirmed
some cases, individuals filing RTI
that public servants are accountable to the public and
applications or seeking information
should not be allowed to withhold information pertaining
have faced harassment or threats. Such
to their assets and liabilities.
incidents can deter people due to fear
4. Reserve Bank of India vs. Jayantilal N. Mistry: In 2015, the
of adverse consequences. Since the
Supreme Court ruled that the RBI cannot refuse to disclose
operationalization of the Act, around
information related to banks and financial institutions
100 RTI activists across the country
under the RTI Act.
have been killed and several are
 The judgment clarified that the RBI has a statutory
harassed on a daily basis.
duty to uphold transparency and public interest,
 Incomplete Proactive Disclosure:
and it cannot deny information citing banking
While the RTI Act emphasizes proactive
confidentiality.
disclosure of information by public
authorities, the implementation of this
35
provision is often incomplete. The State Information Commission of Tamil Nadu has been the lowest
performer in terms of RTI Act response, providing only 14% of the information requested for 2021-22.
 Limited Resources and Infrastructure: Authorities at the grassroots level, face resource constraints and
inadequate infrastructure to effectively implement the RTI Act. Even some High Courts and most district
courts entertain only physical RTI applications. Report Card on the Performance of Information
Commissions in India, 2021-22 shows that almost 60% information commissioners were retired
government officials.
Suggestions to enhance the implementation of the Act:
 Capacity Building: Provide comprehensive training programs for public officials, including administrative
staff and decision-makers, to enhance their understanding of the RTI Act. Recently, Supreme Court has
directed States and Union Territories to set up and operationalise online Right to Information (RTI)
portals to ensure transparency in governance.
 Strengthening Information Commissions: Allocate adequate resources, including finances and personnel,
to Information Commissions at the central and state levels.
 Simplify Application Process: Streamline and simplify the RTI application process to make it more user-
friendly and create clear guidelines on how to frame information requests.
 Proactive Disclosure: Regularly update and maintain websites, publish relevant information in accessible
formats, and proactively disseminate important government documents and reports.
 Timely Responses and Penalties: An examination of the fines issued reveals that the commissions did not
apply penalties in 95% of the cases when penalties may have been imposed. Also, a negligible amount
has been recovered out of the Rs 3.12 crores penalty levied by 24 Central and state information
commissioners in FY21-22.
 Encourage Whistleblower Protection: Establish robust safeguards to prevent victimization of
whistleblowers and create awareness about the protection provisions under the act. As per the
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), across country, 99 RTI activists have lost their lives, 180
assaulted and 187 have been threatened since 2006.
 Awareness Campaigns: Conduct extensive awareness campaigns to educate citizens about their rights
under the RTI Act targeting both urban and rural areas.
 Proper Record Management: Encourage the use of digital platforms for storing and retrieving information,
and train officials on maintaining accurate and accessible records.
 Public Participation: Encourage and facilitate public participation in the implementation of the RTI Act.
Establish mechanisms for public feedback, consultation, and monitoring.
 Regular Review and Evaluation: Conduct periodic reviews and evaluations of the implementation of the
RTI Act. Identify challenges and make necessary improvements to enhance its implementation.
Conclusion
 The RTI Act is considered as one of the most successful laws which gave ordinary citizens the right to ask
questions to government authorities and equipped them with some means to take on corruption.
However, like any other legislation, the RTI Act has also problems in its effective implementation which
need to be addressed. With the advancement of time, there is a need to enlarge its scope for greater
transparency and accountability.
36
Social Audit
Social auditing is a process that allows for the evaluation and assessment of an organization's social
performance and impact on various stakeholders. It is a way to measure, understand, and improve an
organization’s social and ethical performance.
Evolution of social audit in India

 Introduction of Social Audit: Social audit was first introduced in India in the early 1990s as an innovative
approach to ensure public participation and accountability in rural development programs.
 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA): The implementation of
MGNREGA in 2006 marked a significant milestone in the evolution of social audit in India as it mandated
the conduct of social audits. Recently, Kerala has become the first State to hold total social audit of
MGNREGS after 15,962 grama sabhas and 941 janakeeya sabhas were organised for the task.
 National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM): NRLM, launched in 2011, incorporated social audit as a critical
component of the program to empower marginalized communities.
 Legal Recognition and Guidelines: The importance of social audit was recognized at the national level with
the inclusion of social audit provisions in various laws and policies.
 Expansion of social audits: The scope of social audit expanded beyond rural development programs to
encompass other sectors, such as health, education, and
infrastructure.  Andhra Pradesh's Experience: In
 Institutionalization and Capacity Building: Efforts have Andhra Pradesh, the Society for Social
been made to institutionalize social audit by establishing Audit, Accountability and
dedicated social audit units or cells within government Transparency (SSAAT) was established
departments. Meghalaya became the first state in India to as an independent organisation free
implement a law that makes social audit of government from intervention from the
programmes a part of government practice. government.
 Use of Technology: Technology has played a crucial role in
advancing social audit in India. Digital platforms and mobile applications have been developed to facilitate
data collection, reporting, and dissemination of social audit findings.
 Civil Society Participation: Civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations have actively
contributed to the evolution of social audit in India. E.g. In Rajasthan and in Bihar, Social Accountability
Forum for Action and Research (SAFAR) is engaged with the social audit units to institutionalize the process
of dialogue and participation of civil society in the process of social audit in order to strengthen the audit
as well as ensure monitoring of the processes.
Significance of social auditing:
 Transparency and Accountability: Social auditing promotes transparency and accountability in the
functioning of organizations, particularly those engaged in social and development activities. The
Rajasthan government has established a Social and Performance Audit Authority (SPAA) for the first time
to enhance accountability in the performance of government projects and programmes.
 Reduces Corruption: The people of Dungarpur district of Rajasthan and Anantapur district of Andhra
Pradesh have collectively organized social audits to prevent mass corruption under the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
 Stakeholder Engagement: Social auditing involves the participation of various stakeholders and provides
an opportunity for their voices to be heard and considered in decision-making processes.
 Impact Assessment: Through social auditing, organizations can assess and measure their impact on
different social, economic, and environmental parameters. It helps in determining whether the intended
outcomes are being achieved and facilitates evidence-based decision-making for future interventions.
37
 Enhancing Public Trust: By voluntarily undergoing social audits, organizations demonstrate their
commitment to transparency, accountability, and social responsibility, thereby fostering public trust and
confidence in their operations.
 Policy Advocacy: Social auditing generates valuable data and insights about social issues, challenges, and
successes. This information can be utilized to advocate for policy changes, reforms, and improvements in
various sectors, including education, healthcare, environment, and poverty alleviation.
 Learning and Continuous Improvement: Social auditing encourages organizations to reflect on their
practices, learn from past experiences, and continuously improve their performance. It provides a platform
for internal and external stakeholders to exchange knowledge and best practices, leading to enhanced
effectiveness and efficiency.
 Inclusive Development: Social auditing promotes inclusive development by ensuring that the needs and
concerns of marginalized and vulnerable communities are addressed.
Impediments in reaping the benefits of social audits in India:
 Lack of Independence of audits: Currently not all States in India have created independent social audit
units as there is no obligation to institutionalization of Social Audits.
 No strict penalty: When Social Audit principles and norms are not followed, it does not attract any penalty
or legal proceeding rendering it ineffective.
 Gaps in compliance: An analysis of real time social audits data shows weak state responsiveness to social
audit findings and lack of support from senior officials as the two major obstacles to social audits.
 Rules not followed: According to a CAG report, Social Audit Units (SAUs) don't seek record from Gram
Panchayats regarding execution of works and expenditure in many states.
 Complacency and lethargy: Social audit process face resistance and lack of access to primary verification
records.
 Linguistic barriers: According to a CAG report, social audit reports are either not prepared or not made
available to gram Sabha in local languages.
 No standardization of the Social Audit Mechanism for cross-district comparability: It becomes difficult to
assess the social impact of government programmes without any consistent or defined criteria.
Steps to strengthen Social Auditing:

 Legal Framework: Establish a robust legal framework that mandates social auditing for organizations
engaged in social and development activities.
 Capacity Building: Invest in building the capacity of auditors and stakeholders involved in social auditing.
This includes training programs, workshops, and awareness campaigns to enhance their understanding of
social audit methodologies, standards, and reporting processes. Social audit units must inevitably prepare
themselves for auditing AI based governance systems. They must look for opportunities to adopt AI into
their audit process to increase their efficacy.
 Standardization and Guidelines: Develop standardized guidelines and methodologies for social auditing
that are applicable across sectors. These guidelines should define the scope, process, and criteria for social
audits, ensuring consistency and comparability of audit findings.
 Independent Audit Bodies: Establish independent audit bodies or agencies responsible for overseeing and
conducting social audits. These bodies should have the necessary expertise, independence, and authority
to carry out audits effectively and impartially.
 Stakeholder Engagement: Encourage active participation of stakeholders, including community members,
civil society organizations, and marginalized groups, in the social auditing process.
 Whistleblower Protection: Implement mechanisms to protect whistleblowers who report irregularities,
corruption, or non-compliance during social audits. This will help create a conducive environment for
individuals to come forward with valuable information without fear.
38
 Public Disclosure: Ensure that social audit reports are made publicly available in an easily accessible and
understandable format. This promotes transparency and enables public scrutiny, allowing citizens to hold
organizations accountable for their social performance.
 Monitoring and Enforcement: Establish a monitoring and enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance
with social audit requirements. This can involve periodic checks, random audits, and penalties for non-
compliance, thus incentivizing organizations to prioritize social responsibility.
 Integration with Government Programs: Integrate social auditing processes with government programs
and schemes, particularly those related to social welfare, poverty alleviation, and rural development. This
can help in assessing the effectiveness and impact of these programs and drive accountability.
 Awareness generation: Conduct awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts to promote the importance
and benefits of social auditing among organizations, policymakers, and the general public for voluntary
adoption of social audits.
Innovative Practices:
Chhattisgarh
 In addition to the MGNREGS, the Social Audit Team collects complaints regarding other issues also and
hands it over to the Sarpanch and Sachiv.
 To ensure the active involvement of community in the Social Audit process, wall writing of muster rolls,
bills and measurement books is carried out in the State.
Karnataka
 After every three rounds of the Social Audit, staff are shuffled that contributes in effective Social Audit.
Conclusion
 Social Audit is a powerful tool to promote accountability, which requires dedicated political leaders,
administrators and resource persons with a strong commitment to work. It is a continuous, bottom up,
process to understand the efficiency of services from the perspective of users. The focus of stakeholders,
political leaders and officials should be on promoting higher degree of transparency, accountability and
effective community participation for achieving the desired objectives through the Social Audit.
Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014
Evolution
 The issue of protection for whistleblowers got serious when National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
engineer Satyendra Dubey, a whistleblower, was murdered in November 2003 after he exposed
corruption in the construction of highways. While he had requested the authorities that his identity be
kept secret, his representation was forwarded to various concerned departments without doing so. This
led to a public outcry and in response to a PIL, the Supreme Court pressed the government to put in place
protection mechanisms for Whistleblowers.
 As an outcome the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in 2004 issued and notified The Public
Interest Disclosures and Protection of Informers Resolution (PIDPI). The Second Administrative Reforms
Commission also suggested that whistle blowers be protected by enacting a new legislation.
 To rectify International treaties: In 2005, India signed the UN Convention against Corruption which offers
adequate protection and safeguards for those who complain and facilitates reporting on corrupt public
servants.
 The Whistle Blowers Protection Bill was introduced in 2011 and became an act in 2014.
39
Salient features of the act

 Protecting whistle-blowers: It provides a mechanism for protecting the identity of whistleblowers (people
who expose corruption). It provides a system to encourage people to disclose information about
corruption public servants.
 Limited time frame for complaint filing: The law prohibits anonymous allegations and expressly specifies
that until the plaintiff establishes his or her identity, no action can be taken by a competent authority.
o A complaint can be filed within a span of seven years.
 Criminalise false claims: Anyone who unintentionally or maliciously discloses the identity of a plaintiff
faces a sentence of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
 Appeal to high court: Any individual who is aggrieved by a Competent Authority order has sixty days from
the date of the order to file an appeal with the concerned High Court.
 The act does not apply to staff and officers of the Special Protection Group (SPG), which was formed
under the Special Protection Group Act of 1988.
 The Whistle Blowers Act supersedes the Official Secrets Act of 1923, allowing a claimant to make public
interest disclosures to competent authorities even though they are in violation of the latter act but do not
jeopardise the nation's sovereignty.
The Companies Act of 2013 requires publicly listed companies to establish an audit committee to investigate
whistle blower allegations.
Issues with Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014:

 Anonymous complaints are not recognized: A complaint is only acted upon if the complainant discloses
his identity in the complaint.
 No reward to a whistleblower: The Act does not provide for any reward being granted to a whistleblower
upon successful investigation of his claims.
 Lack of neutrality: The Competent Authority investigating a complaint under the Act is usually the senior
official in the same hierarchy of the person against whom a complaint is being made. This negates the
neutrality of the investigation and the findings reached at are usually biased.
 Organizational execution is ineffective: In several industries, the whistle blower policy manual is not used
to offer instructions to workers on the whistle blower programme.
 Issue with Whistle-blower amendment bill 2015: It diluted several provisions of earlier act, for example:
o Disclosures cannot be made under the Bill, if it is prohibited under the OSA.
o Incorporates provisions to keep issues of national security out of its purview.
o Too many exemptions: It makes a lot of information inaccessible to the public on various grounds.
Measures required:
2nd ARC recommended the following measures:
 Appropriate legislation must be enforced to protect innocent whistleblowers.
 Legislation should be enacted immediately to provide protection to whistleblowers on the following lines
proposed by the Law Commission:
o Whistle blowers exposing false claims, fraud or corruption should be protected by ensuring
confidentiality and anonymity, protection from victimization in career, and
o other administrative measures to prevent bodily harm and harassment.
 The legislation should cover corporate whistle blowers unearthing fraud or serious damage to public
interest by wilful acts of omission or commission.
o SEBI recently introduced tipping mechanism. SEBI will award up to ₹1 crore for information and
successful action against insider traders. It has also created a “cooperate and confidentiality"
mechanism.
40
Case study
 All listed firms are required by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to establish a whistleblower
policy. It has a separate office dedicated to receiving and processing such complaints. It established a
method in 2019 for informants to file complaints directly with Sebi.
 In 2021, a large pharma company paid Rs 56 lakhs to settle a case that involved whistle-blower complaints
alleging that the company and its subsidiary were diverting funds through its sole distributor.
 Allegations by a group of anonymous Infosys employees came up in 2019, complaining against the
management for being involved in financial irregularities.
Other examples:
 Panama Papers leak revealed information about tax evasion by the Global Rich through offshore
entities as well as shell corporations in tax havens.
 Uber Files revealed unethical practices of Uber in order to achieve world dominance in the ride-hailing
segment.
Lokpal & Lokayuktas Act 2013
In the last four years, over 68% of corruption charges filed against public workers with the Lokpal of India have
been disposed of with no action. According to evidence submitted by the Lokpal's office to a legislative inquiry,
only three complaints were thoroughly investigated.
Need of Such institution:

 Fair investigation and prosecution: The preambular statement of The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
notes that the law has been enacted to ensure prompt and fair investigation and prosecution in cases of
corruption against public servants.
 The executive's authority has deteriorated significantly. For different causes, all executive organisations
are losing prestige.
 Independence is lacking. The vast majority of our agencies, such as the CBI and state vigilance
department’s working, are not transparent and accountable to the general public.
 They act as an "ombudsman" and investigate charges of misconduct against some public officials, as well
as other matters.
Evolution in India:
 The first institution of ombudsman (Similar to lokpal and lokayuktas in India) was officially founded in
Sweden in 1809.
 In India, the idea of a constitutional ombudsman was first suggested in parliament in the early 1960s by
then-law minister Ashok Kumar Sen. Dr. L. M. Singhvi invented the terms “Lokpal and Lokayukta”.
 The First Administrative Reforms Commission proposed in 1966 the establishment of two autonomous
authorities, one at the federal level and the other at the state level, to investigate complaints against public
officials, including MPs.
 The Lokpal bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in 1968, but it lapsed with the abolition of the Lok Sabha, and
it has been reintroduced several times since then.
 The Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, proposed the appointment of the Lokpal and
Lokayuktas in 2002, as well as the exclusion of the Prime Minister from the authority's purview.
 The Second Administrative Reforms Commission in 2005, recommended that the Lokpal office be created
as soon as possible.
 Anna Hazare's "India Against Corruption" movement placed pressure on the government at the Centre,
resulting in the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2013, being passed by both Houses of Parliament.
41
Salient features of Lokpal Act 2013:

 Wide Jurisdiction: The Lokpal has jurisdiction to inquire into allegations of corruption against the Prime
Minister, or a Minister in the Union government, or a Member of Parliament, as well as officials of the
Union government under Groups A, B, C and D.
o Also covered are chairpersons, members, officers and directors of any board, corporation, society,
trust or autonomous body either established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly funded by
the Centre.
o It also covers any society or trust or body that receives foreign contributions above ₹10 lakh.
 Composition of Lokpal: The Lokpal is a multi-member body with one chairperson and up to eight members.
o Half of the maximum eight members will be judges, and at least half of the members will be from
the SC/ ST/ OBC/ Minorities and women groups.
 Autonomy in enquiry and prosecution: The Lokpal will have to appoint an Inquiry Wing, headed by a
Director of Inquiry, and a Prosecution Wing, headed by a Director of Prosecution.
 Appointment of Lokpal: The president appoints the members after a Selection Committee recommends
them.
o A search panel of at least eight people is formed by the selection committee (Headed by PM) to
select the chairperson and members.
o Lokpal Chairman and Members serve for five years or until they reach the age of 70.
Powers of the Lokpal:

 Jurisdiction: The Prime Minister, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Groups A, B, C, and D officers and
officials of the Central Government are all subject to Lokpal's jurisdiction.
o In the case of something said in Parliament or a vote taken there, the Lokpal has no authority
over Ministers and MPs.
 Pro Active Disclosure: The Lokpal Act requires all elected officials to disclose their assets and liabilities,
as well as those of their dependents.
 It has the authority to supervise and direct CBI's operations.
o When Lokpal refers a case to the CBI, the investigating officer cannot be transferred without
Lokpal's permission.
 Power of civil court: The Lokpal's Inquiry Wing has been given the authority of a civil court.
o In exceptional cases, Lokpal has the authority to seize properties, proceeds, receipts, and benefits
obtained through corruption.
 Ensure neutrality: Lokpal has the authority to recommend the transfer or suspension of a public servant
accused of corruption.
 Preserve evidences: During the preliminary investigation, Lokpal has the authority to issue orders to
avoid the destruction of documents.
Issues associated with Lokpal Act:

 Lacking Constitutional backing: The Lokpal has no constitutional backing, and there are no appropriate
mechanisms for challenging Lokpal's decisions.
 Politically motivated appointments: Inherent bias towards recommending candidates by executive,
favoured by the government.
o Since the nominating committee is made up of representatives from political parties, the Lokpal
is not immune to political interference.
 Delay in appointments: For more than five years, the chairperson and members of the Lokpal were not
appointed since the inception of the act. The chairperson and members of the Lokpal were appointed only
in March 2019 after a contempt petition was filed in the Supreme Court
 Not covering Judiciary: One of the greatest flaw is the Lokpal's removal of the judiciary from its purview.
 Since there is no criteria for determining who is an "eminent jurist" or "a person of honesty," the
appointment of Lokpal can be abused.
42
 Information accessed under the Right to Information Act has confirmed that the inquiry and prosecution
wings of the anti-corruption ombudsman are yet to be set up, as mandated by the Act of 2013.
 Overlap in Lokpal, CVC probe may cause confusion: The Act provides that the Lokpal may refer complaints
about government officers to the CVC, which would send a report to the Lokpal regarding officials falling
under Groups A and B, while proceeding under the CVC Act against those in Groups C and D.
 No provision for Appeal: There is no provision in the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 for appeal, review,
or reconsideration of an order passed by the Lokpal of India.
 Issues with registration of complaints: According to an RTI reply, Lokpal received 5,680 complaints during
2021-22, of which over 5,100 were not registered.
 Limitation period: In terms of provisions under Section 53, of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, a
complaint cannot be made after the expiry of seven years from the date on which the offence mentioned
in the complaint is alleged to have been committed.
 Issue with Lokpal amendment Bill 2016: It Amends section 44 of parent Act that deals with provision of
furnishing of details of assets and liabilities of public servants within 30 days of joining the government
service.
 The amendment has removed the period of 30 days. Now the public servants will make
declaration of their assets and liabilities in the form and manner as prescribed by government.
Measures required to be taken:

 Need to remove anonymity in Appointments of Lokpal: The Department of Personnel and Training, which
works as a nodal Ministry for both Lokpal and CIC, should ensure complete transparency when nominating
a Lokpal and Lokayukta. It will increase the chances for the right person to be appointed.
 Greater Government accountability: The appointment of a Lokpal is not the real solution to issues; rather,
the government should concentrate on eradicating the underlying reasons why the public is demanding a
Lokpal.
 Functional autonomy and availability of manpower: To tackle the problem of corruption, the institution
of the ombudsman should be strengthened.
o The Lokpal and Lokayukta must be financially, administratively, and legally empowered and
separate from those they are tasked with investigating and prosecuting.
 Ensure Active participation of opposition in appointment: The amendment bill 2016, enables the leader
of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha to be a member of the selection committee in the
absence of a recognized Leader of Opposition.
 Along with strong leadership that is prepared to put itself under public scrutiny, more transparency, a
stronger right to information, and the empowerment of citizens and citizen groups are needed.
2023 Report of Parliamentary Panel:

 A recent report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public
Grievances, Law and Justice revealed that anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has not prosecuted a single
person accused of graft to date and its performance appears to be far from satisfactory.
 The panel asked it to act as an enabler rather than an inhibitor. In a report tabled in Parliament recently,
it said several complaints are being disposed of by the Lokpal on the ground that they are not in the
prescribed format and asked it not to reject genuine complaints.
 It recommended the Lokpal not to reject genuine complaints only on technical grounds that a complaint
was not in the prescribed format. A total of 2,518 such complaints (not in a prescribed format) were
received by the Lokpal during 2022-23.
UGC has brought up Lokpal for Universities:

 University Grants Commission has introduced the University Grants Commission (Redressal of Grievances
of Students) Regulations, 2023. So, students now have the option to appeal to the Ombudsperson (Lokpal)
if their grievances are not addressed by the institution's Students' Grievance Redressal Committee.
43
 Each university and affiliated colleges/institutions will appoint Ombudsperson and their recommendations
will be binding.
Conclusion
The scope of democracy and development depends, to a greater extent, on the efficiency of the
government machinery. In a democracy, people should have opportunities to ventilate their grievances
through an efficient and effective system of redressal. Best practices in public administration will be
realised, only when the integrity in public services is maintained. Since the pertinent issue of corruption in
the developing countries retards the development process, the need of the hour is to ensure effective
implementation of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
44
7. Role of Civil Services in India
"Every government employee of India should help the countrymen in making their dreams come true,"
PM Narendra Modi
7. Role of Civil Services in India

 Karma yogis, Red tape trap, From Chalta hai Mindset to Seva Bhaav (Service Mindset), Four chasms of
organizational success—Confusion to Clarity; Competence to Capability; Concern to Confidence and
Criticism to Celebration, 4Cs: Courage, Consistency, Commitment and Cooperation
Evolution of civil services in India
Roles of Civil Services
45
 Policy Advice: They help the executive define policy areas. They propose ideas, assess choices, build a plan
for present policies, and make required adjustments.
 Institutionalise socio-economic change: They are vital to development, the welfare state, and modern
ideas.
o BN Yugandhar, introduced the 2 rupee-a-kg rice scheme.
o The Lohit district administration under Prince Dhawan IAS provided provisions and supplies to
migrant labourers during the lockdown and gave them jobs afterward.
 Governance continuity: Maintain order with minimal effort and stabilise social order in a positive and
negative way.
o IPS Madhukar Shetty and IAS officer Harsh Gupta reclaimed poor peasants' land from rich
Chikmangalur growers. Residents called the village Gupta-Shetty Halli in gratitude.
 Record-keeping: governmental officials keep daily records according to government standards and
criteria.
 Enforce laws: It guides society's behaviour.
o Example: SR Sankaran, a 1956 "People's IAS officer" in Andhra Pradesh, eradicated bonded
slavery and pioneered social initiatives for vulnerable groups, especially the Safai Karamchari
Andolan.
 Watchdogs: They safeguard public assets. Example: Sanjiv Chaturvedi's IFS in Kurukshetra filed a FIR
against contractors for illegal tree cutting and hog deer poaching.
o Satyendra Dubey, was Project Director for the Golden Quadrilateral Project at the NHAI in
Jharkhand.
o He bravely revealed financial irregularities and industry corruption.
 Channel of Communication: They work on the ground, providing advice to CEOs and ministers and
connecting citizens and policymakers.
 Agent of development: The services promote modern agriculture, industry, trade, finance, and digital
divide bridging.
o Rajiv Mehrishi Committee on COVID-19 economic impact.
o Armstrong Pame, built a 100-km road in a remote Manipur hill without government assistance.
 Civil servants have power and accountability at various government levels.
o First IAS officer to disclose assets was U. Sagayam. His research on illegal granite-mining in
Madurai resulted in accusations against many prominent politicians and businesses.
Factors impeding Civil Services:

 Promotion Inconsistencies: Many states don't follow the Civil Services Board's advice. Civil personnel may
be politically obedient due to transfer and promotion fears.
o Manoje Nath, in 1980, as Bokaro SP, he arrested the Bokaro Steel MD in a corruption case and was
transferred within 24 hours after barely four months in service.
 Lack of Transparency & Accountability: Committees and studies have determined that the civil service has
grown unethical and that public perceptions of its uprightness, neutrality, and fairness have deteriorated.
 Political intervention causes unfair transfers and tenure instability.
o IFS official Sanjiv Chauturvedi declined Haryana government federal deputation.
o Similarly, West bengal government and Central government locked their horn over the central
deputation of Cabinet Secretary of West Bengal.
 Outdated Rules & Procedures: that prohibit civil officials from acting independently and efficiently.
Example: Seniority-based promotion.
o In view of a drop in IAS officers selecting central deputation (309 in 2011 to 223 in 2021) despite a
rise in their total strength (621 in 2014 to 1130 in 2021), the federal government has ordered a
revision to the IAS Cadre Rules, 1954.
 Administrative Acquiescence: Over-centralization in policy and management structures that govern the
public service makes them too complex and restrictive.
 Elitist Nature: Civil servants may resist change because they value their benefits and chances.
46
 Lack of dynamism: The Indian Civil Service prioritises internal processes over results.
 Lack of Professionalism and Capacity Building: Governance reformers have long debated generalists vs.
specialists.
 Ineffective Incentive Systems: Honest civil servants are not rewarded. Ashok Khemka transferred 50 times
in 30 years.
 Corruption resulted due to erosion in values and ethics.
o ED raids collected 19 crore cash and property papers worth Rs 150 crore from Jharkhand top
official Pooja Singhal.
o In a 1996 study, the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association purportedly called Akhand Pratap Singh the
most corrupt IAS official in the country. The Chief Minister declined to investigate all his holdings.
 Red Tapism: Effective governance with decentralisation and citizen-centricity must replace pre-eminence
of governance.
 Prevalence of "Transfer Industry”: Many officers are transferred before three years for no good reason.
o Civil Services Boards only exist in states to sign on the above power's proposal, defeating
objectivity and openness.
o Due to political connections, backing, and caste or religious favour, many officials stay in their
posts for a long time, depriving other capable officers.
 Lateral entry is restricted: Policymaking becomes specialised as the economy becomes more complicated.
Reforms Needed
 360-degree appraisal: Replacing lower-level interviews with multi-stakeholder feedback (MSF)
performance evaluations.
o Malaysia follows annual performance appraisal system for promotion and career advancement of
Civil services.
 Promoting e-office, strengthening training, Merit-based postings, Establish suo moto disclosure
monitoring
 Promote integrity: Strengthen anti-corruption institutions:
o Verifying vigilance operating manuals and directions.
o Recruitment, placement, and training activities for placement transparency.
o Probity-based officer evaluation.
 Insulating Civil Servants from Political Interference, establishing a civil service posting and transfer
board, Professionalisation with Stability of Tenure & Competition
 Building a Citizen-Centric Administration: In 2004, the Hota Committee suggested using ICT for effective
and accountable service delivery.
 Accountability: The Hota Committee proposed revising Sections 13(1)(d) and 19 of the Prevention of
Corruption Act and Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to shield honest civil officials against
malicious prosecution and misuse.
 Outcome-Oriented - Model Code of Governance to compare governance standards.
 Specialised care: Early specialisation by officers based on their education and skills is the key to civil service
reform.
 Refocus training on current difficulties and challenges and Mid-career exams/skill assessments may
determine future postings.
 Enacting code of ethics for Civil services: India has no civil servant Code of Ethics, unlike other nations.
 Promoting lateral entry for promoting the specialization in civil services. The 2003 Surinder Nath
Committee and 2004 Hota Committee proposed domain expertise in government services.
o The second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) suggested Central and state lateral
entrance in 2005.
47
Reforms undertaken by the Government:

 Civil Services Exam Reforms: Reforms include changing the exam schedule, adding stages like the Civil
Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), and adjusting the age limit and number of attempts.
 Performance-Based Incentives: The government has adopted performance-based incentives for civil
officials to inspire and reward excellence.
o Public service delivery efficiency, productivity, and innovation are encouraged by these incentives.
 Digital Initiatives: To reduce administrative processes and improve service delivery, the government has
established many digital initiatives.
 Training and Capacity Building: Civil servants can train and upgrade their skills at the Lal Bahadur Shastri
National Academy of Administration and the National Centre for Good Governance.
o Mission Karmayogi, the National Architecture for Civil Services Capacity Building, intends to
change the Government of India's capacity building apparatus at individual, institutional, and
process levels.
o An Integrated Government Online Training-iGOT Karmayogi Platform will offer the Programme.
o A Public Human Resources Council led by the Prime Minister and composed of Union Ministers,
Chief Ministers, top HR practitioners, national and international specialists would oversee capacity
building.
o An expert organisation named the Capacity Building Commission has been setup to harmonise
training standards, generate shared faculty and resources, and supervise all Central Training
Institutions.
o A Special purpose vehicle under Section 8 – Not for Profit Company was setup to own and operate
the iGOT-Karmayogi platform.
 e-Samiksha Portal: A real-time online
mechanism for monitoring and following
up on Government Apex-level decisions on
significant Government
programs/projects.
 Civil Services Board: In 2013, the Supreme
Court ordered the Centre and states to
establish a civil services board to review
bureaucrat transfers and postings to
protect the bureaucracy from political
meddling and stop political bosses from
transferring civil servants.
o All states must have a civil services
board to assign officials.
 Upholding Ethics and Integrity: The
government emphasises ethics and
integrity in the civil service. Civil officials'
ethical behaviour has been promoted by
strengthening the code of conduct.
o To fight corruption and protect
whistleblowers, the "Lokpal and
Lokayuktas Act" and "Whistleblowers Protection Act" were passed.
 Introducing lateral entry to promote the specialization in public services domain.
Conclusion
48
 Civil Service capacity is essential for providing a wide range of services, executing welfare programmes,
and governing. To build civil service capacity and efficiently deliver services to citizens, work culture, public
institutions, and modern technology should be organically linked.
Lateral Entry
Lateral entry in India involves hiring non-civil servants for high government positions. It adds topic expertise,
varied perspectives, and specialized talents to the bureaucracy.
Present Status:
 Lateral entrants were recruited in two tranches: eight joint secretaries (JS) in 2019 and 30 officers (3 JS,
18 directors and 9 deputy secretaries) in 2022.
o All of them are on three years’ contract, which can be extended for two more years, with pay and
perks being the same as their peers in permanent bureaucracy.
Need for lateral entry:

 Expertise and Specialized Skills: Lateral entry recruits’ experts with specialised knowledge and skills not
widely available in the public service. This can help the government solve difficult problems and control
specialised regions.
 Lateral entrants can bring new ideas, perspectives, and
problem-solving methods.
o Nandan Nilekani, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Vijay
Kelkar, Arvind Subramanian, and Raghuram Rajan
are outsiders who run committees and
organisations.
 Efficiency and Effectiveness: Lateral entry can streamline
operations, use technology, and bring best practises from
other sectors to government.
o RV Shahi, the Union power secretary from 2002 to
2007, also came from the private sector.
 Fill the officer vacancy gap: roughly 1,500 IAS officers are
needed (Ministry of Personnel Data)—Baswan Committee
(2016) recommended lateral entry.
 Bridging the Talent Gap
Challenges for Lateral entrants:

 Difficulty adapting to the hierarchical work culture, which
includes how individuals interact, how fast they work, how
well they know the regulations, and how punctual they are.
o Because they won't have a fair shot at top management, current authorities may lose motivation.
 Short tenure: Given their short tenures of 3 to 5 years, it is difficult to preserve transparency and
accountability for private people' judgements.
 Lack of field experience: Entry-level officers may have domain knowledge but no field experience.
 Representation of society: Reservations for Lateral Entry recruiting are unknown.
 Transparency in recruitment: Discretion on lateral entry might be accused of being "politically motivated,"
undermining the system.
 May encounter bureaucratic opposition.
o Lack of cooperation: existing officials may be unwilling to collaborate with outsiders, resulting in
inevitable confrontations between generalists and specialists.
49
Arguments against lateral entry:

 Field Experience: The civil service has more field experience than external talent.
 Issue with implementation: Career civil employees are better at connecting policy making and ground
level execution than external talent.
 History of Failures: Even domain specialists fail sometimes. Example: Air India.
 Non-conducive atmosphere: The enabling atmosphere has a huge impact on efficiency, and even the
finest managers can't create outcomes in a lousy operating environment like red tape.
 Motivated interest: People have varied interests and motives. Thus, short-term lateral entry of officials
can lead to unethical practises.
 Internal conflict: A large-scale lateral induction will result in a vote of no confidence in the government
personnel management system.
 Undermines civil servants' role: Civil servants are institutionalised and efficient. They'll be demoralised by
lateral entry.
 All of the recruits are not joining: Nine joint secretaries were chosen in 2019, eight of whom joined. One
director-level inductee did not join the civil aviation ministry in the second round.
Way forward
 Strengthening the recruitment process: Instead of lateral entry, focus on strengthening the recruitment
process. Transparency, efficiency, and merit-based examination of candidates' knowledge, skills, and
competencies might improve it.
 Training and capacity building: Instead of depending on lateral entry to bring in specific expertise,
investing in comprehensive training and capacity-building programmes can help existing civil servants
expand their skills and knowledge.
 Facilitating internal mobility and career progression: Job rotations, secondments, and cross-training allow
this.
o A career advancement framework with clear promotion standards might also encourage civil
servants to specialise in their specialties.
 Collaboration and partnerships: Instead of relying entirely on the civil service's experience, external
organisations can bring in specialised knowledge and skills.
 Leveraging technology and innovation: Technology and innovation can boost civil service efficiency.
o Digital transformation, data analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence can improve service
delivery, expedite operations, and boost public servants' skills.
Conclusion
 While there are challenges associated with lateral entry, a well-designed and carefully implemented
approach can harness the potential benefits and contribute to more effective governance and public
service delivery in India.
50
8. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections
8. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections

Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre & States & the
performance of these schemes.
 Dehumanisation of women/vulnerable section, Breaking the shackles of poverty cycle, Short-¬term wealth
redistributive strategies to long-term social development strategies, Sashakt Nari, Sashakt Bharat, Missing-
middle, Antyodaya Approach
Introduction
 India is a caste-based culture, and the vast majority of people there experience several other forms of
social inequality. Social and educational disparities have existed since the dawn of civilization.
o For instance, Brahmins are seen as belonging to a superior caste because of their social,
educational, and economic advancement.
 India is now attempting to close the gap between society's powerful and powerless. via means of a number
of governmental and non-governmental programs.
Vulnerable Sections
 “Vulnerable” is defined as those who are socially, economically and politically less developed than other
segments of the population and consequently suffer from various disabilities.
 A “vulnerable section” is defined by the Government of India Act 1935 as being of educational and
economic backwardness, of and a class of people who suffer from some aspect of social life.
 Various government resolution has categorized them mainly in following 3 categories:
o Scheduled castes
o Scheduled tribes
o Other backward classes
 However, this is not a complete list. Women, elderly people, people with disabilities, and members of
sexual minorities are also mistreated and denied benefits.
 Therefore, weaker groups that experience prejudice include women, members of scheduled castes (SC),
members of scheduled tribes (ST), young children, the elderly, impoverished migrants, members of sexual
minorities, those living with HIV/AIDS, and other underprivileged classes.
Issues of Vulnerable Sections of society
a) Women
 Throughout the history of women in India, there has been a continuous decline in their progress. In earlier
times, women were not encouraged to pursue intellectual activities.
 Later, due to modern education, social reformers campaigned for laws to improve the status of women
has brought some significant empowerment to women.
51
 Problems being faced by Women: Domestic violence, dowry, selective abortion and infanticide, unequal
access to education, gender discrimination, marital rape, surrogacy and sexual harassment.
 It is crucial to empower women not only from a moral standpoint but also because it is economically
beneficial for the country.
Key facts
 India has 121.1 billion people as of the 2011 Census, with 48.5% of those being female. By 2036, the
population is projected to increase to 152.2 billion, with a slightly higher percentage of females (48.8%).
 The sex ratio (number of females per 1000 men) in 2011 was 943 at the national level, while it was 949
and 929, respectively, in rural and urban regions. The nation's Sex Ratio at Birth increased by 3 points
from 904 in 2017–19 to 907 in 2018–20.
 According to the 2011 Census, the overall literacy rate in India was 72.98%, with the rates for males and
females being 64.63% and 80.9%, respectively. The greatest increase in literacy rates over the past ten
years was seen among rural females (24%).
 The gross enrollment ratio at the primary level was 103.4 in 2021–2022, which shows that India can
theoretically absorb all of its people of primary school age, but does not necessarily imply universal primary
education.
Constitutional safeguards for women

 The state may enact unique provisions to safeguard the interests of women and children under Article
15(3).
 According to Article 39(a) and (d), the State shall direct its policies towards providing for men and
women equally the right to an adequate means of subsistence and equal compensation for equal
effort.
 The State is required under Article 42 to provide for maternity leave, reasonable working conditions,
and justice.
 Every citizen is obligated under Article 51A (e) to abstain from actions that are disrespectful to
women's dignity.
 According to Articles 243 D (3) and 243 T (3), women must be given at least one-third of the seats in
Panchayats and Municipalities, with those seats being distributed by rotation to various
Constituencies.
 According to Article 243 D(4) T(4), there must be a minimum of one third of women serving as
chairpersons in Panchayats and Municipalities at each level.
Issues encountered by women

 Patriarchy: A patriarchal social structure in which men have complete authority over women in all
spheres of society and where women are only permitted to hold home responsibilities.
 Violence: Physical and psychological abuse of women, including domestic abuse and dowry-related
fatalities.
 Education: Women's lack of access to school, particularly in rural regions, causes a considerable gender
gap in literacy rates.
 Dowry system: When the groom's family makes excessive demands on the bride's family, the result
might be violence and even death.
 Pink colorization of the workforce: Women's chances in other sectors are restricted by their
confinement to stereotypical "pink-collar jobs" like teaching and nursing.
 Glass ceilings: Man-made impediments that keep women from rising in their jobs and securing
managerial positions.
 Workplace sexual harassment: The #MeToo movement raised awareness of the pervasive problem of
workplace sexual harassment.
52
 Absence of political engagement: Women are underrepresented in politics, with only 11.8% of women
serving in the Indian Parliament and 9% in state legislatures.
Legislative safeguards for women

 The prohibition of child marriage act (2006): The Act's main goal is to forbid underage marriages from
taking place.
o This Act is equipped with enabling measures that will make child marriage illegal, offer victims'
rights protection, and strengthen penalties for those who aid, abet, promote, or solemnize
such weddings.
o According to the law, guys must be 21 years old to get married, and girls must be 18 years old.
Any marriage between two persons who are less than these ages is termed a child marriage,
which is against the law and is penalized by law.
 The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013:
The PoSH Act, also known as the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition
and Redressal) Act, was approved in 2013.
o It provided a definition of sexual harassment, outlined the complaint and investigation
processes, and specified the appropriate course of action.
 Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005: The Protection of Women from Domestic
Violence Act of 2005 aims to accomplish the following goals:
o To recognize domestic abuse as a crime that must be punished by law, and to establish this.
o To offer defence to victims of domestic abuse when such crimes are committed.
o To swiftly, affordably, and conveniently deliver justice to the wronged party.
o To stop domestic abuse from happening and to respond appropriately if it does.
 Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961: The act was passed into law in India in 1961 to forbid paying or receiving
dowries of any kind.
 Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017: The length of paid maternity leave for female employees
has been raised by the legislation from the previous 12 weeks to 26 weeks, providing new mothers
more time to adjust to parenthood while still maintaining their financial security.
Institutional safeguard for women
The National Commission for Women

 The National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (Govt. of India Act No. 20 of 1990) established the
National Commission for Women as a statutory entity in January 1992.
 Functions:
 Review the constitutional and legal protections for women
 Suggest corrective legislative actions
 Make it easier for grievances to be resolved; and
 Provide the government with advice on all policy issues affecting women.
Schemes for Women:

 PRADHAN MANTRI MATRU VANDANA YOJANA: It is a Maternity Benefit Program which is
implemented in all districts in India, to support women before and after the birth of their first child.
 Udyam Sakhi Portal for Women Entrepreneurs: To empower and support women entrepreneurs by
providing them with information, resources, and assistance through a dedicated online platform.
 One Stop Centre Scheme: To provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by
violence, including access to medical, legal, psychological, and counselling services.
53
 Ujjwala Scheme: To provide free LPG connections to women from economically disadvantaged
households, promoting clean cooking fuel and reducing health hazards associated with traditional
cooking methods.
 SWADHAR: To provide temporary shelter, support, and rehabilitation services for women in difficult
circumstances, including destitute women, victims of trafficking, and homeless women.
 Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: To address the declining child sex ratio and promote the education and
welfare of girls.
 Mahila Samman Savings Certificate for women: It is a new small savings scheme specifically designed
for women and girls. This initiative is offered by the Indian Post Office
 Women IN STEM: To encourage and support women's participation and success in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
Way forward
 Education: To guarantee females' rights to an education and to be free from discrimination in
educational institutions, the education policy must be more inclusive.
o An imperative to provide significantly larger financial incentives for girls' education up to Class
XII in order to reduce the higher dropout rate among girls.
 Skill development: Women need to acquire their skills in non-traditional jobs like electricians,
plumbers, etc. in order to become self-sufficient.
o Women can be organized into a variety of professional organizations to strengthen their
negotiating position.
o Platforms like Digital India should be utilized for branding, marketing, and forming connections
with businesses, markets, and customers.
o In addition to government initiatives, NGOs and other organizations should teach and equip
women with marketable skills so they may find alternative, respectable jobs where they can
make a living.
 Micro-Finance: NGOs aiming to empower women must make interventions about opportunities for
developing a livelihood connected to the market and value chain.
o It is important to create laws and regulations that make it simple for female business owners
to obtain loans.
o Government should encourage women to start Self Help groups.
o Industry-specific goals for women's employment are required, and firms must be encouraged
to work towards achieving them.
o Companies that employ 30 percent women workers should receive tax perks.
b) Children
 Children are the future of a country. Their healthy development is crucial for national progress.
 Poverty often forces children to work instead of attending school, hindering their physical, mental, and
emotional growth.
o Children who experience poverty and prejudice are more likely to experience hunger, poor
health, limited financial resources, inadequate educational opportunities, and bad health,
which restricts their freedoms and chances.
 Further, due to social norms that favour boys over girls and place a greater emphasis on male sexuality,
newborn females are at a greater disadvantage than male babies.
 An infanticide, disrespect for nutritional requirements, lack of access to school and healthcare, among
other forms of abuse, are all experienced by girl children.
Constitutional Provisions
 Article 21A: Education up to the age of 14 was declared a fundamental right.
54
 Article 24: Children have a fundamental right against exploitation and the employment of children
under the age of 14 in factories and hazardous processes is prohibited.
 Article 45: Requires states to provide early childhood care and education for children up to age six.
Some major issues related to children

 Child trafficking: As per National Crime Record Bureau Report (NCRB), eight children were exploited
and trafficked into the nation daily for various sorts of exploitation, including employment, sexual
exploitation, and begging.
 Child abuse: A survey by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) found
that over 55% of Indian children have been the victim of abuse of some type.
 Child Marriages: India has come a long way in the fight against child marriage, but it still has the highest
rate of child brides in the world.
o Despite progress on many fronts, the Sustainable Development Goals' aim of ending the
practice by 2030 will not be met at the current rate of reduction.
 Child labor: As per Census 2011, the total child population in India in the age group (5-14) years is
259.6 million. Of these, 10.1 million (3.9% of total child population) are working, either as 'main
worker' or as 'marginal worker'.
 Health issues: For many Indians, poverty, hunger, and inadequate sanitation are serious issues that
contribute significantly to the high infant death rate. More than 40% of kids are stunted or
malnourished.
Schemes for Children
 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): To promote holistic development and provide
essential services for the overall well-being of children under six years of age, as well as pregnant and
lactating women.
 Integrated Child Protection Scheme: To create a protective environment for vulnerable children by
preventing their abuse, exploitation, and neglect, and ensuring their rehabilitation and social
integration.
 SAMAGRA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN: To provide inclusive and equitable quality education to all children
from pre-primary to higher secondary levels.
 Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme: To enhance enrollment, retention, and attendance of children in
schools by providing them with a nutritious cooked meal during school hours.
 SAKSHAM ANGANWADI AND POSHAN 2.0: Addressing the challenges of malnutrition by
implementing a strategic transformation in the content and delivery of nutrition.
 Mission Vatsalya: The Mission Vatsalya program is a roadmap for achieving development and child
protection priorities in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
o Under the motto “Leave no child behind”, the focus is on strengthening children's rights,
advocacy and awareness, as well as juvenile justice and protection systems.
o The provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Child Care and Protection) Act 2015 and the Protection
of Children from Sexual Offenses Act 2012 provide the basic framework for the
implementation of the Mission.
o Funds under the Mission Vatsalya program will be released in accordance with State/UT
requirements and demands.
 National Health Mission - comprehensively interventions to improve child health and nutrition status.
 Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan - for universalisation of primary education .
 Udaan - to enable girl students to soar to higher education
 Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna - A small deposit scheme, launched as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'
to encourage parents of a girl-child to stock a fund for their education and marriage.
 Ladli Laxmi Yojana (MP) - To improve the health and educational status of the girls.
 The National Child Labour Project for rehabilitating the children withdrawn from employment
55
 Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL)
Legislative Measures for Child Welfare

 The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1987: Its objective is to end the trafficking of children, including
boys and girls.
 Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986: This law forbids the employment of minors in
some occupations and controls the working conditions of children in other occupations.
 Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006: This Act follows the basic premise (a) to make a child go
through marriage is an offence, and (b) child or minor is a person up to 18 years of age in the case of
girls and 21 years in the case of boys.
 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009: With the inclusion of the Right to
Education in the list of fundamental rights, it is now a legally protected right under Article 21a.
o The Right to Education Act, 2009, usually referred to as the RTE Act, outlines the significance
of free and mandatory education for children in India ages 6 to 14 years old.
 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012: It was passed in an effort to protect minors
from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornographic offences while upholding the best interests
of the child throughout the whole legal process.
Institutional Measures for Child Welfare
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)

 The Government of India established the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)
in accordance with the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, to exercise and
carry out the powers and duties entrusted to it by the CPCR Act, 2005.
o It emphasizes the idea of the universality and inviolability of children's rights and
acknowledges the urgency with which all national policies pertaining to children are being
implemented.
o The Commission places equal focus on the protection of all children in the 0 to 18 age range.
 Functions
 It examines and assess the protections established by or pursuant to any law presently in effect for the
protection of child rights and make recommendations for implementation strategies;
 It reports on the operation of those safeguards to the central government yearly and at such other
periods as the commission may deem appropriate;
 It investigates child rights violations and that legal action be taken where necessary;
 It looks into issues involving children who require extra attention and protection, such as children in
need, children who are marginalized and underprivileged, children who are in confrontation with the
law etc.
Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA)

 It is a statutory body of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.
 It serves as a hub for child adoptions in India and is tasked with supervising and regulating domestic
and international adoptions.
 It has been designated as the central authority to administer international adoption under the
provisions of the 1993 Hague Convention on International Adoption ratified by the Government of
India in 2003.
 CARA primarily deals with adoptions of orphaned, abandoned and abandoned children through
affiliated and approved adoption agencies.
56
National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD)

 The Ministry of Women and Child Development oversees the NIPCCD, an autonomous independent
organization with its headquarters in Delhi.
 Over the past 50 years, NIPCCD has strategically advanced the development of women and children.
 The institution provides programmatic research, capacity building, and advising services to the
Ministry for the following programs:
o Mission Poshan 2.0/Saksham Anganwadi
o Child welfare and protection services are provided by Mission Vatsalya.
o The mission of Mission Shakti is to protect and empower women.
c) Schedule Caste
 The term "Scheduled Caste" was coined by the Simon Commission and the Government of India Act
in 1935.
 Mahatma Gandhi referred to them as "Harijans" or "children of God," while Dr Ambedkar used the
term "depressed class."
 Scheduled Castes are castes/races identified as such according to Article 341 of the Constitution.
 The Indian government implemented reservation policies to uplift Scheduled Castes and ensure their
equal status in society.
 The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) was established under Article 338 by the 89th
Amendment Act.
Key facts
 As per the Census 2011 they constitute the 16.6% of total population.
 The literacy rate is below the national literacy rate i.e. 933.
 SC female literacy increased from 42% in 2001 to 56.5% in 2011.
 Male literacy rates in SC increased from 66.6% to 75.2%.
 The states with the biggest proportions of SC citizens are Punjab, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
 Article 46: The State must take special care to advance the economic and educational interests of the
weaker members of society, particularly the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and must shield
them from all forms of exploitation and social injustice.
 The Constitution's Article 15(4) addresses reservations in educational institutions, while Articles 16(4),
16(4A), and 16(4B) address reservations in positions and services.
 Article 334: It provides for the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Lok
Sabha.
Issues encountered by schedule caste

 Social: These issues were related to the ideas of contamination and purity. In society, the untouchables
were assigned a very low status.
o Hindus of high caste kept their distance from them on a social level. Numerous necessities of
life were withheld from them, as opposed to high-caste Hindus.
 Economic: They experienced several economic issues. They experienced a great deal of financial
difficulty and were not adequately compensated for their service.
o Untouchables were historically denied access to their own lands. They were prohibited from
operating any businesses.
57
o Approximately 34% of SCs, compared to those from other castes (9%) still live below the
poverty line (BPL). Similar to this, India's whole SC population owns a relatively small portion
(7%) of the nation's wealth, which is 2.5 times less than their entire population.
 Political: During the British era, they first gained the ability to vote. The Harijans/Tribes received equal
political privileges and opportunities after independence.
o These Communities are still in the process of becoming an organised political force.
o According to the department of personnel and training (DoPT), the percentage of officers from
Scheduled Castes (SC) holding the positions of joint secretary and secretary in the Government
of India is 4%.
 Victimization of the community: According to a
recent study, people from the Scheduled Castes
(SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are
overrepresented in jails in India compared to
their populations.
o Although these groups make up 24% of
the population in India, they are
substantially more prevalent—34%—in
jails.
 Other issues: Landlessness, Poor
representation in higher level govt services,
Malnutrition, Poverty and exploitation, Poor implementation of constitutional and legislative
safeguards, Inclusion and exclusion errors in welfare programmes, Cultural humiliation and political
marginalisation
Schemes for Schedule Caste
Economic Empowerment
 Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for the Scheduled Castes: To promote entrepreneurship and
economic empowerment among the Scheduled Caste population in India by providing credit support.
 Stand-Up India Scheme: Promote entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and
women entrepreneurs.
 Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes: Promote entrepreneurship and self-employment among
Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs.
 National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation: Provide financial support and
promote economic development among Scheduled Caste individuals.
Educational Empowerment
 Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana: Provide hostels for Scheduled Caste students to pursue higher
education.
 Dr Ambedkar Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship for SC Students: Provide financial assistance to
Scheduled Caste students for pre-matric and post-matric education.
 Shreshtha Scheme: Offering scholarships for exceptionally talented boys and girls from socially
disadvantaged backgrounds to attend the top-rated private residential school in the nation.
Social Empowerment
 Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna (PM-AJAY): Its objective is to decrease poverty in
the SC community via creating more work options through skill development, income-generating
schemes, and other measures.
o Also, to raise socioeconomic development indicators by making sure that the SC-dominated
communities have the necessary infrastructure and services.
58
o By providing adequate housing in high-quality institutions and residential schools where

necessary, especially in aspirational districts/SC-dominated blocks in India, to increase literacy
and encourage SC enrollment in schools and higher education institutions.
Legislative Measures
 Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989: To stop atrocities and hate crimes against scheduled castes and
scheduled tribes, the Indian Parliament passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention
of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (official name).
o The Act, 1989, was passed by the Parliament in recognition of the ongoing grave injustices and
crimes committed against Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
o Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015 - Provides for
more stringent provisions for prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes
 The ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013
 The law aims to outlaw the use of unhygienic restrooms and forbid hiring of manual scavengers.
Additionally, it forbids dangerous hand septic tank and sewer cleaning.
 Further the offences under the act are cognizable and not subject to bail.
 The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 - Provides punishment for the preaching and practice of
Untouchability.
Judicial Measures
 The Supreme Court has inherent powers under Article 142 of the Constitution or that of the High
Court under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to quash proceedings under the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 (SC/ST Act).
Institutional Measures
National Commission for Scheduled Castes

 In order to protect Scheduled Castes and Anglo-Indian communities from being exploited and to
advance and defend their social, educational, economic, and cultural interests, special provisions were
made in the Constitution.
 The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is an Indian constitutional body that reports to the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Government of India.
 It is governed under the Article 338.
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis(NCSK)

 Currently NCSK is an interim non-statutory organization, looks into the working conditions of Safai
Karamcharis (waste collectors) in India and gives recommendations to the Indian government.
 The NCSK ACT, 1993 authorised the creation of NCSK on August 12, 1994, as a statutory body with a
three-year lifespan. It continued until the relevant Act expired in February 2004.
d) Schedule Tribe
 The Indian Constitution recognizes tribal communities as 'Scheduled Tribes' under Schedule V and
defined as tribes or tribal communities specified under Article 342 of the Constitution.
 As per the census 2011, they make up 8.2% of the Indian population. Primitive traits, geographic
isolation, distinctive cultures, aversion to interaction with the outside world, and economic
backwardness are these societies' defining traits.
59
 Generally speaking, the STs live in two separate geographic regions: Central India and the North-
Eastern Area. The greatest ST populations are found in Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
 According to Census Figures, the Literacy rate for STs in India improved from 47.1% in 2001 to 59%
(Male - 68.5 %, Female - 49.40 %) in 2011.
 The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established under Article 338 A by the
89th Amendment in 2003.
 Art. 46: The State is required to safeguard the weaker groups of the population from social injustice
and all sorts of exploitation, while also promoting their economic and educational interests,
particularly those of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
 Art. 350: Instruction in mother tongue
 Art.243: Seat reservations in Panchayats
 Art. 275: Grants are made to certain States (STs&SAs) included in the Constitution's Fifth and Sixth
Schedules
 Art. 330: Seats reserved for STs in the Lok Sabha;
 Art. 337: Seats for STs in state legislatures are reserved;
Issues faced by STs

 Loss of ownership: The indigenous people had unrestricted ownership and management rights over
natural resources including land, woods, animals, water, etc. until the British arrived.
o Tribal sovereignty was superseded by state control as a result of the rise of industrialization in
India and the finding of mineral and other resources in tribally inhabited areas.
o After gaining independence, the development process gained momentum, putting more strain
on the land and forests.
o As a result, the indigenous people were torn from their traditional moorings and left without
a stable source of income as the ideas of protected forests and national forests gained
popularity.
 Illiteracy: There is no denying that education may help tribal people improve themselves and increase
their involvement in the development process, but there are still certain barriers that prevent tribal
people from enrolling in school.
o These include cultural beliefs and biases, extreme poverty, a lack of interest in courses taught
in foreign languages, a lack of qualified teachers in the tribal regions, and a lack of other
amenities.
 Displacement and Rehabilitation: Following independence, the core sector and heavy industries were
the main areas of development.
o The government's acquisition of tribal territory for these projects resulted in the widespread
eviction of the indigenous inhabitants.
o The tribal areas of West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and the Chhotanagpur region
suffered the worst.
 Exploitation: The position of women has been impacted by the deterioration of the natural
environment, notably as a result of the clearing of forests and a fast-diminishing resource base.
o Tribal men and women have been exposed to the brutal practices of the market economy as
a result of the opening of the tribal belts to mining, industries, and commercialization, which
has led to consumerism and the commoditization of women.
 Erosion of identity: Tribal members are becoming increasingly concerned about maintaining their
identity as their traditional institutions and laws clash with contemporary institutions.
○ Another issue to be concerned about is the disappearance of tribal languages and dialects, which in
certain places is a sign of a loss of tribal identity.
60
PVTGs
 PVTGs are less developed among the tribals. There are 75 PVTGs residing in 18 States and UT of A&N Islands.
In 1973, the Dhebar Commission first recognised them as Primitive Tribal Groups. In 2006, the Government
renamed the PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
 Basic characteristics of PVTGs - They are mostly homogenous, with a small population, relatively physically
isolated, absence of written language, etc.
Schemes for Schedule Tribe
Educational Empowerment
 Eklavya Model Residential Schools: To provide quality education to tribal children in remote areas.
 Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools: To introduce digital technology in tribal schools for improved
education outcomes.
 Post Matric Scholarship (PMS): The programme includes correspondence courses that address
distance and continuing education as well as professional, technical, and non-professional courses at
various levels.
 Top Class Education for ST Students: To provide quality higher education opportunities to Scheduled
Tribe (ST) students.
Economic Empowerment
 Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana: To promote sustainable livelihoods among tribal populations by
utilizing forest resources.
 Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana: Holistic development of tribal communities by addressing their basic
needs.
 Vocational Training Centres in Tribal Areas: To impart skill development and vocational training to
tribal youth.
Social Empowerment
 Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs): To uplift the socio-economic
conditions of the most vulnerable tribal communities.
 Special Central Assistance to Tribal Subplan: The State Government receives Special Central
Assistance (SCA) from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as an addition to the State TSP.
o SCA is primarily intended for income-generation plans that prioritize supporting families in the
agricultural, horticultural, and animal husbandry sectors.
Legislative Measures
 SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act): It prevents the perpetration of atrocities against members of
conscripted castes and conscripted tribes.
o Further, it provides for the establishment of special courts for trial of such crimes, relief and
rehabilitation of victims of such crimes.
 Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006: It
acknowledges the rights of tribal communities that live in forests and other traditional forest dwellers
to the forest resources on which these societies depended for a range of purposes, such as subsistence,
housing, and other sociocultural requirements.
 The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the scheduled Areas) Act, 1996: It is a legislation that
was passed by the Indian government to cover "Scheduled areas" that are not covered by the
Panchayati Raj Act or the 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution.
61
o It allowed Gram Sabhas to manage their own natural resources. It is an Act to provide
provisions for the Scheduled Areas to get the benefits of Part IX of the Constitution's
panchayat-related provisions.
Recommendations of various committees for Tribes
 Dhebar commission (1960): Xaxa Committee recommendations for welfare Mungekar Report
 Provide the mid-day of STs  The Gram Sabha should
meal, clothing, free book,  Empower Tribes Advisory Council. become fully functional.
reading and writing  Ensure due share in socio-economic progress  Participatory Approach of
materials, etc. to all the for tribals, including facilities like health, Programme
tribal children in education, livelihood, drinking water, Implementation should be
backward areas, opening sanitation, roads, electricity and sustainable a compulsory pre-requisite
of schools in localities income. for programme
where there were at least implementation.
 Reservation for tribal women, Prevention of
30 school-going children,  Review land laws
tribal land alienation
adjustment of timing,  Devolution of powers and
vacations, and holidays of  Teachers for schools in the tribal regions
avoid misuse of power in
schools to suit the tribal should be recruited locally, teacher training, tribal areas
social and cultural life, curriculum, policy of multilingual education,  Health crisis in Tribal areas
create an atmosphere of so that early learning is conducted in the should be handled on
tribal culture in the local language. priority basis
schools etc.  Residential schools.
 Respect and protect tribals customary rights
Institutional Measures
 National Commission for STs: The Constitution (89th Amendment) Act of 2003 amended Article 338 and
added a new Article 338A, establishing the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
o It was established with the primary purpose of improving the economic standing of the nation's
Scheduled Tribes by providing the target population with preferential financial aid through its
different programs.
 The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC): an apex organization
under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, was established in 2001.
o It aimed at enhancing the economic status of the nation's Scheduled Tribes by providing the target
population with preferential financial assistance through its various programs.
 TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India): To promote the socio-economic
development of tribal communities through marketing support.
Challenges faced by NCSCs/NCSTs
● Proliferation: The proliferation of institutions has led to institutional uncertainty in several policy areas,
such as the instance of the Scheduled Castes, in which the duties and functions of each are obscured.
○ More uncertainty has been brought about by the proliferation and duplication of institutions.
62
● Delays: There are delays in the

investigation's execution and the rendering
of decisions. Additionally, there is a notion
that the Commission typically supports the
government's stance in legal disputes.
● Non-binding: The Commissions has extensive
investigative and investigative powers and
can establish responsibilities and
recommend measures, but the
recommendations are not binding.
● Litigation: In the context of criminal
investigations, needs to adhere to the
current standards for evidence and
prosecution.
○ This undermines the operational
efficacy of the commission by making
it susceptible to legal action in the form of appeals to higher judicial authorities.
Way forward
 Commissions can facilitate online reporting and prosecution of crimes. By creating a simplified SOP and
making it available in local languages at all police stations.
 Commissions can help build the capacity of lawyers, judges, and police officers. This ensures discreet
correspondence with registered caste members.
 The Commissions may offer rewards for a department's or organization's work that exhibits innovation,
effectiveness, or good impact.
 An improved framework for organized engagement with civil society organizations working on these
communities' problems may be created by the Commission.
 The Commission has the ability to pinpoint societal norms that encourage discrimination and can work
with the government and civil society to plan discussions, hearings, and awareness raising activities.
Conclusion
 In India, there are other factors like jobs, programs, and law enforcement that can guarantee social
representation equity and access to dignity.
 Real empowerment can only be achieved by building sensitive, compassionate societies that are aware of
their need to act to end the suffering and shame of disadvantaged and exploited groups.
e) Other Backward Classes (OBCs):

 The Indian Constitution recognizes OBCs as socially and educationally backwards, with entitlements to
reservations in employment and education.
 The Supreme Court mandated a permanent body to address backward class complaints.
 As a result, the NCBC Act was passed in 1993, establishing the NCBC. In 2018, the 102nd Constitutional
Amendment Act added Article 338-B to the Constitution.
 Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land Holdings of Households in Rural India, 2019
data: data shows that of an estimated 17.24 crore rural households, 44.4% were OBCs.
Constitutional provisions for OBC’s

 The State is empowered to establish special arrangements for the progress of any socially and
educationally underprivileged class, including the OBC, under Article 15(4) of the Constitution.
63
 Because it believes that OBCs are not properly represented in the services of the State or the Central
Government, the state is authorized under Article 16(4) to adopt legislation for the reservation of
appointments or posts in favour of OBCs.
 The President is given the authority to look into the situation of the underclasses by Article 340 of the
Constitution. Till date, Two Backward Class Commissions were appointed i.e. Kaka Kalelkar commission
and B.P. Mandal Commission.
Schemes for OBC’s

Educational
 Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Construction of Hostel for OBC Boys and Girls: For students from socially
and educationally disadvantaged groups, particularly those from rural regions, the Scheme strives to
provide dormitory facilities so they can pursue secondary and further education.
 National Fellowship for OBCs Students - Give OBC students financial aid so they may pursue superior
higher education and get degrees like M.Phil. and Ph.D.
 Scheme of Free Coaching for SC and OBC Students: The goal of the Scheme is to offer economically
disadvantaged Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) applicants high-quality tutoring
so they may participate in competitive examinations and be successful in landing a suitable job in the public
or private sector.
Socio- Economic
 New Swarnima for Women - Under the scheme loan (Maximum 2 lakhs)is given to women belonging to
backward classes having income less than 3 Lakhs..
 Mahila Samridhi Yojana - Micro Finance Scheme for women with rebate in interest. Financial Assistance
up to cost of Rs. 1,40,000/- is provided.
 Shilp Sampada - By offering training and financial aid, this program aims to improve the technical and
entrepreneurial abilities of the Backward Classes.
Institutional Measure
National Commission for Backward Classes

 The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment established it as a statutory entity in 1993.
 Article 338B was included as part of the 102nd Amendment of 2018 and was given constitutional
status. Indra Sawhney & Others v. Union of India led to the creation of the commission.
Functions
 To examine and monitor all matters relevant to the SEBC's safeguards, as well as to assess the
effectiveness of such safeguards.
 To look into particular issues regarding the SEBC's loss of rights and protections. Reports on how such
protections are operating are to be given to the President.
 To make recommendations for actions that should be done to ensure that safeguards and other
measures are implemented effectively for the protection, welfare, and socioeconomic development
of SEBC.
 To take part in, provide advice on, and assess the socioeconomic growth of the educationally and
socially disadvantaged classes. The NCBC has civil court authority.
Limitations
 Non-Binding: It is anticipated that the National Commission for Backward Classes won't offer social
justice systems that are reliable and efficient. The government is not required to abide by the NCBC's
recommendations.
64
 Lack of authority: It cannot handle the current issue of demands from other castes to be listed as BCs
since it has no obligation to define what is considered to be backward.
 SC directives have been ignored: The Supreme Court's requirements for an expert body are not included
in the new NCBC's makeup. OBCs are underrepresented in numerous government committees,
commissions, boards, and other forums.
Way Forward
 As required by the SC, the composition must represent the characteristics of an expert body.
 The results of the caste census and the commission's recommendations must be made public
knowledge by the government.
 The gender sensitivity and stakeholder representation of the commission's membership should be
reflected in its makeup.
 In order to ensure that only the really underprivileged segments of society benefit from reservations,
vote-bank politics should make way for value-based politics.
OBC Reservation and sub categorization

 The Second Backward Class Commission was established by the Government of India (GOI) in 1979. In
a paper that was submitted in 1980, it advocated for a 27% quota for OBCs. In 1990, the government
approved it.
 In Indra Sawhney case (1992), the Supreme Court affirmed the OBC reservation but disallowed the so-
called "creamy layer" of economically affluent OBCs. They are therefore ineligible for the advantages
of reservations.
 As a result, OBCs made up 10.01 percent of Class B, 8.37 percent of Class A, and 17.98 percent of Class
C in the Central Government Services in 2013.Their representation in CPSEs increased from 16.6% in
2004 to 28.5% in 2014.
 Meanwhile, OBCs' poorest subgroups have not received benefits from reservations. As a result, the
need for subcategorization within the OBCs has drawn considerable attention.
The Justice Rohini Commission
 Following which, in 2017, the President of India established a panel to examine the sub-categorization
of other backward classes under the leadership of Retd. Delhi High Court Chief Justice G Rohini.
 The commission has proposed to divide OBCs into four subcategories numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 and split
the 27% quota into 2, 6, 9 and 10%, respectively.
 Creating subcategories within OBCs for the reservation in order to guarantee "equitable distribution"
of representation among all OBC communities is known as subcategorization of OBCs.
Conclusion
 OBC subcategorization is essential to ensuring social justice for the majority of underdeveloped
communities. In order to maximise social justice for OBCs, it is important to strive for an early,
transparent, and equitable implementation of OBC sub-categorization. This will ensure that
marginalised sub-castes receive the benefits they deserve.
65
f) Person with Disabilities

● PWD are individuals with long-term impairments in physical, mental, sensory, and psychological
conditions, which hinder their equal participation in society due to various barriers.
Key facts
 According to the 2011 Indian Census, out of a total population of 1.21 billion, approximately 2.68 crore
people (2.21% of the total population) are classified as 'disabled'.
 With impairments, there were 14.9 million males (2.41% of men) and 11.9 million women (2.01% of
women). The majority of disabled people—69%, or 18 million—live in rural regions.
 In India, 20% of people with disabilities have a mobility disorder, 19% have a vision impairment, 19%
have hearing loss, and 8% have many impairments.
 The age range 10 to 19 years has the highest prevalence of disabilities (46.2 lakh persons).
 In India as a whole, 36% of the handicapped population is classified as "workers." Nagaland (52%) has
the highest percentage, followed by Sikkim (49%) and Arunachal Pradesh (45%)..
Schemes for Persons with Disabilities:

 Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan): To make public spaces and transportation
accessible for persons with disabilities.
 Sugamya Pustakalaya: Online library for persons with print disabilities, aiming to provide accessible
reading material in various formats.
 Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme: Aims to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to
persons with disabilities for their overall development and social integration.
 National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities: Recognize and honour outstanding
individuals, organizations, and initiatives that have made significant contributions to the
empowerment of persons with disabilities.
 Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana: To support elderly individuals in surmounting physical limitations
associated with ageing and enabling them to lead a life of dignity and productivity.
 In order to protect and advance the rights and dignity of people with disabilities, India joined the UN
Convention.
o It imposes a responsibility
to take the necessary
steps to guarantee that
people with disabilities
have access to other
facilities and services as
well as the physical
environment,
transportation,
information, and
communications.
 India is also a signatory to the
"Declaration on the Full
Participation and Equality of People" with Disabilities in the Asia-Pacific Region.
 Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Program: It aims to create a pool of grass-root
rehabilitation workers at community level who can work alongside ASHA and Anganwadi workers to
handle cross disability issues and facilitate inclusion of persons with disabilities in the society.
 Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities
 Mobile Aided Note Identifier (MANI) -Project by RBI to identify the denomination of Indian Banknotes.
66
 India signed the UN Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons
with Disabilities to improve accessibility in terms of physical environment, transportation and other
facilities.
Constraints in implementation of welfare Programs
 Accurate identification becomes challenging as PWD’s hide their disability.
 Proper and authentic data is not available.
 Schemes for PWD’s are not implemented in true spirit.
 Absence of institutional architecture and policy framework.
Way forward
● Social Inclusion: There is a need to find ways to better accommodate persons with disabilities in society,
such as by giving them greater educational chances, equitable employment prospects, and encouraging
them to participate actively in social and political decision-making.
● Awareness: In order to improve the integration of people with disabilities into society, stigma must be
overcome.
○ The name "Divyangjan" was created by the prime minister to refer to people with disabilities.
○ The goal is to recognise their potential and influence how society views them.
○ This mindset needs to be broadly embraced. People must be informed and made aware of the
difficulties PwDs encounter.
● Financial aid: The welfare of handicapped individuals should receive more funding from the budget.
Budgets for individuals with disabilities should be created in accordance with budgets for women and men.
○ It's crucial to ensure that plans are carried out properly. For the oversight and accountability of
public funds, suitable procedures must exist.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016

 The Act supersedes the 1995 Act on Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of
Rights, and Full Participation). It satisfies the requirements of the UNCRPD, to which India is a
signatory.
Key Points:
 The definition of disability is now based on a dynamic and developing idea.
 There are now 21 different sorts of impairments instead of the previous 7 and the Central Government
will have the authority to introduce additional.
 For those with benchmark disabilities and those who have significant assistance requirements, additional
advantages have been offered, such as reservations in higher education (not less than 5%), government
positions (not less than 4%), reservations in land distribution, poverty alleviation initiatives (5% allotment),
etc.
 The establishment of broad-based Central and State Advisory Boards on Disability will act as the top
decision-making bodies at the Central and State levels.
 The Act outlines penalties for actions against people with disabilities as well as violations of the new law's
rules.
67
g) LGBTQ
● Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, make up the abbreviation LGBTQ. They are the individuals
who do not identify with the cisgender heterosexual "ideals".
● The Hijras are a distinctive social group and part of the LGBTQ community in India. They are either "neither
men nor women" or men who act like
women, depending on the culture. Important Judgements Related to LGBTQ
They are referred to as the Third ● Naz Foundation Govt v. NCT of Delhi: The High Court of Delhi
Gender at the moment. determined in 2009 that Section 377 of the IPC placed an
● In India, there are over 6 lakh arbitrary limitation on two adults having consensual
transgender persons, according to the intercourse in private in the case of Naz Foundation Govt v.
2011 census. NCT of Delhi.
○ As a result, it was a clear infringement of their
Issues related to LGBTQ fundamental rights, which are guaranteed by Indian
● Family: Problems with sexual Constitutional Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21.
orientation and gender identity lead to ● Suresh Kumar Koushal vs Naz Foundation: In 2013, the
arguments and disturbances in Supreme Court reversed the Delhi High Court's decision and
families. The miscommunication and reinstated the crime of homosexuality.
lack of understanding between parents ● NALSA Judgement: The Supreme Court established the 'third
and their LGBTQ children exacerbates gender' status for hijras or transgender people in its seminal
family discord. decision.
● Discrimination: One of the main ○ Earlier, transgender persons were compelled to identify
causes of socioeconomic disparity in as either male or female, but following the verdict, they
the LGBTQ population is employment were free to boldly declare their transgender status.
discrimination. ○ But aside from this, what made this verdict so
● Health Issues: Criminalizing exceptional was that it established the guidelines for
homosexuality leads to discrimination ensuring the transgender community a broad range of
and denies LGBTQ individuals access to fundamental human rights.
proper or necessary medical care. ● Navtej Singh Johar V. Union of India: The court decided that
Additionally, it raises obstacles for HIV Section 377 is unconstitutional because it violates people's
prevention, testing, and treatment basic rights to intimacy, autonomy, and identity.
programs to be made available and ● It decriminalized homosexuality by excluding consensual
used. relations between adults who are the same sex or gender
● Drug abuse and isolation: They under Section 377.
gradually lose confidence and self-
68
esteem, and they isolate themselves from friends and family. These people develop drug, alcohol, and
cigarette addictions in an effort to cope with stress, prejudice, and rejection.
● Same sex marriages: The Special Marriage Act of 1954 outlines provisions for Indian citizens and all Indian
nationals living abroad, enabling them to be married regardless of their creed, caste, or religion.
● The current laws cannot be applied to LGBT weddings, hence new legislation will need to be created,
changed, or added in order to recognize same-sex unions. There are three approaches to make marriage
laws more inclusive of LGBT+ people.
○ Same-sex unions can be legalized once the current laws are reinterpreted, modified, or amended,
or by changing the act's text to make it gender neutral.
○ Same-sex unions ought to be legalized when a completely new Act has been written, taking the
LGBT+ community into account.
○ Since India is still not progressive enough to accept the concept of LGBT marriages, the
legislature should instead grant same-sex couples a different status.
■ In which they would not have all the rights of marriage but would nonetheless be able to
take advantage of a number of important rights like sharing insurance and filing joint tax
returns, among other things.
● LGBTQIA+ community: There are a number of additional factors that support the claim that the current
employment rules do not adequately protect LGBTQIA+ people from routine workplace discrimination and
harassment.
○ As a general rule, employment and labor laws apply to many facets of work, including
compensation, terms and conditions, gratuities, insurance, anti-discrimination legislation, and
maternity benefits.
● Discrimination in schools: According to a survey by the United Nations Cultural Agency on 400 LGBT+
youth in India, more than 60% of LGBT+ youth experienced bullying in middle and high school.
○ 43% reported instances of sexual harassment at school, 70% experienced anxiety and depression,
and shockingly, 33% of them even discontinued their education as a result of bullying.
Schemes for LGBTQ

 SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise): Focus on rehabilitation,
access to medical facilities, counselling services, assistance with basic documentation, educational
opportunities, and skill development programs.
 Garima Greh Scheme: The establishment of shelter homes specifically designed to support destitute
and vulnerable transgender persons.
 SWEEKRUTI: To ensure equitable justice for transgender persons and create an enabling environment
for equal opportunities, social justice, and empowerment of transgender persons.
 National Portal for Transgender Persons - To help applying for a Certificate and Identity card digitally
from anywhere in the country.
Way forward
● The LGTBQ community needs an anti-discrimination law that gives people the freedom to have
fulfilling relationships and lives regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and lays the
responsibility for change on the state and society rather than the person.
● To guarantee that the LGBTQ population is not refused access to public services or mistreated because
of their sexual orientation, government entities, especially those responsible with health and law and
order, must be made aware of this.
Conclusion
● It is crucial that the government put aside its conservatism and take decisive action to end the stigma,
prejudice, and abuse that surrounds LGBTQIA+ persons.
69
● It is past time for the government

Related Concept
to create new laws or change
● Silver Economy: The term "silver economy" refers to a system
current ones governing marriage,
of production, distribution, and consumption of products and
adoption, guardianship,
services with the goal of using older and ageing consumers'
inheritance, employment, etc. for
purchasing power and meeting their consumption, living
the benefit of LGBT+ people's
conditions, and health needs.
education, social security, and
● Gerontechnology: The term "gerontechnology," which
health, with a specific focus on
combines the terms "gerontology" and "technology," refers
Transgender People.
to the application of technology to promote effective ageing
and help older people satisfy their needs in the areas of
h) Senior Citizens/Aged housing, communication, health, safety, comfort, mobility,
leisure, and employment.
 A society's older population is a
significant resource. Growing
older is a natural process that comes with possibilities and difficulties.
 Everyone 60 years of age or over is deemed elderly according to the National Elderly Policy.
 India has 104 million senior adults (60 years and above), or 8.6% of the total population, according to
the Census of 2011. There are more women than men among seniors (60+).
 According to the Quality of Life for Elderly Index from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime
Minister (EAC-PM), the percentage of seniors in the population is expected to increase from 7.5% in
2001 to over 12.5% by 2026 and reach 19.5% by 2050.
Challenges faced by senior citizens
Social
 Under the influence of industrialization, urbanization, technical and technological progress, education,
and globalization, Indian society is undergoing a fast shift.
 Since intergenerational links were a defining characteristic of the traditional family, they are eroding
and changing as a result of the conventional beliefs and institutions.
 Other issues:
o children's disregard for their elderly parents.
o retirement-related disillusionment.
o Elderly people feel helpless, lonely, worthless, and isolated.
o Generational Gap.
Health
 The most common health conditions are blindness, locomotor impairments, and deafness.
 Hospitals in remote regions lack geriatric care facilities.
 A recent survey found that 30% to 50% of older persons reported depressive symptoms. Most elderly
people who live alone are women, often widows.
 Poverty, ill health, and loneliness all have a significant link to depression.
Economic
 Retirement and ageing parents' reliance on their children for fundamental needs.
 Sudden rise in out-of-pocket costs for treatment.
 The elderly who live alone or with just their spouse suffer adverse effects, most commonly poverty
and despair, as a result of the migration of young people of working age from rural communities.
 Inadequate housing options.
 According to a national study conducted by the NGO HelpAge India, up to 47% of older people
depend on their families for financial support, 34% rely on pensions and cash transfers, and 40% of
those polled said they would like to work "as long as possible."
70
National Policy on Older Persons

● The policy was adopted in 1999, calls for state assistance to meet older people's needs for housing,
health care, and other necessities as well as their rights to an equitable share of development,
protection from abuse and exploitation, and access to services that will enhance their quality of life.
● The strategy also addresses topics like social security, generational ties, the role of families as main
carers, the function of non-governmental organizations’, workforce development, research, and
training.
Schemes for Senior Citizens

 Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY): To provide financial security and a regular source of
income to senior citizens.
 Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana: To provide regular income and financial security to senior citizens.
 Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana: To support elderly individuals in surmounting physical limitations
associated with ageing and enabling them to lead a life of dignity and productivity.
 Integrated Programme for Older Persons: To improve the quality of life of the aged group by providing
basic needs like food, shelter, opportunities etc.
 SAMPANN Project: Launched in 2018, for retired people from the Department of
Telecommunications, to offer a smooth online method for processing and paying pensions.
 SACRED Portal: It was developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, it allows anyone
over the age of 60 to register and search for jobs and employment possibilities.
 Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine(SAGE): It was started with the intention of assisting those people
who are interested in starting their own business offering services for aged care.
 Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana: Under this scheme government has incorporated awareness-raising and
sensitization programs with school and college students to enhance intergenerational ties.
o It attempts to give people, families, and groups information and educational resources so they
can comprehend the ageing process better.
Way forward
● Protecting older people from impoverishment and all the ills that may accompany it is the first step
towards ensuring that they live dignified lives.
● Near-universal social security pensions have been attained in the southern States as well as India's poorest
States like Odisha and Rajasthan.
● Further, redesigning the National Social Assistance Program, will make it much simpler for all States to take
the same action.
● There is also a requirement of additional services and resources, such as health care, equipment for people
with disabilities, help with everyday activities, recreational possibilities, and a healthy social life.
● A preferable strategy would be to include all widows and elderly or handicapped people as eligible, subject
to clear and unambiguous "exclusion criteria".
Conclusion
● Eliminating the stigma attached to ageing in India is the first step in reducing the financial cost.
● Behavior change may be influenced by education, public awareness campaigns, and innovative projects
like Switzerland's time bank.
● Furthermore, it is thought crucial to enhance our pension systems through increasing funding and
coverage. To achieve this, the government must designate a particular budget for the elderly population.
71
i) Minorities
● A separate group with shared ethnic, cultural,
or ethical features is referred to as a minority.
However, it is assumed that such a group is
inferior to the community at large. The defining
quality of a minority group is subordinacy.
● In the Indian Constitution, the term "minority"
is not defined. India, the second-most
populated nation in the world, is home to a
large population of people from many cultures,
languages, and religions.
● Here, religious minorities including Muslims,
Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and
Zoroastrians make up 19% of the population of
the nation.
● Art 29: Every citizen, regardless of where they live or which sector of the population they belong to, has
the right to protect their own language, script, or culture.
○ This article, in contrast to articles 25–28, offers protection to both linguistic and religious
minorities.
○ Additionally, the phrase "sections" used in the text indicates that the majority of people are also
covered by the legislation.
● Art 30: According to this article, minorities have the right to form and run educational institutions of their
choice. This article solely applies to linguistic or religious minorities, in contrast to article 29.
● Art 350B: This item was included to allow the president to designate a special officer for minorities to
conduct investigations and carry out tasks pertaining to defending the rights of linguistic minorities.
Schemes For Minorities

● Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme: Students from registered minority communities can get
financial aid under the scheme to pursue higher education, such as an M.Phil. or PhD, provided their
combined yearly income is less than Rs. 6.0 lakh.
● Naya Savera – It is a free Coaching and allied scheme aims to improve the knowledge and skills of students
and candidates from notified minority groups in order to help them find employment in the public or
private sector, jobs in the private sector, and admission to reputable institutions for undergrad and
graduate-level technical and professional programmes.
● Nai Udaan – It helps in clearing the competitive exams administered by the Staff Selection Commission
(SSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC), and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for students
from India's minority communities.
● Other significant schemes: Padho Pardesh, USTAAD (upgrading Skills and Training in preservation of
traditional Ancestral Arts/Crafts of minorities), Hamari Dharohar (to preserve the rich heritage of minority
communities)
 Jiyo Parsi - Scheme for Containing Population Decline of Parsis in India.
 Nai Roshni - To develop the leadership quality of minority women
72
Institutional Measures For Minorities
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM)

● NCM is comprised of a chairperson, a vice chairperson, and five members, was established by the
government in accordance with the National Commission for Minorities Act of 1992.
● Functions:
○ The commission keeps an eye on how the protections outlined in the Constitution and in legislation
passed by the State and Federal legislatures function.
○ Additionally, it offers suggestions on how minorities' interests might be effectively protected by
the federal government or state governments through the deployment of safeguards.
○ Evaluation of the Union's and the States' success in the development of minorities.
○ Submitting specific reports to the central government on minorities' issues, notably the challenges
they encounter.
○ Any other item that the Central Government may refer to it.
Issues faces by NCM

● Lack of constitutional status: NCM lacks the autonomy and influence it needs to perform its duties well
since it is a statutory body rather than a constitutional entity.
● Toothless tiger: It hasn't been given any "teeth" in terms of its ability to exercise their legal authority to
carry out their constitutionally mandated duties. The district and high courts have the authority to reverse
the Commission's judgement.
● Preferential appointment: The majority of the current appointees were "social activists" with ties to the
governing party, as opposed to earlier appointments that included former chief justices, public employees,
professors, etc.
● Lack of staff: Not filling of curcial vaccant positions leads to improper functioning of the Commission. As
an illustration, the Commission tasked with holding hearings is unable to handle the large number of cases
it gets.
Way forward
● The Commission should establish certain baseline objectives for the pendency rates in order to decrease
the number of cases that are pending at the organizational level.
● An effective way to deal with the issue of open leadership roles is to periodically undertake a staffing needs
assessment.
● Improvements in technology, such as spending on more sophisticated information management systems,
may aid in lowering the number of cases that remain pending with the Commission after an e-hearing.
● In order to lower the pendency rates and improve the efficacy of the Commission's hearings, it may be
helpful to strengthen the State Commissions and create new ones where none now exist.
Conclusion
● Right now, a number of institutions and organisations serve as these minority groups' voice. It is crucial to
adhere to the 3Cs—commitment, connectedness, and coherence—in order to protect minorities.
● It is imperative to establish at least a framework that can fall under the umbrella of the word "minority,"
as no organisation has specifically defined it.
73
j) Beggars
● India, with 1.3 billion people, grapples with
economic challenges such as unemployment,
inflation, poverty, and rising prices.
● Chronic joblessness fuels poverty and undermines
human values, driving people towards begging.
● The government attempted to repeal the Act by
introducing the Persons in Destitution (Protection,
Care, and Rehabilitation) Model Bill, 2016.
● The bill proposed eliminating the Beggary Act and
suggesting the establishment of rehabilitation
centres for the destitute in every district.
Schemes for Beggars:

● SMILE-75 Initiative: To establish a comprehensive support system for the holistic rehabilitation of
individuals involved in the practice of begging.
Conclusion: Vulnerable groups consist of individuals who have a higher probability of experiencing poverty
and social isolation compared to the general population. In India, various mechanisms, laws, institutions, and
organizations have been established to foster the development and advancement of these vulnerable groups,
aiming to achieve social justice and provide equal opportunities across all sections of society.
74
OUR UPSC CSE MAINS 2023 ENRICHMENT COURSES
ETHICS ENRICHMENT SCIENCE OF ANSWER INA CURRENT AFFAIRS

PROGRAM 2023 WRITING (SAW) MAINS 2023
Admissions Open Admissions Open Admissions Open
ESSAY INDIABHAI’S CMP QUALITY ENRICHMENT

MARKS MAXIMIZATION GS MAINS PROGRAM (QEP)
PROGRAM 2023 TEST SERIES 2023 MAINS 2023/24
CORE BATCH
MARKS MAXIMIZATION TOTAL ENRICHMENT MAINS 2023
PROGRAM (TEP) (ESSAY MARKS MAXIMIZATION
PROGRAM (MMP) + MMP + INDIABHAI’S
MAINS 2023 MAINS TEST SERIES)
200+ TOTAL
OUR UPSC CSE 2022 TOPPERS SELECTIONS
2AIR 3AIR
GARIMA LOHIA UMA HARATHI N
4
AIR
22
AIR
26
AIR
GANGAVARAPU VENKATA
SMRITI MISHRA SAI PAVANDATTA GUNJITA AGRAWAL
9. Issues Relating to Development & Management of Social Sector/Services
9. Issues Relating to Development & Management of

Social Sector/Services
Health Sector of India
Swachh Bharat —> Swasth Bharat —> Sundar Bharat, Illness to Wellness Approach
Triple Burden of Malnutrition (Undernutrition, Overnutrition, Nutritional Deficiency), Sahi Bhojan. ... Behtar
Jeevan, from “Food security” to "Nutrition security”, Social vaccination, “Missing middle” of Indian
population, Nutrition-positive country, Dietary Diversity, From ‘Token to Total’ approach, Swastha Desh,
Samruddh Desh, From Disease Causing Diets to Health Promoting Diets (for Malnutrition), From
'Suppression & Superstition' to 'Expression of Depression', ‘Information for Action’
COVID-19 exposed several weaknesses in

India’s underfunded health system. Rural Acronym: "HEALTH":
primary care is underfunded and has  H - Human rights-based approach
shortages of staff, equipment, drugs and  E - Equity in healthcare access
infrastructure in many parts of the country.  A - Advocacy for policy reform
Urban primary healthcare has still not  L - Legal frameworks for health rights
emerged as an active programme in many  T - Targeted interventions for marginalized populations
States. District and medical college hospitals
 H - Health system strengthening and investment
suffer shortages of specialist doctors and
support staff.
General facts about Health and Nutrition

Birth Rate (2021)  All India Level: 16 Live Births (per thousand of the population)  declining
(World Bank)
Life Expectancy  Average: 70 Years
(National Health Profile 2021)  Females: 70 Years, Males: 67 Years
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Current IMR: As per Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin of Registrar
(NHFS – 5 (2019-21), SRS) General of India (RGI) it is IMR is 30 per 1,000 live births in 2019 at National
Level.
 Target under National Health Policy – 28 by 2019.
 India reduced IMR by 42% over 11 years but still higher than global
average (29)
 Differentials of rural (36) & urban (23) are still high.
Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR)  Current NMR: 25
(NHFS – 5, 2019-21)  National Health Policy (NHP), 2017 goal for NMR: 16 deaths per 1000 live
births by 2025. (With the current trend, India would fail to achieve this)
 SDG Goal for NMR: 12 deaths per 1000 live births by 2030
Maternal Mortality Ratio  MMR - As per Sample Registration System (SRS) data Maternal Mortality
(National Health Profile 2021) Ratio (MMR) is 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.
75
 SDG target: 70 per 1,00,000 live births by 2030. Kerala (42), Maharashtra
(55), and Tamil Nadu (63) have achieved this target. India on track to
achieve the SDG target
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)  Overall TFR: 2.0 (Below Replacement Levels)
(NFHS – 5, 2019-21)  States yet to achieve a replacement-level of fertility of 2.1: Bihar,
Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Manipur.
Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) (NFHS –  Overall Sex Ratio – 1020 (increased from 933 in Census 2001)
5, 2019-21)  Sex Ratio at birth – 929
Proportion of institutional  Institutional Deliveries increased from 40% in 2005-06 to 88.6 % in 2019-
deliveries (NFHS - 5) 21
 Target: 100% institutional Deliveries
Doctor Density  India’s Doctor-population ratio: 1:834 (allopathic + AYUSH doctors)
- WHO’s recommended allopathic doctor-population ratio: 1:1000
 Rural-Urban divide: Urban areas have 4 times as many doctors and 3 times
as many nurses as compared to rural areas
AYUSH  80% OF World’s Population rely on traditional medicine. (WHO)
Disease Burden and Measures

Non-communicable diseases  Global: NCD responsible for 70% of all deaths worldwide
(NCD)  India: > 60% of all deaths in India can be attributed to NCDs.
(WHO report)  1 in 4 Indians risks dying from an NCD before they reach the age of 70.
 Cancer, diabetes and heart diseases alone account for 55% of the
premature mortality in India in the age group of 30‐69 years.
 Main risk factors: Physical inactivity, tobacco use, excessive use of alcohol,
unhealthy diets and Psycho-Social Stress.
 National Programme for Prevention & Control of Non-Communicable
Diseases (NP-NCD)
 WHO’s Global action plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2020 to
2030; Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT)
Deendayal outlet, Jan Aushadhi stores, SDGs- reduce premature mortality
from NCDs by one-third by 2030 (SDG 3.4)
HIV/AIDS  People Living with HIV in India: 3rd largest HIV/AIDS population in world
(SDG INDIA INDEX 2.0)  India’s HIV epidemic is slowing down: HIV incidence per 1000 uninfected
population declined from 0.64 in 1995 to 0.07 in 2017.
 HIV and AIDS (Prevention & Control) Act, 2017; National AIDS Control
Organization (NACO);
Tuberculosis (TB)  India is the highest TB burden country (28%) in the world and highest
(Annual TB Report 2022) number of multi-drug resistant TB cases (WHO, 2019).
 HIV-associated TB: India has the second-highest number globally.
 TB-Mukt Panchayat Initiative;
 Ni-kshay Mitras have contributed over Rs 1,000 Cr, making it possibly the
world’s largest community initiative for TB
 India is the only country in the world to implement a Sub-National
Certification (SNC) exercise, a novel scientific method through which
districts are verified for their progress of elimination
76
Food and Nutrition

Hunger & Malnutrition in  23% of women and 20% of men are undernourished
India (NFHS- 5)  Anaemia -
- >50% of pregnant women aged between 15 - 49 years are anaemic.
- >65% children under age of 5 years are anaemic.
 Proportion of stunted children under 5 - 35% (global Average: 23%)
 Proportion of Underweight children - 30% (global Average: 13%)
 Proportion of wasted children - 20%
Obesity in India  India is ranked as the third most obese nation in the world after the US and
(NFHS - 5) China
 24% of women and 23% of men are overweight or obese
Issues and Challenges for health sector
India’s healthcare system has been battling various issues, including the low number of institutions and less-
than-adequate human resources for quite a while now.
 Lack of Infrastructure: India has been struggling with deficient infrastructure in the form of lack of well-
equipped medical institutes for quite a while now.
 For a considerable time, the government regulation mandated that private medical colleges must
be built on at least five acres of land.
 As a result, quite a few private colleges were built in rural areas, where it became quite difficult
to recruit adequately qualified, full-time doctors due to lack of proper living conditions, besides
low pay scales.
 National Medical Commission (NMC) has put forward the idea to do away with the requirement
of minimum five acres of land for setting up a medical college.
 Further, the commission has proposed to curtail the minimum number of beds required as a
proportion of the number of seats in the college.
 Shortage of trained manpower: this includes doctors, nurses, paramedics and primary healthcare workers.
 The situation remains worrisome in rural areas, where almost 66 per cent of India’s population
resides.
 The doctor-to-patient ratio remains abysmally low, which is merely 0.7 doctors per 1,000 people.
This is compared to the World Health Organisation (WHO) average of 2.5 doctors per 1,000 people.
 Unmanageable load of Patients: Healthcare facilities had been feeling the strain due to unmanageable
patient-load.
 In addition, there is the challenge to think beyond the obvious and promote virtual care protocols,
and telehealth services, which can be leveraged to reduce the patient-load burden to a large extent.
 Public health policy and proactive healthcare: The latest National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 highlights the
‘Health for All’ approach to provide assured healthcare for all at an affordable cost.
 Ideally, the public health policy needs to be focussed towards proactive healthcare, not reactive
healthcare.
77
 High out-of-pocket expenditure remains a stress factor:

While public hospitals offer free health services, these Interesting facts
facilities are understaffed, poorly equipped, and located  WHO’s first Global Centre for
mainly in urban areas. Traditional Medicine is being
 Most health services are, therefore, provided by established in India.
private facilities, and 65 per cent of medical  World’s biggest health insurance
expenses in India are paid out of pocket by patients. scheme – Ayushman Bharat.
 Unregulated private sector: NITI Aayog has recently  India shipped almost 300 million
published the document, ‘Investment Opportunities in Covid vaccine doses to over 100
India’s Healthcare Sector’. This promotes further countries.
privatisation of health care in a country which already has
 In times of crisis, India chose the
one of the most privatised health systems in the world.
path of self-reliance. India launched
 The report fails to acknowledge the negative
the world's largest, most successful
aspects of unregulated private health care; neither
is there any mention of the need for regulation of vaccination drive.
private hospitals.
Government Initiatives
 Anganwadi System: The Anganwadi system was established as part of the Integrated as Child
Development Service (ICDS) programme, which has since been renamed Saksham Anganwadi and
Poshan 2.0.
 Under the MoWCD, the Anganwadi Services Scheme is a centrally sponsored programme.
 It stands for one of the biggest and most distinctive early childhood care and development
projects in the entire globe.
 Objectives: The program's objectives are to enhance the nutritional and physical health of young
children (0–6 years), expectant mothers, and nursing mothers, as well as to lower the
occurrences of mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition.
 System Depth: Through Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi
Helpers (AWHs), the system provides services to 906.17 lakh beneficiaries.
 NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY-5 (NFHS) REPORT: NFHS-5 was released by the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare (MoHFW).
 Objective: To deliver accurate and comparable data on various topics, such as family welfare and
health.
 The NFHS-5's scope is broadened by the inclusion of new dimensions like death registration, pre-
school instruction, enlarged child immunisation areas, menstrual hygiene, etc.
Indicators Findings
Total fertility rate, average declined from 2.2 to 2.0

number of children per
woman
Institutional births increased from 79% to 89% in India and in rural areas around 87% births
being delivered in institutions and the same is 94% in urban areas.
Fully immunized more than three-fourths (77%) children age 12-23 months, compared
with 62% in NFHS-4.
Level of stunting declined from 38% to 36%
prevalence of overweight or increased from 21% to 24% among women and 19% to 23% among men.
obesity
78
RIGHT TO HEALTH IN INDIA

 Provisions in Constitution:
1. Article 21: This article of the Constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty,
which has been interpreted by the courts to include the Right to Health.
2. DPSP: Part IV of the Constitution under the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) (Articles
38, 39, 42, 43, & 47) ensures social and economic justice to its citizens directly or
indirectly relating to public policy in terms of health putting the obligation on the state to
ensure the effective realization of the Right to Health.
 Judicial Activism:
1. Supreme Court in Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity case (1996) held that the primary duty
of the government is to secure the welfare of the people being an obligation of the government
to provide adequate medical facilities for its people in a welfare state.
2. Supreme Court had ruled that every doctor whether at a government hospital or otherwise has
the professional obligation to extend his services with due expertise for protecting life
in Parmanand Katara Vs Union of India (1989).
 Human Dignity: The right to health is an essential component of human dignity and should be
protected and promoted for all individuals, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or
socioeconomic status.
 International Conventions: India is a signatory of the Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (1948) by the United Nations that grants the right to a standard of living adequate for the health
and well-being to humans including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social
services.
Need of RTH in India
 Privilege to few: The right to equality guaranteed under Article 15 upholds non-discrimination on the basis
religion, race, caste, gender, place of birth, etc. still the dismal investment in public health for decades has
made healthcare a privilege available to a few.
 Break Discriminatory Structure: Right to health is critical to breaking discriminatory structures that will
otherwise continue to perpetuate inequality in all spheres of life, including education, opportunity, wealth,
and social mobility.
 Article 21’s Interpretation: The judicial interpretation of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 in
several judgments as inclusive of health was crucial.
 As the universal access to healthcare is now as achievable as it is indispensable.
 Progressive Rights of the people: The rights of people are not stagnant, and must evolve as the country
evolves.
 Service-Delivery Model: Ayushman Bharat is an ambitious scheme with great potential, but there is
a difference between a right and a service-delivery model of development.
 Lack of Efficiency in healthcare: Healthcare facilities across the country lacks different levels of efficiency
and sufficiency which can be outdone RTH.
 Dismal Primary Health Sector: RTH will help in developing the root of the healthcare sector i.e., the
primary healthcare sector that lacks proper guidance and implementation of policies which makes people
disbelieve in healthcare sector in India.
Arguments against RTH
 Due to the lack of clarity over who will be responsible for paying for the required free
emergency treatment, private healthcare providers have been the most vocal opponents of the RTH.
 Critics claim that it is an attempt to surrender the State's duty to provide health protection and increases
the burden of patients on the private sector.
 Many believe that the RTH will be unnecessary and highly restrictive.
79
 Without development or improvisation of the present structure of the healthcare facilities, implementing
RTH will be devastating for already stressed medical field in India.
Challenges Related to Right to Health in India
 Inadequate Healthcare Infrastructure: India's healthcare infrastructure remains inadequate, particularly
in rural areas where the 73% of the Indian population lack even basic medical facilities.
 Burden of schemes: Doctors are protesting against the RTH because they question the need for it when
there are already schemes like Chiranjeevi that cover most of the population.
 Specialization concerns: They are also objecting to certain clauses, such as defining “emergency” and
being compelled to treat patients outside their specialty as part of an emergency.
 High Disease Burden: India has a high burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases which
requires significant investment in healthcare infrastructure and resources.
 Frontiers in Public Health Report: More than 33% of the individuals are still suffering from infectious
diseases out of the total ailing population in India.
 Gender Inequalities: Women in India face significant health disparities.
o World Economic Forum 2021: India consistently ranks among the five worst countries in the
world for the health and survival of females.
 Health Financing: Low levels of public spending on healthcare limits the government's ability to invest
in healthcare infrastructure and resources, leading to inadequate healthcare services for individuals.
o Government of India spent 2.1% of GDP on healthcare in FY23 which is lower than the average
health spending share of the GDP — at around 5.2% — of the Lower- and Middle-Income
Countries (LMIC).
 No detailing of the process: To the charge that there is no detailing of the process, health rights activists
have pointed out that it would be a function of the Rules, not the law itself.
 Concerns pertaining to compensation: Healthcare providers have a problem with reimbursement
delays. Additionally, there are complaints that the predetermined package rates for various medical
procedures and treatments are not sufficiently profitable or do not cover the actual cost.
Government Initiative in tackling the Challenges
 Implementing Universal Health Coverage: As a critical indicator for human equity, security and dignity
UHC makes sure that all people have access to the health services they need without the risk of financial
hardship when paying for them.
 Health accessibility and affordability: A crucial healthcare problem even in the 21st century prompted
World Health Organization to choose “Universal Health Coverage” as the theme for World Health Day
2019.
 India started working towards the universal problem of affordability and accessibility with the introduction
of Ayushman Bharat.
Significance of UHC:
 Universal health coverage has a direct impact on a population’s health and welfare.
 Access and use of health services enables people to be more productiv e and active contributors
to their families and communities.
 Financial risk protection prevents people from being pushed into poverty when they have to pay
for health services out of their own pockets.
 Universal health coverage is a critical component of sustainable development and poverty
reduction, and a key element of any effort to reduce social inequities.
 Universal coverage is the hallmark of a government’s commitment to improve the wellbeing of
all its citizens.
80
Issues and Challenges related to UHC

 Lack of Funds: Public sector is severely underfunded.
 Unaffordable Healthcare: Private sector is witnessing a high-cost healthcare service which is
problematic.
 Regulation: Ineffective regulation is a concerned area.
 Poor Health Education: Lack of education and awareness regarding healthy lifestyles and preventive
health measures can lead to an increase in preventable illnesses and conditions.
Government Steps for implementing UHC in Healthcare sector
 National Health Policy (NHP) 2017: Allocating resources of up to two-thirds or more to primary care for
achieving “the highest possible level of good health and well-being, through a preventive and promotive
healthcare orientation”.
 A 167% increase in allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) — the insurance
programme which aims to cover 10 crore poor families for hospitalisation expenses of up to ₹5 lakh per
family per annum.
 The government’s steps to incentivise the private sector to open hospitals in Tier II and Tier III cities.
 Individual states are adopting technology to support health-insurance schemes. Example: Remedinet
Technology (India’s first completely electronic cashless health insurance claims processing network) has
been signed on as the technology partner for the Karnataka Government’s recently announced cashless
health insurance schemes.
National Health Policy
National Health Policy: National Health Policy is an initiative by the Central Government to strengthen the
health system in India covering various dimensions of health sectors like disease prevention, promotion of
good health via cross-sectoral actions, health investment, strengthening human resources, technological
advancements and more.
Launched in 2017 by the Central Government, has introduced four significant goals:
 Changing health priorities: Aims to tackle the increasing non- communicable and infectious diseases in
India.
 Growth of the health care industry: Strengthen the health care industry by introducing technological
advancement.
 Lower the expenditure: Aims to reduce medical expenses and provide superior services to poor and
backward communities.
 Economic growth: Aims to enhance fiscal capacity by boosting economic growth.
Objectives of National Health Policy
 Basic Structure: National Health Policy commits to integrity, highest professional standards and ethics
integrating these functions in health care delivery services by maintaining transparency and a sustainable
environment.
 Doing away Disparities: Aims to offer superior health services to every age group and gender.
 Universal Healthcare Services: Focuses on providing universal access to excellent quality health care
services at an affordable price preventing regional disparities.
 Reducing Mortality Rate: Aims to reduce premature mortality from cancer, cardiovascular diseases,
chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes by 25% within 2025.
o Recognises the importance of sustainable development and time-bound quantitative goals.
 Developing Overall Health Structure: Aims to improve overall health structure through promotive,
palliative, and rehabilitative services.
Drawbacks of the policy
81
 Repetition of Ideas: The new policy repeats several old ideas, and fails to fulfil 2015 promise of a Right to
Health.
o It fails to make health a justiciable right in the way the Right to Education 2005 did for school
education.
 Assurance-based Approach: The policies reference to an “assurance-based approach” abandons a radical
change proposed in the draft policy of 2015 where National Health Rights Act aimed at making health a
right.
 Disagreement with States: Health Ministry officials said the idea was dropped because state governments
felt that health infrastructure was not yet at levels at which health could be made an entitlement, and the
citizen could theoretically take a government to court for its denial.
o Diagnostics, drugs and essential health care services are already free in many states.
 Longevity in Implementation: The policy says that 2.5% GDP spend target for Health would be met by
2025 but the HLEG report of 2011, quoted by the 12th Plan document, had set the same target for the Plan
that ends at the end of this march 2017.
 Health Cess: A health cess was a pathbreaking idea in the Health Ministry’s draft policy but now it has been
rejected, with health officials maintaining that there is no dearth of funds.
WAY FORWARD:
 Increase Public Investment in Healthcare: The government should increase the budgetary spending on
healthcare and allocate more resources to build a strong healthcare infrastructure.
 Enhancement of Health Expenditure: Health Expenditure which currently stands lower than most of the
developing nations needs to be enhanced as a percentage of GDP.
 Prioritize Primary Sector: Strengthening the primary healthcare sector should be the priority.
 Expand Health Insurance Coverage: Expanding the health insurance coverage to all citizens would help
reducing out-of-pocket expenses and make healthcare more affordable.
 Improve Healthcare Quality: The government should invest in improving the quality of care by
developing quality standards, ensuring adherence to these standards, and providing training to
healthcare providers.
 Invest in Health Information Systems: Priority should to given to develop robust health information
systems that can provide timely and accurate data.
 Promote Preventive Healthcare: Focusing on preventive healthcare can reduce the burden of disease
and the cost of healthcare.
Drug regulation in India:
India, has been mulling the creation of a mandatory recall law for substandard drugs since 1976, and yet no
law exists that mandates such medicine be removed from the market to this day.
 In 1976, the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC), which consists of all the state drug controllers along
with senior bureaucrats from the Ministry of Health and the national drug regulator, the Central Drug
Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), discussed the issue of drug recalls.
 The issue of recalls came up again in meetings of the DCC in 1989, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2007, and 2011 but
none of them resulted in amendments to the Drugs & Cosmetics Act to create a mandatory recall
mechanism.
 Why has this issue been pending for so long in India with no redress?
 the Drug Regulation Section of the Union health ministry is simply not up to the task of tackling
complex drug regulatory issues
 combination of different factors including apathy, lack of expertise in the area, and a greater interest
in enabling the growth of the pharmaceutical industry than protecting public health.
 India’s highly fragmented regulatory structure, with each state having its own drug regulator.
82
 India’s drug regulators are aware of the fact that a mandatory drug recall system, which necessarily
has to be centred on a system of wide publicity, will bring to public attention to the rotten state of
affairs in India’s pharmaceutical industry.
 Dozens of drugs fail random-testing in government laboratories. Ideally, these drugs will be
mandatorily recalled in a transparent manner, with the people being informed of the failures.
 Liberal punishments: Guidelines were first published by the Drugs Consultative Committee in 1993
and again in 2010. According to these recommendations, harassing medication makers would result
from prosecuting every instance of inferior drugs. Therefore, the committee was established to
carefully punish the producers.
 Necessity measures:
 The Union Health Ministry recently published a new draft Bill to replace the antiquated Drugs and
Cosmetics Act, 1940.
 To create an effective recall
mechanism, the responsibility of
recalling drugs has to be centralised,
with one authority that has the legal
power to hold companies liable for
failures to recall drugs from across
the country.
 If India is a single market for drugs, it
follows that it should have one
regulator.
 The Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1940:
imposes regulatory restrictions on
the in-country production,
distribution, and sale of medicines
and cosmetics. The Act designates the
sale of subpar medications as a serious violation since these medications have the potential to cause
patients harm. A jail sentence or fine may be issued in accordance with this Act.
 Amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act: The medications and Cosmetics Act's main objective is to
prevent inferior medications from entering the market in the first place rather than to react to them
after the fact. Therefore, the DCA must be changed to stop the production of inferior pharmaceuticals
in the first place.
 Good Manufacturing Practices: Manufacturers ought to implement a rigorous system of quality
control. Simple checks and balances must be followed, such as checking raw materials before
incorporating them into drugs, purchasing raw materials from authorised producers, keeping
equipment clean, etc. Any time there is a quality issue, a root cause analysis should be carried out right
away.
Zero Tolerance to Drugs
The Centre has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics

 According to the 2019 National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India, 2.26 crore people,
or roughly 2.1% of the population, use opioids.
 Additionally, same poll revealed that 31 million Indians, or 2.8% of the population, used cannabis for
bhang, ganja and charas.
Reasons
 Drug abuse has increased as a result of the breakdown of the united family system, a reduction in religious
and moral values, and other factors, such as the desire to escape the harsh reality of life.
83
 Peer pressure: Many young people begin using drugs as a result of peer pressure from friends, teachers,
or other members of their informal social networks.
 Easy Accessibility — India is positioned in such a way that the "Golden Triangle" and the "Golden Crescent"
are to its east and west, respectively.
Initiatives:
 The MHA established the Narcos Coordination Centre (NCORD) system in 2016 to ensure efficient drug
law enforcement.
 The portal serves as an efficient method for exchanging information amongst various institutions
and authorities.
 The minister added that the Supreme Court is discussing the creation of fast-track courts and exclusive
courts for the expeditious trial of drug cases.
Way Forward:
India could reduce the treatment gap for mental disorders, increase the number of personnel in the mental
health sector, work towards reducing discriminatory attitudes, and devise an integrated approach for
detecting, treating, and managing patient needs.
 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should be encouraged in the field of mental health.
Mental Health
Mental health issues are a major health challenge in the world today. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), there is a 10-25-year life expectancy reduction in patients with severe mental disorders.
About 72% of member states had a standalone policy or plan for mental health in 2017.
 India introduced the National Mental Health Policy (NMHP) in 2014, and a rights-based Mental Healthcare
Act in 2017, which replaced the Mental Healthcare Act of 1987.
 The NMHP, National Health Mission, National Adolescent Health Programme, and Ayushman Bharat
have the necessary components to address the mental health issues of all sections of the population.
Issues and Challenges
 The share of mental hospitals per 1,00,000 population is as low as 0.01 in line with developing
countries, according to the WHO.
 India was at the 99th position in the distribution of mental health outpatient facilities (per 1,00,000
population), with 0.18 units per 1,00,000 population.
 India was also at the 64th position in the distribution of mental health day treatment facilities
 The distribution of community residential facilities globally for the median year 2016 showed India at
the 58th position, with 0.017 units per 1,00,000 population among the WHO member countries.
 Mental Illness: Mental illnesses include anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders,
substance use disorders, personality disorders and eating disorders.
 The suicide rate was 10.6 per 1,00,000 population whereas in India, it was 16.3 per 1,00,000
in 2016.
 The suicide rate was higher among males compared to females.
 Mental health facilities: There are also challenges regarding funding, delivery of mental health
packages, lack of trained staff, etc.
84
Government Initiatives:
 Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
 The Act ensures healthcare for people suffering from mental illness through health services funded
by the Government. It decriminalises suicide, disallows sterilisation.
 As part of Section 19, the
government was made responsible
for creating opportunities to access
less restrictive options for
community living — such as halfway
homes, sheltered accommodations,
rehab homes, and supported
accommodation.
 Under the MHCA, all States are
required to establish a State Mental
Health Authority and Mental Health
Review Boards (MHRBs) – bodies.
 While Ayushman Bharat allows for insurance
for medical treatment of the mentally unwell,
financial protection in the form of allowances should be initiated.
 National suicide Prevention Strategy: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s recently published
National Suicide Prevention Strategy fits right there.
 The most common reasons include family problems and illnesses, while other causes include marital
conflicts, love affairs, bankruptcy, substance abuse and dependence.
 In India, more than one lakh lives are lost every year to suicide. In the past three years, the suicide
rate has increased from 10.2 to 11.3 per 1,00,000 population.
 The Strategy also intends to write in mental health in the curriculum in educational institutions
within the next eight years.
 It also lists interventions that have reduced the suicide rate in various sections in the country,
including among students and rural groups, by limiting the availability of pesticides.
Conclusion
There needs to be a road map for mental health awareness. This should include the traditional media,
government programmes, the education system, industry, and social media. Media awareness and
government involvement is already happening in India but both can improve. It is high time that industry and
private sector companies set up counselling facilities.
85
Education
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela.
Keywords from Aaj Ka Quality Enrichment

 From Right to Education to Right to Learning, Massification of higher education, From ‘Degree
shops’ to ‘Knowledge Temples’/’Skill Marts’, From Islands of Excellence to Knowledge & Skill
Clusters, From Learning crises to Lifelong learning opportunities for all, From Learning poverty to
Learning for everyone, everywhere, From Culture of rote learning to Culture of Creative, From
Robotic performer to Creative wanderer, Moving from Content to Competence, From Conventional
“Chalk & Talk” model to Digital Learning, From ‘Educational Elitism’ to ‘Education as Social Leveller’,
4As – Access, Affordability, Availability, Accountability, 4Ss – Skill, Scale, Speed with Standards, 4 Ds
– Demand, From Blind Conformity to Evidence-Based Thinking, Commodification of education,
Intellectual independence & Democratization of knowledge,.
The key to establishing peace, eliminating poverty, and promoting sustainable development is
education, which transforms lives. All people have a right to an education throughout their lives, and
that access must be matched by quality.
GENERAL FACTS: EDUCATION IN INDIA

Literacy rate  All India – 74%, Males – 82%, Females – 65%
(Census 2011 & NSS  Rural – 74%, Urban - 88%
Report)
Adult Illiteracy in India
(15 years & above)  Adult Non Literates – >20 crore (largest population of illiterate adults in the
world)
Gross Enrolment Ratio Level (2021-22)

(MoE, UDISE 2021-22) Primary (I-V) 103%
Upper Primary (VI - VIII) 95%
Secondary (IX - X) 80%
Senior Secondary (XI - XII) 58%
Higher Education (AISHE, 2019-20) 27%
 GER of girls across all levels of education is now higher than boys.
Out-of-school Children  More than 3 crore.

(6-17 yrs) (NSSO)
Expenditure on  3% of GDP (Target – 6%)
Education
Higher Education  Total Enrolment: Female - 49%, Male – 51%

 Colleges in Private Sector – >75%, but it caters to only 65% of the total
enrolment.
 Foreign Student Enrolment: Highest share from neighbouring countries like
Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan & African countries like Sudan &
Nigeria
86
 The 86th Amendment to the Constitution: the 86th Amendment to the Constitution provided the Right
to Education as a fundamental right.
 The amendment inserted Article 21A, which made the RTE a fundamental right for
children aged between six and 14 years.
 The passage of the amendment was followed by the launch of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(SSA), a central government scheme implemented in partnership with the state
governments that aimed to provide “useful and relevant, elementary education’’ to all
children between six and 14 years.
 In 2006, the 93rd Constitution Amendment Act: 93rd Constitution Amendment Act inserted Clause (5) in
Article 15 which enabled the State to create special provisions, such as reservations for advancement of
any backward classes of citizens like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in all aided or unaided
educational institutes, except minority educational institutes.
 RTE Act,2009: The government subsequently brought the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which
centres around inclusive education for all, making it mandatory to include underprivileged children in
schools.
 Specifically, Section 12(1)(c) of the Act provided for 25 percent reservation of seats in unaided
schools for admission of children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
Facts:
 As per a National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) report, only 4.18% of total students
received benefits such as freeships, free uniforms and books, scholarships, etc..
 The literacy rate was 74.04% (2011 Census), with 82.14 percent of men and 65.46 percent of women.
Kerala leads with a literacy rate of 93.91%, while Bihar comes in lowest (61.8%).
 Overall, the GER for higher education has increased from 24.1 percent in 2016-17 to 27.3 percent in 2020-
21.
Challenges In education
 Financial Issues: Parents tend to see education as an expense rather than an investment. They would
rather have the children work and earn. When it comes to higher education, lack of good institutes close
by means students have to look at shifting to cities, which adds to their expenses.
 Lack of guidance: Students in smaller regions have great potential and are motivated to study but lack
right mentoring.
 Gender inequality: In some places, girls are not allowed to go to school. Or if allowed, it is only up to a
certain age.
Government Initiatives
Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are under the domain of
respective State and UT Governments. However, to ensure that every student gets continued access to
education, a multi-pronged approach has been adopted.
 The National Education Policy, 2020: is meant to provide an overarching vision and comprehensive
framework for both school and higher education across the country.
 The NEP proposes to change the school curricular structure from the current 10+2 (Class 1-10 of
general education followed by two years of higher secondary school with specialised subjects)
87
with a 5+3+3+4 structure, bringing children from ages 3 to 5 years within the formal education
system.
 For higher education, a new umbrella regulator has been proposed with separate verticals for
regulation, standard setting, accreditation and funding.
 Top foreign universities will be allowed to set up campuses in India.
 For students, the biggest change may be the introduction of four-year undergraduate degrees,
with options for entry and exit at various stages.
 The National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission will to be implemented by 2025.
 The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will introduce the curricular
framework for the new school structure, including early childhood care.
 Shishak Parv: Implementation of the National Education Policy, including a 10,000-word dictionary for
Indian Sign Language and a talking books project for visually impaired students.
 A teacher training programme for early childhood education, a standard setting authority for the
Central Board of Secondary Education and the Vidyanjali 2.0.
 New India Literacy Programme: Government approved a new scheme “New India Literacy Programme
for the period FYs 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of Adult Education to align with National Education
Policy 2020.
 critical life skills, vocational skills, basic education, and continuing education including culture,
sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or use to local learners, such as more
advanced material on critical life skills.
 NATIONAL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK FOR FOUNDATIONAL STAGE
 The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, calls for the development of the four NCFs listed below.
 Goal: Contribute to the improvement of the educational system as envisioned by NEP 2020.
 It will serve as the foundation for all pedagogy used by educational institutions, such as
kindergartens and anganwadis, for students in grades nursery through two.
 Learning Poverty: According to a World Bank official, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp increase
in India's learning poverty.
 According to World Bank simulation statistics, before the pandemic, roughly 53% of kids couldn't
read a basic sentence by the time they turned 10, but after the pandemic, that number rose to
70%.
 Because they were born in particular years and between the ages of five and 18, this generation
will suffer more than the one before it and the one after it.
 PM e-VIDYA: PM e-VIDYA has been initiated as part of
Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on 17 th May, 2020, which
unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air
education to enable multi-mode access to education. The
initiative includes:
 DIKSHA (one nation, one digital platform) is the
nation’s digital infrastructure for providing
quality e-content for school education in
states/UTs and QR coded Energized Textbooks
for all grades are available on it.
 One earmarked Swayam Prabha TV channel per
class from Class 1 to 12 (one class, one channel).
 Extensive use of Radio, Community radio and
CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani.
 Special e-content for visually and hearing
impaired developed on Digitally Accessible
Information System (DAISY) and in sign language
on NIOS website/ YouTube.
88
 Mid-Day-Meal (MDM): Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is an on-going Centrally-Sponsored Scheme which
provides nutritional supplement to all school children studying in Classes I-VIII of Government,
Government-Aided schools, Special Training Centres including Madarsas and Maqtabs.
 Samagra Shiksha: The Government of India launched Samagra Shiksha-an Integrated Scheme for school
education, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school
education, across the country including the rural areas.
Way Forward
 People in Delhi and beyond have become interested in the Delhi educational paradigm over the past five
years. It developed a plan that, in essence, consists of five key parts and is funded by over 25% of the State
Budget. The subsequent set of reforms now have a path thanks to the validation of this paradigm.
 we have witnessed learning consortiums and coalitions taking shape, with diverse stakeholders —
including governments, publishers, education professionals, technology providers, and telecom network
operators — coming together to utilise digital platforms as a solution to the education crisis.
 The allocation for the Saksham Anganwadis scheme could be key to building the capacity of anganwadi
workers, who are primarily health workers, to ensure they can provide children with a holistic learning
foundation.
 Ed -tech: The Central Government has been explicit in its digital push across sectors, and the budget
reflects that for the education sector as well. The majority of the budget announcements for education
were EdTech-related.
Conclusion
While the road ahead is likely to have several speed breakers, a concerted strategy around promoting cross
learning among different stakeholders, identifying some of the best practices and implementing them to
optimize the existing funds can allow us to navigate them. Successfully implementing these can help us build
back our schools better, support children with uninterrupted learning.
89
10. Issues Relating to Poverty and Hunger
10. Issues Relating to Poverty & Hunger

 Intergenerational Cycle of poverty/ disparities & Perpetuation of Poverty, Culture of Poverty Vs.
Poverty of Culture, From Relative to Absolute to Chronic Poverty, Quasi-universal basic income,
Nutritional paucity; Hidden hunger; Pandemic-induced nutritional insecurity Massification of
Poverty; Pauperisation of Masses; Multi-layered Intersectional Oppression, Hydra Headed Poverty
Challenge, New Poor, Bottomless pyramid
Introduction
Goal 1 and 2 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envision eradicating poverty and
ending hunger by 2030. A brief look at the statistics tells us the extent of the problem. An astounding 767
million people in the world are poor while the those who do not have enough to eat are estimated to be close
to 800 million.
 "In India, 415 million people exited poverty between 2005/06 and 2019/21, demonstrating that the
Sustainable Development Goal target 1.2 of reducing at least by half the proportion of men, women and
children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions by 2030 is
possible to achieve--and at scale.
 About 16.4% of India's population lives in poverty.
About Poverty and Hunger
90
 Poverty is a multidimensional concept, which involves reduction in choices to pursue freedom.

 According to World Bank, Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being, and comprises
many dimensions. It includes low incomes and the inability to acquire the basic goods and
services necessary for survival with dignity.
 ‘Hunger’, it refers to the undesirable sensation caused by insufficient consumption of calories on a daily
basis to lead a normal and healthy life. taking into account her/his age, sex, stature and physical activity.
 Undernutrition’ is the result of inadequate intake of food, which could be in terms of either
quantity or quality, poor utilisation of nutrients due to infections or other illnesses.
 ‘Malnutrition’ is defined as the abnormal physical condition caused by unbalanced or excessive intake of
macronutrients and/or micronutrients. Imperative to understand here is chronic undernourishment is
synonymous with hunger and undernutrition is a type of malnutrition.
o Developing countries have a major stake in reducing hunger levels.
 Overall hunger has come down by 29 per cent since 2000 in these countries.
Poverty in India
India is the fastest growing large economy in the world today. Despite this, one in every five Indians is poor.
 As many as 41.5 crore people exited poverty in India during the 15-year period between 2005-06 and
2019-21, out of which two-thirds exited in the first 10 years, and one-third in the next five years, according
to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
 Indian poverty using the new poverty line of $2.15 per day, 10 per cent of Indians were poor in 2019, down
from 22.5 per cent in 2011.
2011 (Tendulkar Committee) 2019

Total Poverty 22% 10%
Rural Poverty 26% 11.5%
Urban Poverty 14% 6%
Poverty in India
[World Bank Poverty among Other Sections
Report, 2022]  Male – 12%, Female – 13% (UN Women)
 Scheduled Castes – >30% (MPI, UNDP)
 Scheduled Tribes – 50% (MPI, UNDP)
 Other Backward Classes – 27% (MPI, UNDP)
 Muslims – >30% (MPI, UNDP)
Causes of Poverty
 Less Consumption because of economic problem
 Average real rural incomes consumption declined by 8.8 % and real urban consumption increased
by 2 % between 2011-12 and 2017-18
 Inferred nominal average consumption in 2017-18 data was Rs. 1892 per capita per month (PCPM)
in rural India and Rs. 3739 per capita per month in urban India - lowest in Indian history.
 Large Population: India's population has grown consistently throughout time. In the previous 45 years, it
has increased at a pace of 2.2% annually, which translates to an average annual population increase of 17
million people.
91
 Unemployment: The population is growing, which

has increased the number of job applicants. To match
this need for work, there is not enough expansion in
opportunities.
 Lack of Capital: The economy experiences low levels
of investment and job creation due to a lack of capital
and entrepreneurship.
 Climate Causes: The states of Bihar, UP, MP,
Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, etc. are home to
most India's poor people. Agriculture in these states
suffers significant damage because of natural
disasters such cyclones, earthquakes, regular floods,
other disasters.
 Poverty trap: Poverty trap is a spiraling mechanism
which forces people to remain poor. It is so binding in
itself that it doesn't allow the poor people to escape
it.
Impact of Poverty
 Contraction in GDP growth: A rising number of poor
can lead to demand shocks in the economy, which will further lead to the contractions in GDP growth.
 Gap between poor and rich: As per the recent Multi-dimensional Poverty Index prepared by Niti Aayog,
one in every four people in India was multi-dimensionally poor.
 Bihar has the highest such proportion (51.91%), followed by Jharkhand (42.16%) and Uttar
Pradesh (37.79%).
 The bottom 50% earned Rs 53,610, while the top 10% earned over 20 times more (Rs 11,66,520),
the report states.
Government initiatives for poverty

 Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY): The programme aimed to deliver an additional 5 kg
of free grains (rice or wheat) to each person covered by the National Food Security Act 2013 in addition
to the 5 kg of subsidised foodgrain that was already provided under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
 ‘Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India’ says that ‘extreme poverty was
maintained below 1% in 2020 due to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKY).
 Inequality in rural areas has been reduced by 'leveling down' - reducing everybody’s income but
proportionately more for the richer than the poorer sections of the population.
 Increase in efficiency of food subsidies' distribution via use of AADHAR.
 Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) : The PM-Kisan has, however, been dwarfed by the promise of the Nyuntam
Aay Yojana (NYAY), which envisages an annual transfer 12 times greater to the poorest 20% households.
 Universal basic services (UBS): Universal basic services (UBS) from public sources are needed, though not
necessarily financed through the budget.
Hunger in India
India has not been very successful in tackling the issue of hunger and that the rate of progress is very slow.
Related data
92
 Global Hunger Index 2022: India ranked 107 among 121 countries. India was accorded a score of 29.1 out
of 100 (with 0 representing no hunger), placing it behind Sri Lanka (66), Myanmar (71), Nepal (81) and
Bangladesh (84).
Causes of Hunger and Malnutrition
The hunger problem has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
 Due to pandemic: Weekly bazaars in the villages were not
functional during the lockdown, causing loss of livelihood.
 People living in villages in the forests can’t do
farming in the forest land.
 Adults: Adults are at a sustainable age — they are not
growing but rather subsisting on nutrition for healthy
survival.
 Childrens: fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy
environments.
 Children are most vulnerable to hunger and thus
having potential deficiency of vitamins and
minerals.
 Almost 35% of Indian children are stunted.
 Also, 17.3% of Indian children under five are wasted, which is the highest prevalence of child
wasting in the world.
 Population with insufficient caloric intake.
 Insufficient protein: Pulses and eggs are basic source of proteins which are inadequate and missing from
mid-day meals.
Hidden hunger:
 Hidden hunger is a form of undernutrition that occurs when intake and absorption of vitamins and minerals
(such as zinc, iodine, and iron) are too low to sustain good health and development.
 Deficiency: While clinical signs of hidden hunger, such as night blindness due to vitamin A deficiency and
goitre from inadequate iodine intake.
 Developing world: Although a larger proportion of the burden of hidden hunger is found in the developing
world, micronutrient deficiency, particularly iron and iodine deficiency, is also widespread in the
developed world.
 Places with hidden hunger: Much of Africa south of the Sahara and the South Asian subcontinent are
hotspots where the prevalence of hidden hunger is high.
Nutritional security in India

For a long time, alleviation of poverty and hunger remained the focal point of development partners and
governments alike and understandably so. After all, WHO places 10 per cent of world’s population in the
bracket that lives on less than $1.90 a day and food security is difficult to achieve amidst such rampant
poverty.
 India’s efforts at improving access to food and good nutrition are led by the National Food Security
Act.
 Distributing nutritious food as a public health measure is still not a political imperative, while ill-
conceived policies are making it difficult for many to do this.
 The NITI Aayog found that families below the poverty line consumed more cereals and less milk
compared to the affluent. Complementing rice and wheat with more nutritious food items should be
the goal.
 If job security is threatened, then so is food and nutrition security.
93
 One example of such value addition is the Rice BioPak in Myanmar, wherein the straw, bran,
and the entire biomass are utilised. This would of course mean some attention to and
investment in new technologies that can contribute to biomass utilisation.
 The Amul model provides a good example from the dairy sector of improved incomes to milk
producers through value addition.
 Horticulture: Women farmers are at the forefront of horticulture and special attention needs
to be given to both their technological and economic empowerment during this crisis.
Government initiatives to fight Hunger

 One Nation One Ration card: Drive to allow all National Food Security Act (NFSA) migrant beneficiaries
avail sufficient food grains from any fair price shop, anywhere in the country by using their existing ration
card with biometric authentication.
 Centre claims that 69 crore NFSA beneficiaries, i.e., 86% NFSA population have been brought
under the ONORC plan by December 2020.
 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana: It will concentrate on people who have recently entered the labour
force, particularly dropouts from classes X and XII and workers.
 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: The Swachh Bharat Mission’s push for toilets for all and ending open defecation
may have resulted in better sanitation outcomes.
 Fiscal stimulus: The Government announced a fiscal stimulus worth ₹2 lakh crore, or 1% of GDP.
 The majority of India’s stimulus package took the form of credit lines and refinancing schemes to
private enterprises
 Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY): To assist the agricultural industry in achieving 4% annual growth, the
Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana was launched.
Poshan Abhiyan: to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India by 2022.
 The objective of POSHAN Abhiyaan to reduce stunting in identified Districts of India with the highest
malnutrition burden by improving utilization of key Anganwadi Services and improving the quality of
Anganwadi Services delivery.
 Its aim to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and
children.
 The Poshan Tracker management application provides a 360-degree view of the activities of the
Anganwadi Centre (child care centres), service deliveries of Anganwadi Workers and complete
beneficiary management for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under six.
 More than 57,000 migrant workers have registered for the special one nation one Anganwadi programme
under which even if people relocate to another State, they can avail of the benefits given to children under
six years and pregnant women and lactating mothers by the government.
94
 Since the launch of the Poshan Abhiyan in 2018, a total of 10 crore 6 lakh beneficiaries have been
registered out of which 47.6 lakh were lactating mothers, 7.48 crore were pregnant women and rest
children. Of these 9 crores 38 lakh have been Aadhar verified.
National Food Security Act (NFSA):

 Under the NFSA, the entitlement of foodgrains
per person per month is 5 kg for priority
households’ category, while 35 kg per family
per month for Antodaya Anna Yojna (AAY)
families.
 Till December 2022, the NFSA beneficiaries
were getting their foodgrains entitlement at a
highly subsidised rate of ₹1, ₹2 and ₹3 per kg
for coarse cereals, wheat and rice,
respectively.
 The Central Government will spend more than
₹2 lakh crore in 2023 as food subsidy under the
NFSA and other welfare schemes to remove
the financial burden of the poor.
 The Centre has decided to provide 5 kg of free foodgrains per month for the 81 crore beneficiaries of the
National Food Security Act (NFSA) during 2023, rather than charging them a subsidised amount as is
currently done.
Challenges
 Not everyone covered: There could be more than 10 crore workers left outside the protective umbrella
of the Food Safety Act as the statistics were based on the 2011 census.
 The Supreme Court directed States and Union Territories to provide ration cards to about eight
crore migrant workers registered in the eShram portal but not covered under the National Food
Security Act by giving 3 months’ time.
 Expenditure: Burden of the expenditure for this distribution, which has estimated an additional amount
of ₹2 lakh crore.
 The Government has said that it will bear the expenses of food grains under the NFSA for 2023
and ensure free ration under the Act for the estimated 81.35 crore beneficiaries for that year.
 No updation of Population: Between the last Census in 2011 and today, population increase has not been
accounted for in determining the number of ration cards.
 S.C directed the Union of India to “come out with a formula and/or appropriate policy/scheme,
if any, so that the benefits under NFSA are not restricted as per the census of 2011 and more and
more needy persons/citizens get the benefit under the National Food Security Act”.
Reforms needed
 Population Updation: It is very important that every beneficiary will be covered under this Act. NITI
Aayog has also suggested that beneficiaries be updated in accordance with the most recent population
estimate, which is being made as part of the 2011 Census.
95
 Aadhar cards linkage: Aadhar card linkage should be there. By using the Aadhar card one would come
to know about the status of that person and whether he is beneficiary or not. In this way also he can
avail the benefit.
 Understanding the hardships: Understanding or addressing the hardships of people who are deprived
of the food security net that the PDS provides.
 Adding nutritional elements: Include essential nutrients, such as pulses and edible oils. Since India is
a net importer of both, bringing them under the NFSA will increase productivity through better
incentives and also help ensure nutritional security.
 Include Agriculture: The reforms should focus on strengthening the NFSA and its links with the
agricultural sector.
Various Reports on Poverty and Hunger

 The World Bank’s Poverty and Shared Prosperity series provides the latest estimates and trends in global
poverty and shared prosperity.
 The report analyses how fiscal policy was used in the first year of the pandemic to support the most
vulnerable groups.
 The number of people living in extreme poverty increased by more than 70 million in 2020 alone, the
biggest one-year increase since global poverty monitoring started in 1990.
 The poorest 40% of the income distribution saw income losses on average of 4%, which was twice as
much as the richest 20%.
 Global inequalities have increases.
 It also sheds light on the impact of taxes, transfers, and subsidies on poverty and inequality in 94
countries before 2020.
 With respect to India: India's support to the poor and needy during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is
remarkable, and other nations should adopt the Indian move of targeted cash transfer instead of
broad subsidies.
 Helped by digital cash transfers, India managed to provide food or cash support to a
remarkable 85 per cent of rural households and 69 per cent of urban households.
 Global Food Policy Report 2023: The 2023 Global Food Policy Report, released by the International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in April 2023, calls for rethinking food crisis responses.
 In the years between 2020 and 2022, food insecurity increased globally as a result of a number of
crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, natural disasters, civil unrest, and political
instability, according to the research.
 India: India’s food production could drop 16% and the number of those at risk for hunger could
increase 23% by 2030 due to climate change, says a report.
 The number of Indians at risk from hunger in 2030 is expected to be 73.9 million in 2030
and, if the effects of climate change were to be factored in, it would increase to 90.6
million.
 Baseline projections indicate that global food production will grow by about 60% over 2010 levels
by 2050 in the context of climate change.
 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022: prepared by UNDP and Oxford Poverty and Human
Development Institute,
 the number of poor people dropped by about 415 million in India over the past 15 years and the
Multidimensional Poverty Index value and incidence of poverty has more than halved.
 In India, 415 million people exited poverty between 2005/06 and 2019/21, demonstrating that
the Sustainable Development Goal target 1.2 of reducing at least by half the proportion of men,
women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national
definitions by 2030 is possible to achieve.
 The Global Hunger Index (GHI):
96
 The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at
global, regional, and national levels.
 India: With a score of 29.1, the level of hunger in India has been labelled “serious”.
 India ranked 107 out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2022 with its child
wasting rate at 19.3 per cent, being the highest in the world.
Way Forward
 The Integrated Child Development Services programme aims to provide food, primary healthcare and
immunisation services to young children and mothers.
 The focus needs to be on healthy mothers.
 The Swachh Bharat Mission’s push for toilets for all and ending open defecation may have resulted in
better sanitation outcomes which could reflect in better maternal and child health.
 Access to healthy food: Three out of four rural Indians cannot afford the cheapest possible diet that
meets the requirements set by the government’s premier nutrition body. The healthy food should be
accessible easily to poor households.
 Public Distribution System: The substantial measure has been the provision of additional free
foodgrains through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Conclusion
We believe that eradicating hunger is possible. Food systems and agriculture can be a source of wealth and
well-being for all, especially the poorest. Eradicating hunger requires that we build on successful local and
international experiences. The starting point is breaking the cycle of poverty, hunger and low productivity in
agriculture. The road ahead demands prudent investment in social protection to ensure the poor can access
sufficient, nutritious food to facilitate the eradication of hunger even before 2030. At the same time,
investment in agriculture and rural development is critical to ensure the eradication of hunger is sustainable.
97
CSE’22 Toppers
Under the Guidance of
MK YADAV Sir
3 STUDENTS IN TOP 10
2
AIR
3
AIR
4
AIR
GARIMA LOHIA UMA HARATHI N SMRITI MISHRA
30+ in TOP 100

22 26 27 30 31 49 52
AIR AIR AIR AIR AIR AIR AIR
GANGAVARAPU VENKATA YADAV SURYABHAN

SAI PAVANDATTA GUNJITA AGRAWAL ACHCHHELAL PREKSHA AGRAWAL PRIYANSHA GARG SANSKRITI SOMANI PRATIKSHA SINGH
54 53 55 61 64 70
AIR
AIR AIR AIR AIR AIR
MANY
RICHA KULKARNI MUDRA GAIROLA H S BHAVANA TANMAI KHANNA ANIRUDHA PANDEY AADITYA SHARMA
& MORE...
200+ Total Selections

9560082909
theIAShub Knowledge Centres theIAShub Regional Centres: /mkyadav
New Delhi: 2nd Floor, Plot no. 22B,
CHANDIGARH BHOPAL
Above Domino’s,Bazar Marg, [email protected]
Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi-60 INDORE BENGALURU www.theiashub.com

MK Yadav Sir'S: Mains Booster Series

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MK Yadav Sir'S: Mains Booster Series

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

MK Yadav Sir'S: Mains Booster Series

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MK YADAV Sir's

MAINS BOOSTER SERIES

Current + Static Integrated Series

Aaj ka Quality Enrichment

Join Our Telegram Channel

Download Our Free Resources

Check out Our Courses

CURRENT & STATIC INTEGRATED

RECENT EXAMPLES, FACTS, & RELEVANT QUOTES

READY USE DIAGRAMS & MIND MAPS

1. Policy and policy formulation

1. Policy and policy formulation

Nature and Scope of Public Policy

Public Policy in India

Evolution of Public Policy in India

Major Types of Public Policy

Stages in the Policy Process

Significance of Public Policy

Issues with the policies in India

Measures needed to be taken

For Better policy formulation

For better Implementation:

2. Development Processes & the Development Industry

2. Development Processes & the Development Industry

Institutions Definition of development

Challenges associated with development

Role of Social Capital Organizations

Classification of social capital organizations in India

Civil society and Development process

National Policy on the “Voluntary Sector” 2007

○ For example, NGOs, SHGs, Societies, charitable institutions etc.,

Societies Charitable institutions

Self Help Groups

Challenges can be classified into three categories, such as-

Other challenges are, as -

Evolution of NGOs in India & Recommendation of Committee

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020

Issues with the FCRA 2020

The Supreme Court’s observation

Highlights of the Judgement

Interconnected Relations of NGOs with Citizens and States

Challenges for NGOs

Issues emanating from NGOs

Recommendation to improve the working of NGOs

Co-operative Movement in Post-Independence Era

The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022

 Provision of the Bill –

Election of the Elections to the board are Co-operative Election Authority to be

operative Reconstruction, and Development Fund for the

Issues and Challenges

3. Governance and Good-Governance

3. Governance and Good-Governance

Government and Governance

Origin of concept of Governance:

Role of governance in development:

Concept of Good Governance:

The Need for Good Governance

Components of Good Governance:

Issues with India in achieving Good Governance: