NEXUSDemocracy and Development

April 2016 www.swaniti.in

A Monthly Compendium

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Disclaimer: The content of this compendium is for information purposes only. No legal liability or other responsibility is accepted by or on behalf of Swaniti Initiative for any errors, omissions, or statements in the compendium. Swaniti Initiative accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of reliance on such information.

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Dear Readers,

NEXUS is a monthly compilation of briefs, research insights, visualizations, and papers released by Swaniti. Our

mission is to provide information insights on developmental issues that will be catalytic in initiating ground level

change. Swaniti’s research insights are developed through a two-pronged approach: either elected officials request us

for research support on key policy pieces or Swaniti sees contextual value in developing certain research insights. We

currently work with Parliamentarians, policy makers and government enthusiasts on providing research insights on

cross-cutting issues. While we make all of our content available online, our intent through this publication is to create

a one-stop location for all Swaniti information.

Since our primary objective is to support the vision and work in development being done by elected representatives,

we also present the experience of our Associates working on different projects pertaining to health, education, gender

and livelihood across the country with the intention of highlighting the challenges and the action initiated on the

ground.

Moreover, aligned with our belief that data-driven policy discourse will ensure that decision making is more evidence

based, we have partnered with Indian Express for a web-based series titled 'Data and Democracy'. Through this

platform, we present our analysis on critical and contextual issues to the public and we have also included these

visualizations in NEXUS. The key policy level actions taken by the Government on a weekly basis are also a part of this

compendium under the Weekly Policy Updates section.

It is our sincere effort to disseminate our work through this compendium and we seek your inputs and feedback to

further innovate and improve as we move forward.

In case you would like to know more about our monthly compendiums, please feel free to contact the below signed:

Chanda Jain

Analyst, Swaniti Initiative

Email: chanda.j@swaniti.in

About Swaniti: Swaniti is a non-profit, non-partisan group which works with elected representatives and senior

policy makers to deliver development solutions across the country. The vision of the organization is to create a

vibrant, better and inclusive India. In line with this, Swaniti provides knowledge support and human resource support

to elected representatives in order to catalyze development at the grassroots.

About NEXUS

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Dear Readers:

It is with great excitement that I am sharing with you our monthly Swaniti Compendium for the month of April! Every

month we release a series of briefs, information insights, data analysis and research reports on our website in pursuit

of informed policymaking. These releases are a combination of contextual insights and requests from

Parliamentarians that we feel will contribute to the policy discourse. They range from policy analysis on

Occupational Safety and Health to insights on Infant Mortality Rate in India. The content produced reflects our

mission to deliver development solutions by providing knowledge on key issues. To disseminate our knowledge

insights we are going a step further.

In the form of a monthly compendium, the Swaniti team hopes to take our information from online to print in a

structured manner. We figured rather than you needing to visit our website oh-so-frequently, why not bring to you

the information in a print version. The goal is that at the beginning of every month we will be releasing the “monthly

compendium” that will bring to you the information we released that month in a concise and reader-friendly manner.

This compendium will be available to you online and in print.

We hope that you will gain insights from our compendium. Excited about the new chapter.

Best,

Rwitwika Bhattacharya

From the Desk of the CEO

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Parliamentarians Speak

"Swaniti gives parliamentarians like me a great opportunity to harness the talent of professionals

in the governance of our respective constituencies, and I can tell you from my personal experience

that I have started to benefit hugely from this initiative.”

- Dinesh Trivedi, Lok Sabha MP (Barrakpore)

“By way of saying a big Thank You, I am specifically mentioning Swaniti in my intervention

suggesting that the Finance Minister consult with you and other similar social sector think tanks

in preparing the budget for next year.”

- Mani Shankar Aiyar, Rajya Sabha MP

“The two Swaniti fellows I had earlier worked with had professional degrees in engineering and

management and the current fellow is a professional, she has worked in important organizations

internationally. So, this is a good sign, these are professionals, qualified and they are bringing

specific skills where we have a need for them in the constituency and improving systems of

governance.”

- Jay Panda, Lok Sabha MP (Kendrapara)

“The Swaniti Fellows that worked with me were well qualified individuals with a sense of social

responsibility. They analyzed government data, understood local challenges and provided

solutions specific to my constituency. I strongly encourage young individuals to understand our

system of governance and engage with policy makers through fellowships as well as internships.

It’s good to have a new perspective to things and work together to bring about change!”

- Anurag Thakur, Lok Sabha MP (Hamirpur)

“Swaniti has added real value to my constituency work and policy approaches. They have a team

of passionate and committed Fellows who have worked closely and tirelessly with my office and

me to provide high quality deliverables. I am very happy and satisfied with their amazing work.”

- PD Rai, Lok Sabha MP (Sikkim)

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Table of Contents

About NEXUS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2

From the Desk of the CEO .................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Parliamentarians Speak ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 4

Tamra Patra ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Occupational Safety and Health ................................................................................................................................................................. 8

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana ......................................................................................................................................................... 13

Powering Development .................................................................................................................................................................................. 19

Skill Development ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 26

Data and Democracy ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 34

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) .......................................................................................................................................................................... 36

Research Support and Engagement with Elected Officials .................................................................................................................. 38

Kahatul, The Dream ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 40

Swaniti in the Media ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 42

Rana lauds Bharti Foundation and Swaniti Initiative for adopting 15 schools of Nagrota constituency .................... 44

Weekly Policy Updates ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 45

April 2nd – April 8th (Week 1) ....................................................................................................................................................................... 47

April 9th – April 15th (Week 2) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48

April 16th – April 22nd (Week 3) .................................................................................................................................................................. 49

April 23rd – April 30th (Week 4) .................................................................................................................................................................. 50

Upcoming... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52

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Tamra Patra

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Tamra Patra is Swaniti's knowledge repository through which we summarize briefs on government schemes and

programmes. We research implementation strategies and best practices that can be emulated across constituencies.

We also analyze programme approaches that can be beneficial for policy makers and development specialists. This

information is consolidated and disseminated in the form of brief to all the MPs, and is also uploaded on our website.

For the April issue of NEXUS, we worked on the following briefs:

Occupational Safety and Health: The policy brief provides insights on measures undertaken by the government to

ensure safety and health of workers at the workplace. It discusses the absence of a comprehensive regulatory

framework which covers all sectors and draws international comparisons. In this context, the brief makes

recommendations to help a secure a safe environment at work.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana: Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

(PMGSY) on 25th December 2000 as a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Rural

Development to provide all weather road connectivity in rural areas of the country. The brief discusses the provisions

under this scheme and the renewed focus on upgradation and consolidation of rural roads to achieve universal road

connectivity.

Powering Development: With electricity playing a crucial role in sustaining the high growth rates of the Indian

economy, the Power sector continues to be a priority area. The brief presents a unique set of issues and possibilities

which need to be addressed to achieve the vision of “Quality Power for All” and gives an overview of the sector and

associated issues.

Skill Development: Increasing the employability of the working age population is one of the crucial avenues through

which both economic and human development can take place. In India, 65% of the total population lies in the

working age group of 15-64 years. For the purpose of this brief, two of the longest running skill development schemes

i.e. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana, Employment through Skills Training & Placement Programme

have been analyzed along with the flagship scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, of the newly formed

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The contribution of the private sector in skill development has

also been looked into, by examining the activities and performance of the National Skill Development Corporation.

.

About Tamra Patra

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Occupational Safety and Health Road to a safer environment at work

Health and safety are two of the most important aspects affecting the overall efficiency of working population. A

robust system for health and safety in the workplace ensures greater productivity and better quality of work life. A

safe, clean environment with healthy working conditions aids economic growth and social justice and is recognized

as a fundamental human right by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations1.

To this effect, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the National Policy of Safety, Health and

Environment at Workplace in February 2009. India has also ratified 5 International Labour Organization (ILO)

conventions on occupational safety and health (OSH)2. However, India lacks a comprehensive legislative and

regulatory framework encompassing all sectors and industries to maintain safety and health standards at the work

place.

Why is OSH important?

The Directive Principles of State Policy vide Articles 39 (e) and 42 of the Constitution enumerate provision of

humane and safe occupational conditions for workers to inform state actions. The Government has enacted

multiple statutes pertaining to Occupational Safety and Health at the workplace, viz. The Mines Act (1952), The

Factories Act (1948), The Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act (1986), Building and Other Construction

Workers Act (1996) among others.

However, there is an absence of a comprehensive and overarching regulatory framework spanning across all

sectors to ensure safety and health of the workers, as the existing statutes only cover mining, factories under

the Factories Act, ports and construction.

Particular attention needs to be paid to the unorganized sector, which employs 84.2% of the total labour

force3 in India. The sector has inadequate provisions for safety nets and does not come under the ambit of any

existing legislations. Moreover, the implementation of the existing OSH mechanisms remains patchy due to

multiple statutory controls, apathy of stakeholders and shortage of trained OSH professionals. Further, changing

job patterns, increased mobility of workforce and migration have increased the pool of vulnerable groups of

employees. Increased use of chemicals, physical exposure to various biological and chemical agents, stress at work

in modern day jobs etc. pose serious safety, health and environmental risks. An industrial worker can be exposed

to five types of hazards across different occupations; namely, physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological and

mechanical hazards and psychological hazards. Under such conditions, it is essential to channel attention towards

the safety and welfare of employees, enhancing overall productivity and health of the working population.

1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights on www.un.org 2 C045 – Underground Work (Women) Convention, 1935 (No. 45), C115 – Radiation Protection Convention, 1960 (No. 115), C127 – Maximum Weight Convention, 1971 (No. 136), C136 – Benzene Convention, 1971 (No. 136) and C174 – Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention, 1993 (No. 174) have been ratified by India under OSH 3 Report on ‘Organized and Unorganized Employment in the Non-Agriculture Sectors in the 2000s’ by Institute of Applied Manpower Research (AIMR)

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Overview of the Existing Situation

Laws and Legislations

Occupational Safety and Health has been allotted to the Ministry of Labour and Employment under the

Government of India Allocation of Business Rules. The Ministry receives technical support on OSH matters from

the Directorate General of Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) for factories and ports

while Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) for mines.

DGFASLI is an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and provides technical assistance to the

Ministry in national policy formulation on OSH in factories and ports. It is responsible for coordination and

implementation of actions under the Factories Act (1948) and also oversees administration of Dock Workers

(Safety, Health and Welfare) Act (1986). Additionally, DGFASLI carries out research and consultations relating to

OSH and provides trainings to enforcement authorities under the Factories Act. DGMS, on the other hand, is a

subordinate office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. It is responsible for reducing occupational risks in

the mining industry. DGMS drafts legislations, holds promotional events, conducts inspections of mines and

investigations of fatal accidents, grants statutory permissions for mining operations etc. The Factories Act

empowers state governments to appoint inspectors, Chief inspectors etc. Every district magistrate is an inspector

of that district. However, no suo moto inspections are conducted under the Act. They are only carried out on the

basis of referrals and complaints.

International Labour Organization (ILO) has framed 13 conventions on OSH, out of which, India has so far

ratified five. The National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at Workplace was notified in 2009 with the

objective of reducing work related injuries; improving data collection to facilitate monitoring, enhancing

community awareness on OSH and creating ‘green jobs’ contributing to sustainable enterprise development. The

Bureau of Indian Standards also constituted a committee to formulate the National Standard on Occupational

Health and Safety Management System (BIS 15001-2000). The standard encourages organizations to develop a

practical approach to management of safety and health by providing requirements and guidelines for use. The OSH

The jute industry is a major contributor to the economy of West Bengal. Jute mill workers, however, suffer

from acute forms of respiratory ailments like Byssinosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

as a result of continuous exposure to jute dust. The Swaniti team adopted a 4-pronged approach to curb the

incidences of these diseases in Barrackpore. Health awareness camps were organized to spread awareness

of potential risks among workers in order to improve implementation of safety provisions. Existing health

insurance models were analyzed and the possibility of incentivizing preventive care was explored. Jute

workers and other associated bodies were mobilized to create awareness about OSH. Reliance on Self Help

Groups was encouraged to produce safety equipments such as masks. Swaniti successfully organized health

camps in 5 jute mills, covering approximately 1750 mill workers with support from the National Jute Board.

Case Study: OSH for Jute Mill Workers in Barrackpore, West Bengal

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Factories Act, 1948

•Regulates, health, safety, welfare and other working conditions of employees in factories

•Enforced by the State Government through factory inspectors

Mines Act, 1952

•Regulates health, safety, welfare and other working conditions of employees in coal, metal and oil mines

•Prescribes responsibilities of the owneer to manage mining operations, health and safety. Also lists number of working hours, minimum wage rates etc.

Dock Workers (Safety and Health Welfare) Act, 1986

•Regulates health, safety, welfare and other working conditions of employees in ports and docks

•Emphasis on reducing accident rates on ports and docks

4769

9331610

4969

0

2000

4000

6000

U.S.A India

Occupational Deaths in USA and India

Workplace Fatalities Reported

Total Labour Force (Lakhs)

management systems may also be integrated with the management of other aspects of business performance to

minimize risks to employees, improve productivity and establish a responsible image at the marketplace. The

adoption of the standard is voluntary and is applicable to any organization that wishes to implement it.

Despite the aforementioned steps by the Government, comprehensive safety and health statutes are limited only to

the mining, factories, docks and construction sector. There is a strong need for an umbrella legislation covering

safety and health in all sectors of the economy.

OSH Statistics

In India only 15.8% of the work force is employed in the organized sector. Out of the factories registered

under The Factories Act, over 23,000 factories4 have been classified as hazardous, employing more than 19.7

lakh people till 2014. DGFASLI, through correspondence with the Factory Inspectors registered a total of 6,632

injuries5 in factories in 2014, of which 5,699 were non-fatal and 933 were fatal injuries. According to Labour

Bureau records, highest number of reported injuries stated the cause as ‘persons falling’, indicating the deficiency

of a safe occupational environment in these factories.

The aforementioned numbers recorded across India

hint towards severe under-reporting of data relating to

occupational safety and health, for example – India

reported 933 work place fatalities, while United

States of America, which has only 32.5% of India’s

total labour force, reported 4,679 occupational

deaths in 20146. Moreover, this data only depicts the

situation prevailing in registered factories,

automatically ignoring the large labour force employed

in the unorganized sector.

4LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 3674, answered on 21 December 2015 5LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 3674, answered on 21 December 2015 6‘Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries 2014’ by Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States of America

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International Comparison

A large proportion of accidents that occur at a workplace can be avoided. Most of the countries in the world such

as United States of America, South Africa, Australia etc. have enacted legislation on OSH with a general applicability

to all sectors.

The Unites States of America passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970, in order to avoid

occupational harm to its workers. The Act mandates employers to provide a safe workplace to its employees.

Under this law, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created to set and enforce

occupational safety standards. It also supports employers and employees with training, information and other

assistance.

OSHA falls under the United States Department of Labour and is administered by the Assistant Secretary of

Labour for Occupational Health and Safety. It covers most of the private sector employers across USA in

addition to a few public sector employers in states under federal authority. The OSH act however, does not cover

self employed workers and hazards covered by other federal agencies such as Mines Safety, Coast Guard etc. OSHA

lays out its standards as a set of rules that employers need to legally abide by to protect their employees from

hazards. Trained compliance officers conduct frequent inspections and provide compliance assistance, free

consultations etc. to employers.

Way Forward for India

Currently, India’s occupational safety needs can be classified under four broad heads, namely, legislation,

awareness, responsible public procurement and infrastructure development. The following possible

solutions can be leveraged in order to ensure a safe and healthy environment at the workplace:

a) Legislation

India has a National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at Work Places, which provides general guidelines

for stakeholders to ensure safety at work. However, India needs a holistic OSH legislation, in line with the national

policy, which is applicable to all the sectors, including adequate mechanisms to cover the unorganized sector. The

existing enforcement strategy and punitive provisions need to be strengthened and mechanisms to increase

credibility, competence and acceptability for enforcement authorities need to be created through consultation with

all stakeholders including employers.

The Factories Act provides reporting mechanisms, under which factory managers are required to send detailed

reports on accidents, occupational diseases, injuries and fatalities. State Governments possess the power to

appoint inquiry officers to conduct post incident audits. However, these provisions need to be extended to all work

related injuries/fatalities irrespective of the sector. Further, self-certification by employers should be encouraged

for checks on safety and health needs at the work place with appropriate consequences for not adhering to

requirements.

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b) Awareness

The workforce is generally unaware of rights and potential risks, making implementation of control measures and

enforcement sporadic. It is essential to increase awareness about healthy and safe working practices. A

mandatory occupational safety component needs to be included in all skill development and vocational education

programmes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) to create a demand for safe working places in

employment market place.

c) Responsible Public Procurement

Public procurements enjoy the biggest market share in India. The procurement supply chain for government

contracts should formulate responsible safety guidelines that mandate safety measures at all levels. It should be

defined as a responsible source in policy by including the entire public procurement chain, covering sub-

contractors and vendors. This change should be introduced based on self-certification by participants of the supply

chain. It should be subject to discretionary inspections and audits with provisions for cancellation of contracts if

declared standards are not implemented. A robust OSH framework must be ensured for and followed by all public

sector enterprises.

d) Data Collection and Capacity Building

Lack of relevant and real-time data on occupational safety related incidents often leads to misapplication of

resources. There is an immediate need to strengthen data collection mechanisms to encourage research and data-

informed policy decisions. Further, medical and environmental monitoring needs to be encouraged to detect

occupational morbidity at an early stage and to evaluate the success of existing structures. In order to ensure

proper compliance of law, India needs to develop supporting infrastructure and trained manpower. Appropriate

trainings need to be conducted for factory inspectors, medical supervisors, occupational health professionals etc.

Conclusion

India’s focus on occupational safety and health has largely been confined to four sectors, not covering a major

share of its working population. Under such a situation, there is an urgent need for the country to adopt a wide-

ranging framework to ensure safety at the workplace. A comprehensive legislation, enforcement of compliance

through market linked incentives and disincentives and greater demand in employment marketplace will bring the

country one step closer to a safer environment at work.

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Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Rural Road Connectivity in India

The 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) identifies rural connectivity as one of the key priorities to achieve rural poverty

alleviation and development. With over 68.8% of the Indian population living in rural areas, rural roads demand

attention, not just to achieve intended targets of new road construction but also towards a more sustained

connectivity of these roads. In this regard, structuring, prioritizing and consolidating the overall road connectivity,

under the PMGSY scheme is an important step towards efficient rural road connectivity.

Context

Rural roads are integral to linking rural communities/habitations to health services, education, employment and

markets, leading to better livelihood and improving economic conditions. Lack of basic all weather road

connectivity has deprived the rural population of job opportunities, market centres and basic living conditions,

thus undermining the overall rural development agenda. Despite significant investments by the government in

rural roads over the last decade and half, rural road connectivity remains inadequate.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

With this effort towards poverty alleviation through agricultural growth and socio-economic improvement in rural

areas, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) on 25th December 2000

as a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), to provide all

weather road connectivity in rural areas of the country. The programme aims to connect all ‘eligible’

unconnected habitations which have:

A population of 500 people and above in plain areas

A population of 250 people and above in special category states, Schedule V Tribal Areas , Desert areas(as

identified under Desert Development Programme) and in selected Tribal and Backward Districts (as

identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs)

A population 100 and above in IAP blocks (as identified by the Ministry of Home affairs)

PMGSY provides ‘new connectivity’ which refers to provision of connectivity to unconnected habitations, either

by 'new construction’ (cases in which any link to habitation is missing) or by ‘up-gradation’, where an

intermediate link, even though present, cannot be used as an all weather road. The total road length completed

under the PMGSY (until Feb 2016) is 4,59,145 kms and the total habitations benefitted are 2,03,363. The

programme now aims connect the remaining 65,000 eligible habitations through 2.23 lakh kms of road by 2019.

The budgetary component of PMGSY is funded by Government of India through Central Road Fund (CRF) while

the EAP component receives funding support from multilateral agencies like Asian Development Bank and World

Bank for some states. As per the standing committee report (2015-16), allocation of funds towards this scheme

was reduced to less than 50% of the budgetary allocations, at the revised estimates stage particularly in 2012-

13 and 2013-14.

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This led to huge reduction in state allocations under PMGSY resulting in large pending construction/up gradation

of rural roads under the scheme. However, there has been a very significant increase, more 200% in the current

budget allocation (FY 2016-17) towards the PMGSY scheme. A total of Rs 13, 995 crore (excluding EAP funding)

has been allocated to this scheme as against Rs 3,058 crore in revised estimates for FY 2015-16.

Despite the scheme being operational since 2000, and progressively amended from time to time, there are several

factors that remain a challenge for maximizing output and efficiency of the scheme:

Inefficiency in planning and preparations of DPRs.

Poor quality of road construction and maintenance

Inconsistent Maintenance

Prioritizing the Connectivity for Effective Planning and Execution

The concept of ‘Core Network’ has been put to operation, defined as the minimal network of routes (roads) that

are essential to provide basic access to the socio-economic needs and services to the eligible unconnected

habitations of rural India. The core networks are instrumental in prioritizing the construction and allocation of

funds for maintenance, and are decided based on:

Population of the Habitations

Suggestions of the MPs and MLAs,

Incidental connections the network may potentially provide to other habitations.

The core network comprises of ‘Through Routes’ and ‘Link Routes’. Link Routes are the roads connecting a single

or a group of habitations to the Through routes or District roads leading to market centres. Through Routes are

primary traffic collectors, which collect traffic from various link roads or series of habitations connecting to the

market centers directly or indirectly via district roads or state or national highways.

District Rural Roads Plan (DRP) and Core Network is central to the planning exercises under PMGSY. The DRP

indicates the overall existing road network system of the district indicating the potential roads that are to be

developed or provided for, connecting the unconnected habitations based on economics and efficiency.

3000026000

36000 36000

22000

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 (till April)

Roads constructed under PMGSY (in kms)

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The core network further identifies the potential roads that ensure all weather road connectivity for each eligible

habitation. Thus, the core network consists of some existing roads along with some new roads proposed for

construction. The only exception in the mentioned criteria of prioritization for new connectivity,

irrespective of the population size, is for those routes of the 'core network’, which comprises of Village

Panchayat Headquarters or market centres or other educational/medical services or are of touristic

relevance as notified by the state. Furthermore, a GIS- based application is proposed which will further track the

benefits of the Core Network.

Towards a more transparent and efficient execution

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The execution of the programme happens at three levels, District level, State level and Central level with nodal

department set at each level with distinct roles.

Once the core network is identified, estimate of the road length for new construction/ up gradation is determined

for each district by the Project Implementation Units (PIUs), typically the District Road Development Authority

(DRDA). The DPRs are prepared by the PIUs in accordance to the rural road manual in consultation with the gram

panchayat and local community members by the help of informal ‘transect walks’. These walks involve

determination of most suitable road alignments, addressing issues of land availability and social impact. State's

allocation among districts is 80% based on road length required for connecting unconnected eligible

habitations while 20% based on the road length that require up gradation.

Towards A More Sustained Road Network

The Government of India launched PMGSY-II, which envisages consolidation of the existing rural road (through

routes and major rural links) network to improve the overall efficiency in terms of transportation services for

people, goods and services. In addition, it also covers upgradation of existing selected rural roads, based on

economic potential and their role in facilitating the growth of rural market center and rural hubs. As of 2015,

upgradation of 11,234 kms roads has been sanctioned as against a target of 50,000 km for 12th five-year plan. (Lok

Sabha Question 2866, 06.08.2015).

All PMGSY roads, which include main rural link roads/through routes, will now be covered by a 5-year

maintenance contract along with construction contract with the same contractor, in accordance to the

standard bidding contract. Budgeted by the state government, these contracts are under the SRRDA in a separate

maintenance account. However, on expiry of 5-year post-construction maintenance of those roads will be under 5

year zonal maintenance contracts, funded by the SRRDA.

Indian Roads Congress (IRC) publication, IRC: SP: 20-2002, is now used as the revised Rural Roads Manual, which

provides guidance on various aspects of rural road development, with the specific requirements of PMGSY

including low cost techniques and new technologies such as waste plastic, fly-ash modified bitumen, jute, along

with revised specifications.

A three-tier quality assurance mechanism under PMGSY lays out a more comprehensive and periodic inspection

of the different stages of construction.

To make the process of maintenance and more efficient is to increase transparency. The Online management,

monitoring and accounting system (OMMAS) and Citizen information display boards are two significant

initiatives within PMGSY launched in December 2014, which facilitate the general public to give feedback and post

complaints in regard to any rural road. All registered complaints are then tracked based on this online module.

District Level : Planning, coordination and

implementation

State Level:Implementation through performance reviews and

mandate outline

National Level: Provide operational and

management support

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Furthermore, to make the process of monitoring and planning more inclusive, local community members are

involved in the transect walk to fix the alignment of PMGSY roads which would take into account the gender

considerations. Such walks are organized by the Assistant engineer at the time of preparation of DPRs involving

the Panchayat Pradhan, local patwari, the junior engineer, Panchayati Raj Institution members and representatives

of women self help groups(SHGs)(Lok Sabha question 6180, 30.04.2015).

Extending the Network

The 2014 amendments in the PMGSY, involved the

collaborations of the Ministry of Rural Development

(MoRD) with the ILO and the World Bank towards

‘performance based maintenance contract’ and ‘community

contracting’ for maintenance. These pilot projects were

carried out in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand.

As of December 2010, the quality report of World Bank

indicated percentage of works rated satisfactory very

inconsistent, ranging from 63% to 99%. However, the

satisfaction rate as on November 2015 is 95% as rated by

NQM (National Quality Monitors).

The funds allocated through international organizations

such as World Bank and ADB towards PMGSY for selected

projects this year is an estimate of Rs 5000 crore as against

Rs 50 crore for the past two financial years

Based on changes notified in Jan 2015 in PMGSY (vide Circular No.P-17025/37/2013-RC), the priority of road

selection for both new connectivity and up gradation projects will be as per those eligible habitations in the gram

panchayats/villages identified by MPs under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). Furthermore, development

of growth centers and rural hubs under this scheme will impact and benefit the efficiency of other schemes such as

Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

Prominent Frameworks by World Bank under PMGSY

The World Bank has proposed the following frameworks for a holistic assessment and

management of environmental and social issues in planning and implementation of the scheme:

Environmental and Social Management framework (ESMF)

Social Management (Resettlement and participation) framework

Environmental codes of Practice (ECoP)

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The efforts under the PMGSY scheme can be augmented by leveraging other complementary schemes like

MNREGA, which provides for taking up rural connectivity to increase the access to livelihood. The habitations

excluded due to the prioritization parameters under PMGSY, such as large habitation size or proximity to the

market centre can be taken up under MNREGA while complying with PMGSY standards. .

Conclusion

The Government’s renewed focus on rural roads through the PMGSY is not only confined to construction of roads

but also for upgradation and consolidation of rural roads. It is based on the belief that any significant improvement

in the rural connectivity will reduce the rural poverty to a large extent. However, for achieving universal rural road

connectivity, the PMGSY framework needs to be consolidatd and expanded by converging it with other rural

development schemes.

19

Powering Development An Overview of the Power Sector in India

With electricity playing a crucial role in sustaining the high growth rates of the Indian economy, the sector

continues to be a priority area. Electricity can also play a major role in boosting the growth in the agriculture

sector by enabling more efficient irrigation and refrigerated supply chains. Electricity is also a comparatively

cleaner and healthier source of lighting in the households. Over the last few decades, India has taken major strides

in developing and reforming its power sector. However, meeting the energy needs of the large aspirational

population spread over a large geography and a growing industrial sector requires renewed focus on augmenting

the existing capacities. Furthermore, greater participation of private sector combined with a robust regulatory

mechanism to ensure an equitable access to uninterrupted quality power supply is necessary. The peculiar energy

landscape of India also presents a unique set of issues and possibilities which need to be addressed to achieve the

vision of “Quality Power for All”. This brief provides an overview of the sector and associated issues.

Scenario of Power Generation

The electrical energy requirement for India in 2015-16 was nearly 1114.6 Billion Units (BU) and is projected

to increase to around 1660.7 BU by 2020. The peak electric requirement in 2015-16 was about 153 Giga Watt

(GW) and is projected to grow to about 246 GW by 2020. As against the energy requirement in 2015-16, only

1090.7 BU was available leading to a deficit of 2.1%. Similarly, only 148 GW peak power was available resulting in

a deficit of 3.2%. This was in spite of the overall generation in the country increased from 1048.673 BU during

2014-15 to 1107.386 BU during the year 2015-16.7 In 2014-15, the electricity generation was 1048.4 BU,

registering a year-on-year growth of 8.4 per cent8, exceeding the target of 1023 BU.

7 Portal of Ministry of Power, accessed at http://powermin.nic.in/Overview-0 8 Economic Survey 2015-16, Volume II, p- 136.

1114.6

1090.7

1075108010851090109511001105111011151120

Energy Requirement (BU)

Energy Consumption in 2015-16

Required Met

153

148

145146147148149150151152153154

Peak Demand (GW)

Peak Demand in 2015-16

Required Met

20

As of March 2016, India had an installed capacity of 298 GW. Of this, the private sector contributed 120 GW

(40% of total installed capacity) while the public utilities contributed about 178 GW (59.7% of the total

installed capacity). However, the generation facilities have been operating at low load factors due to inadequate

supply of coal, obsolete equipment and inefficient operations. The generation plants logged a Plant Load Factor of

62.28% as against a target of 64.35% in 2015-16. Among the generation facilities, the State sector generation

facilities were operating at a load factor of 55.4% as against the Central sector facilities which were operating at

72.48%.

The electricity generation in India is widely diversified with a mix of conventional sources like coal and gas based

thermal, hydro and nuclear plants and renewable sources like solar, wind and tidal. Thermal power sources still

contribute to 16% and nuclear contribute to 2% of the total electricity generation capacity. Renewable energy

sources contributed to about 13% of the total electricity generation capacity accounting for 31.7 GW. Similarly, the

western region contributed to almost 36% of the installed capacity with north and south contributing 26% and

24% respectively.

55%

72%

60%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

State Sector Central Sector Private Sector

Sector Wise Power Load Factors in Percentage

34%

26%

40%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

State Sector Central Sector Private Sector

Sector Wise Contribution to Power Generation in Percentage

16%

69%

2%

13%

Electricity Generation by Source

Hydro Thermal Nuclear Renewable

26%

36%

24%

13%1%

Electricity Generation by Region

North West South East North East

21

Some states still continue to suffer from deficit in the actual electricity available as against the required energy.

Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are among the large states with high electricity supply/demand deficit.

6 States with Highest Electricity Deficit

State Deficit (%)

Jammu and Kashmir 15.3

Uttar Pradesh 12.7

Meghalaya 6.4

Arunachal Pradesh 6.0

Assam 5.8

Karnataka 5.3

The Government has planned for generation capacity addition to meet the growing demand of electricity. The 12th

Five Year Plan targeted for a capacity addition of 88,537 Mega Watt (MW) from conventional sources by 2017. The

cumulative capacity addition during the 12th plan, as on December 2015, was 72,240 MW, which

constitutes 81.6% of the 12th plan target.

Government has also set an ambitious target of 175,000 MW from renewable sources by the year 2022 out of

which more than 100,000 MW is expected to be achieved through expansion of solar generation capacity.

Some of the steps taken to improve generation capacity include:

Generation capacity addition, however, requires substantial investment from private and public sector. Financing

such a large project is a critical constraint for any developer. Similarly, lack of environmental clearances, shortage

of technical manpower and adequate supply of fuel has resulted into a slower pace of growth in the generation

capacity as compared to the potential.

The ministry reported that nearly 41 GW planned generation capacity is currently stalled due to various

issues.

A new scheme “Ultra-Modern Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Technology” to promote clean, efficient thermal power through setting up of Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) each of which is 4,000 MW

A 10 year tax holiday for undertakings beginning power generation, distribution and transmission by March 2017 to help investors plan investments better

Renovation, modernization and life extension of old, inefficient generating to improve efficiency and better availability of generating units

A scheme for utilization of gas based power generation capacity

Multiple schemes under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to encourage development of grid-interactive renewable generation capacity

22

Scenario of Power Transmission

A robust transmission system is the key to ensure optimal utilization of generation capacity by evacuating power

from surplus areas to areas requiring additional power. An efficient transmission system is also necessary to

ensure fall-back power systems in case of failure of a primary generation facility in a particular area. Bottlenecks in

transmission networks can often lead to inefficient and suboptimal utilization of generation capacity.

The country has been demarcated into five transmission regions viz. Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern and

North Eastern. All regions have been synchronously interconnected and operate as a single grid – the National

Grid. The total length of transmission lines (including inter-regional) in India currently stands at 3,41,551

circuit KMs. This also includes an addition of over 84000 circuit KMs in the 12th plan period. Similarly, the

transformation capacity in the country currently stands at 6,58,949 MVA. As on 31st March 2016, the total

transmission capacity of the inter-regional links is 57,450 MW, which is expected to be increased to 68,050

MW by the end of 12th plan. However, the transmission capacity is inadequate as compared to the total

generation leading to loss of generation.

States like Chhattisgarh are unable to evacuate the excess power. With an expected power generation capacity of

30,000 MW by end of 12th plan, against the state's peak demand requirement of about 3,300 MW, currently there

is only 7000 MW of transmission capacity available to evacuate power from the state. Similarly, the inter-regional

transmission capacities in the national grid are also limited. Non-South regions of the national grid is surplus to the

extent of 2.3% of total regional demand during peak hours while the Southern region is anticipated to face a peak-

time shortage of 26% of regional demand. But, the power transmission constraints do not allow for the Southern

grid's shortfall to be met by the surplus in the National grid.

Due to the supply constraints, a huge fluctuation in prices of electricity on the exchanges is seen due to lack of

transmission capacities. This has also led to lapsing of many power purchases on the energy exchanges. In order to

ensure Open Access as intended by the Government, it is imperative that the transmission infrastructure be

augmented to meet the rising demand.

However, multiple issues leading to the slow growth in the transmission capacity still continue. The long lead times

required for the conceptualization till commissioning of the transmissions project can lead to financial unviability

and lack of interest from private players. The process needs to be more efficient and the process for award of

projects needs to be streamlined. At the same time, incentives must be given to a developer for faster project

execution. Similarly, the delay in acquiring Right of Way and forest clearances has led to stalling of some major

projects. The ministry reported that at least 15 major transmission projects were delayed due to right of way or

forest clearance issues. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. currently plays a dual role of transmission planning

(as CTU) and execution of interstate transmission projects leading to a conflict of interest and possibility of

unfairness against private and state companies. Similarly, inadequate focus has been given to upgradation of

existing lines to avoid the lengthy clearance and land acquisition for new projects.

The government has taken multiple steps to address these issues and boost the augmentation of capacity. These,

inter alia, include:

23

Scenario of Power Distribution

The distribution space in India is dominated by state-owned utilities, with the private players (around 17 in

number) concentrated primarily in the metropolitan areas. The distribution companies are plagued with high debt

and losses due to inefficient operations and large under-recoveries coupled with AT&C losses (nearly 30%). The

unbundled distribution companies (Discoms) have large accumulated losses and debt in the last few years. As per

estimates, accumulated loss of Discoms stood at INR 3.8 lakh crore in March 2015. The total loss for the

last six years stood at INR 3.66 lakh crore9.

9 http://powermin.nic.in/upload/pdf/Power_Sector_Reforms.pdf

An investment of about Rs. 1,00,000 Crore for further development of inter-State transmission systems during XIIth Plan which includes development of High Capacity Power Transmission Corridors (HCPTCs) apart from inter-regional links for enhancement of National Grid capacity & various system strengthening schemes.

Guidelines and instructions have been issued to State Governments and Ministry of Environment and Forest to expedite the clearances for transmission project. These include guideline on payment of compensation towards damages in regard to the Right of Way (RoW) for construction of Transmission Lines and guidelines allowing working permission for linear projects by State Governments after Stage-I approval.

Major transmission projects are being monitored through the PRAGATI project monitoring system.

Delegation of powers to Regional Environmental and Forest Ministry for approval of forest proposals of linear projects including transmission lines irrespective of forest area involved

41,558

51,971

76,87771,690

64,06060,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

DISCOM Losses in INR Crore

24

Outstanding Debt of the Discoms was at INR 4.3 lakh crore, as on March, 201510. As per a report of the Ministry

of Power, Coal and Renewable Energy, the average debt interest rate of Discoms is 12 %. As regulators do

not allow for the pass through of interest on past losses in tariff, the Discoms are currently locked into a vicious

cycle of debt. As some of the losses are offset by State governments through budgetary support, this also has an

impact on the ability of the states to spend on other social sectors. The RBI report on State Budgets noted that the

‘discoms and retail distribution continue to be the weakest link in the power value chain’.

The Central government has recently launched the UDAY (Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) for financial

revival and turnaround of Discoms. UDAY aims to empower DISCOMs with the possibility to break even in the

next 2-3 years through improving operational efficiencies of Discoms, reduction of cost of power, reduction in

interest costs and enforcing financial discipline on Discoms through alignment with state finances.

Salient Features of UDAY Scheme

10 Press Bureau of India Release on 05-November-2015

States shall take over 75% of Discom debt as on September 30, 2015 over two years - 50% of Discom debt shall be taken over in 2015-16 and 25% in 2016-17

Government of India will not include the debt taken over by the States as per the above scheme in the calculation of fiscal deficit of respective States in the financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17

States will issue non-SLR including SDL bonds in the market or directly to the respective banks / Financial Institutions (FIs) holding the Discom debt to the appropriate extent

DISCOM debt not taken over by the State shall be converted by the Banks / FIs into loans or bonds with interest rate not more than the bank’s base rate plus 0.1%

State Discoms will comply with the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) outstanding since April 01, 2012 within a period to be decided in consultation with Ministry of Power

States accepting UDAY and performing as per operational milestones will be given additional / priority funding through DDUGJY,Integrated Power Development Scheme ,Power Sector Development Fund or other such schemes of Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

Such States shall also be supported with additional coal at notified prices and, in case of availability through higher capacity utilization, low cost power from NTPC and other Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs)

States not meeting operational milestones will be liable to forfeit their claim on IPDS and DDUGJY grants

25

In addition to the UDAY Scheme, the Government is also operating the following schemes related to the Power

Sector:

1) Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) was launched in December 2014 with the following

objectives:

Strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution networks in urban areas;

Metering of distribution transformers/feeders/consumers in the urban area;

IT enablement of distribution sector and strengthening of distribution network

Under this Scheme, as on December 31, 2015, projects worth INR 5134 crore have been sanctioned while those

worth INR 196.79 crore have been released.

2) Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) was approved in November 2014 with the following

objectives:

Separation of agricultural and non-agricultural feeders;

Strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution networks in the rural areas;

Metering of distribution transformers/feeders/consumers in the rural area;

Rural electrification.

DDUGJY has an estimated outlay of INR 43,033 crore, including budgetary support of INR 33,453 crore. In

addition, the already approved outlay of INR 39,275 crore, including budgetary support of INR 35,447 crore,

for continuation of the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) in 12th and 13th Plans, has also

been carried forward to the DDUGJY. The government intends to electrify all the remaining non-electrified

villages by May 1, 2018.

Conclusion

Impressive strides have been made in the power sector over the last two years, including among others addition of

record generation capacity, long overdue reforms of Discoms, and energizing the development of the renewable

sector. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014 seeks to address some of these challenges. However, more

comprehensive systemic reforms and functional changes are required to realize the vision of “One India, One

Market, One Price” and ensure equitable and quality access of power to all.

26

Skill Development Scheme Performance and Budgetary Allocation 2016

In India, 65% of the total population lies in the working age group of 15-64 years. An overwhelming component of

the working age population i.e. 84 % is under the age of 25. This demographic bounty is only expected to grow in

the coming years. By 2020, the average age of population in India would be 29 years as compared to 40 years

in US, 46 years In Europe and 47 years in Japan. The country has a rich demographic dividend which can be reaped

to maximise the growth potential of the region. Increasing the employability of the working age population is one

of the crucial avenues through which both economic and human development can take place.

The quality of workforce is one of the vital components which define the employability of workforce. However,

India faces key challenges in this field, specifically in terms of skill development. Of the 256.72 million non farm

workers only 5.4 % are formally trained or skilled. More importantly, overall only 4.69 % of the workforce in

the country has gone through formal skill training, as compared to 96% in South Korea, and 52 % in America11.

There is an obvious lack of skill development within the work force which needs to be met. At the same time, the

projected human resource requirement across 24 sectors by 2022 is projected to be 581 million. Due to the

massiveness of the task and its potential to generate mass employment, the skill development sector presents a

classic case of challenge versus potential.

Presently there are around 40 schemes under 18 ministries which concentrate on skill development.

Government intervention alone is not enough to fully realise the skill development potential of the work force. The

involvement of private sector is crucial for aligning the course curriculum, job roles, norms, standards provided

under government’s skill development schemes with industrial standards. In order to encourage private sector

involvement in skill development, the National Skill Development Cooperation (NSDC) - a ‘not for profit’

company was established by the Government of India in 2009. The NSDC is also the implementing agency for some

of the key skill development schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Standard Training

Assessment and Reward (STAR)12 scheme and UDAAN scheme.

In order to streamline the myriad skill development schemes, efforts and programmes within the country, the

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) was established on 9th November 2014. With

its establishment, the entire corpus of Industrial Training Institute (ITIs) and Apprenticeship schemes were

transferred to this ministry. The MSDE has also instituted its own flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas

Yojana (PMKVY) to promote skill development within India.

Schemes

The section focuses on the DDU-GKY, EST&P and PMKVY. The first two schemes have been operational for a long time

and are discussed in the first half. They have been examined over the time period from 2011-12 to 2015-16. The

activities of PMKVY have been examined over the past year and it is discussed in the second half of this section.

11National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 12Standard Training Assessment and Reward (STAR), ended in 2014

27

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana

DDU- GKY is a component of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). It is a demand based skilling

programme which is carried out in PPP mode through Public and Private Organizations registered with the

Ministry of Rural Development.

Skill training is imparted through local bodies know as Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs). The programme is

implemented through a 3-tiered implementation model, involving the MoRD, State bodies and PIAs. Any

organization that is a registered legal entity can enter into partnership with DDU-GKY as a PIA.

All rural candidates from poor households are eligible under this scheme, which focuses on rural youth between

the ages of 15-35. The scheme carries with it a stipulation of mandatory placement for 75 % of the candidates. The

minimum salary under this scheme is Rs 6000 or the State minimum wage, whichever one is higher

Employment through Skills Training & Placement Programme(EST&P)

EST&P is a component of the SJSRY/Deendayal Antyodaya-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).It is

also a demand-based scheme carried out in PPP mode.

The institutes involved in the PPP mode are known as Skill Training Providers (STPs) which could range from

Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Polytechnics, industry associations, skill training centres and NSDC amongst

other organizations. The Training Providers (TPs) would have to be empanelled at the national level or state level.

Under this scheme the maximum cost support for each candidate is Rs 15,000 per candidate and Rs 18, 000 per

candidate for North –East and Jammu& Kashmir States. For placement linked skill training, the STPs would be

responsible for at least 50% percent placement. Each successful candidate who undergoes training under EST&P is

awarded a certificate by a competent authority empanelled by the State.

Financial Allocation: Allocation to states is done dependent on the state’s poverty ratio and absorption

capacity. The ratio of Centre State contribution under this scheme is 75:25 for all states except North-Eastern

States, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where the ratio is 90: 10. For Jammu & Kashmir the Central

share is 100 %.

Financial Allocation: The Central share to the States under NULM is tentatively allocated based on the urban

poor population. Other factors like absorption capacity and special requirement are also taken into

consideration. The ratio of Centre State contribution under this scheme is 75:25, for all states except North

Eastern and Special Category States which include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,

Nagaland, Tripura Sikkim; Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, where the Centre State

share is 90:10.

28

327.86

180.04

568.97 568.63458

0

200

400

600

800

1000

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16*

778.77 771.46 714.97 672.14

182.62

0

200

400

600

800

1000

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Figure 1: Funds Released under DDU-GKY from 2011-12 to 2015-16, Source Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2747,2059

Release of Funds

This section outlines the funds released under DDU-GKY and EST&P component of NULM which have been discussed

above. The release of funds is tracked between the years of 2011-12 and 2015-16.

(a) Total funds released under DDU-GKY13

The total funds released from 2011-12 t to 2015-16 under DDU-GKY is 2,103.5 crore. As presented in the

graph above the funds released decreased from 2011-12 to 2012-13 by 45%. However there was a huge leap in

release of funds from 2012-13 to2013-14 and the trend has remained consistent with slight variation over the

years.

Funds released to States: As mentioned before under DDU-GKY, the funds allocated to the states are dependent

on the strength of the rural poor population and the absorption capacity of the state. For the time period

concerned, the states which have received the maximum amount of funds under the scheme are Uttar Pradesh,

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, accounting for almost 40 % of the total release of funds.

(b) Total funds released under ESTP/NULM14

13 Funds released in 2015-16 are only till November 2015 14 The funds released for EST&P are under NULM. Separate fund allocation for the component is not stipulated.

Figure 2: Funds released under ESTP/NULM; Source Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 480, 4746

29

The total funds released under EST&P/NULM from 2011-12 to 2015-16 is 2,937.46 crore. The funds released

have remained consistent over the years, except for the last two years. In2014-15, the funds released decreased by

5 %.For the last year 2015-16, the funds released are considerably lower as compared to the other years. From

672.14crore in 2014-15, the funds decreased to 200.12 crore in2015-16. One major reason for the decline is that

many states like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, and Karnataka have unutilized funds from the previous year.

Funds Released to States: The Central allocation under NULM is also decided on the basis of the urban poor

population and the absorption capacity of the state. For the time period concerned, the states which have received

the maximum amount of funds are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal accounting for almost

40 % of the total fund release.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

This is the flagship outcome-based skill training scheme operating under the Ministry of Skill Development and

Entrepreneurship (MSDE). It was launched on 15thJuly 2015. This scheme promotes skill training through

monetary rewards which are provided to the eligible candidates. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

is the implementing agency for this scheme. MSDE monitors the activities of NSDC.

Under this scheme, monetary reward is provided to candidates who are trained by affiliated training partners and

subsequently assessed by independent agencies. This scheme aims to cover 24 lakh people, with training of 14 lakh

fresh entrants and certification of 10 lakh people under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Candidates who have

undergone skill training from an affiliated training partner can also avail of the monetary reward. An average

amount of Rs 8000 is provided as monetary reward; however sectors like manufacturing, plumbing and

construction offer a higher reward. The funds are transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries

/successful candidates. The identification of beneficiary would be done through the Aadhaar card.

The candidates/ trainees have to pay the training provider (TPs) for the course curriculum. However credit is

provided to the candidates by the TPs. The training partners have to be affiliated by Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) to

participate in the PMKVY scheme. SSCs are industry led autonomous bodies set up under the NSDC. They bridge

the gap between the industry requirement of manpower and trainings provided for skill development. Government

affiliated training partners also have to undergo affiliation by the concerned SSC.

Under PMKVY, there is no mandatory condition for placement of the trainees, however certain incentives are

provided to the TPs for placement services. The incentives include a payment of Rs 475 per placed candidate in a

batch that has achieved 70 % placements as against the total number of certified candidates. The TPs have to

follow through with the candidate for three months and produce relevant documents for receiving payment.

Financial Allocation: No funds are transferred to the States under this scheme. The monetary rewards are

sponsored by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and are disbursed to the candidates

through direct bank transfer.

30

1000

1500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2015-16 (R.E.) 2016-17 (B.E.)

57%

12%

11%

9%

6%

6%

43%

Trainings under PMKVY

Other States

Uttar Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

Madhya PradeshRajasthan

Budgetary Allocation for PMKVY

As mentioned above, the scheme was announced on 15th July 2015, 1000 crore was allocated for the scheme for

2015-16. In the Union Budget 2016-17, the allocated amount has increased by 50% to 1500 crore.

Performance of PMKVY

As per the latest data, there are a total of 11,55,270 persons who have been enrolled under the scheme, and

8,01,741 trainings have been completed. The top five states which have accounted for the maximum numbers are

represented in the figure below.

The top five states in which the maximum number of trainings has been conducted are Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. The number of trainings in these states account for almost 43 %(

42.9%) of the total number of trainings which have been conducted. Uttar Pradesh is at top of the list with a total

number of 95,423 trainings completed, followed by Tamil Nadu (86,475), Madhya Pradesh (68,952), Rajasthan

(46,926) and Andhra Pradesh (46,266).

Figure 3: Budgetary Allocation for PMKVY for 2015-16, 2016-17 Source: Union Budget 2015-16, 2016-17

Figure 4: Select State wise distribution of trainings under PMKVY, Source Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3, 24/02/2016

31

104.95

289

1073.99

690.06

147.61 154.11

376.9

1,011.30

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Fund Flow to NSDC

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

The NSDC is a ‘not for profit’ company which was set up by the Central Government in 2009 , under Section 25 of

The Companies Act 1956. The organization was created to catalyze and promote private sector involvement in

skill development. The National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) is responsible for monitoring the activities of

NSDC. The NSDF was set up as a Trust in 2008 under the Government of India. The funds which are utilized by

NSDC are deposited under NSDF. An initial corpus of995 crore was provided to the trust. The NSDF is responsible

for raising funds from both government and non government sectors for the activities of NSDC.

NSDC actively supports private sector initiatives within the skilling sector through financial incentives in the

form of loans, equities and grants. The private entities which are eligible for funding include industrial

organizations, training and skill development organizations, non-governmental organizations, business

associations and social entrepreneurs. The funding provided is for the purpose of creating a skills infrastructure

and/or working capital requirement for skill development. The NSDC funding cannot be used for creation of

immovable property such as land or buildings. For ‘for–profit ’private entities ,the funding provided would cover a

maximum of75%of the investment requirement ,for ‘ not-for–profit’ entities the funding would be provided for a

maximum of 85% of the investment requirement.

Fund Flow to NSDC: NSDC is an organization which runs in PPP mode. It receives its funds from NSDF.A brief

overview is provided regarding the release of funds from the time period of 2010-11 to 2014-15.An initial balance

of 200 crore was released to NSDC by NSDF with its creation in 2009.

The total amount released by NSDF to NSDC for the time period between 2010-11to 2014-15 was Rs 2157.97crore.

The spike in fund release especially for the year 2013-14 and subsequently was mainly because NSDC was declared

to be the implementing agency for STAR and UDAAN for the years concerned. A total amount of Rs 1689.92 crore

was utilized which presents utilization percentage of 78.30.

Figure 5: Fund flow from NSDF to NSDC from 2011-12 to 2014-15, Source: Report No. 45 of 2015, Compliance Audit on NSDF and NSDC

32

20,4841,81,691

4,02,506

10,05,074

34,42,422

14,3991,44,238 2,16,741

6,46,394

12,26,639

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Performance of NSDC

Skilled/Trained

Placements

Training Partners: As per the latest data, there are 266 NSDC affiliated training partners in the country, spread

across 525 districts. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have the highest number of NSDC training partners with 182

and 164 training partners respectively.

Performance of NSDC

The long term target for NSDC is to skill 150 million people by 2022. Between 2010-11 and 2014-15, a total of

5,396,722 people - 35.97% of the target in 22.73% of allocated time period have received training though

NSDC. The chart below depicts the number of people trained on an annual basis along with the number of

placements which have been achieved through NSDC between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

As the figure represents, there has been an increase in the number of people trained throughout the years

concerned. The period between the years of 2010-11 and 2011-12, has witnessed the maximum growth, from

20,484 people (2010-11) to 1, 81,691 people (2011-12). The growth slowed down between the years of 2011-12

and 2012-13.However, it shot up again between the years of 2013-2014and 2014-15 with more than a threefold

increase from 10,05,074 to 34,42,422.

As far as the placements are concerned, the placement percentage i.e., the total number of individuals which are

placed as compared to the total number of trained people, has always been higher than 60 %, except in the year of

2012-13, when it reduced to 54%. The average placement percentage for the entire time period i.e. from 2010-11

to 2014-15 was 67.2%, which implies that the majority of people who are trained through NSDC acquire

employment.

Figure 6: Annual numbers of skilled personnel along with the placements achieved between the years 2010-11to2014-15, Source Lok Sabha, Unstarred Question number 2573, 05/08/2015

33

Conclusion

As mentioned above, there are a number of skill development schemes which have been operating in the country

for a long time. For the purpose of this brief, two of the longest running skill development schemes i.e. DDU-GKY,

EST&P have been analyzed along with the flagship scheme of the newly formed Ministry of Skill Development and

Entrepreneurship. The contribution of the private sector in skill development has also been looked into, by

examining the activities and performance of the National Skill Development Corporation.

Over the years, skill development activities have increased and so has the number of skilled population. The

expansion of skill development programmes under various ministries provides for holistic development of skilling

activities held within the country. On the other hand, it also leads to a multiplicity of norms, standards, and course

curriculums etc, which do not encourage uniform skill development across all sectors. However, with increasing

emphasis on skilling as an agent of human resource development, skilling programmes within the country are

not only being expanded but they are also attaining a standardized nature. The Ministry of Skill Development

and Entrepreneurship provides for a robust framework which can lead the way in creating consistency in skilling

programmes. A Common Norms Committee has also been set up to bring about standardization and uniformity in

the implementation of the various skills development schemes operating under the Central Ministries. The Skill

India campaign also aims to scale skilling initiatives with speed and standards.

Skilling activities have to be increased to fully exploit the demographic dividend however without a systemized

approach to skill development; the potential of the working age population cannot be fully realized. A standardized

model of skilling operated by multiple ministries would increase the employability of the working age population

both in terms of quality and quantity.

34

Data and Democracy

35

About Data and Democracy

Data brings objectivity and efficiency in the delivery and assessment of development. There lies immense scope to

leverage the data available in public domain to understand the state of development across sectors. Swaniti, in

partnership with Indian Express, runs a Data and Democracy page where such raw data is analyzed to seek trends

and presented to our audience in a streamlined format. The page can be viewed at visualdata.indianexpress.com.

Keeping in mind recently occurred events, we analyzed the following in the month of April:

Infant Mortality Rate: As per World Bank, the Infant Mortality Rate in India fell from 88 per 1000 live births in

1990 to 38 per 1000 live births in 2015. However as per the Millennium Development Goal (4) set for each nation,

India missed its target point by 9 percent points. This section focuses on the factors which were found to be

correlated to a reduction in IMR, namely literate women, financial inclusion and improved hygiene practices. It also

looks at state-wise targets for IMR and where the states currently stand.

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Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) How fast are we progressing on the IMR? As per World Bank, the Infant Mortality Rate in India fell from 88 per 1000 live births in 1990 to 38 per 1000 live

births in 2015. However under the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, the target for each UN member nation

was to reduce Child Mortality by two-third between 1990 and 2015. In case of India, this translated into a goal of

reducing Infant Mortality rate from 88 in 1990 to 29 in 2015, a target that India has missed by 9 percent points.

While India is significantly behind its own targets and the BRICS nations in combating IMR, it is astounding to note

the speedy progress made by Bangladesh on this front. The Infant Mortality Rate for Bangladesh decreased from

100 per 1000 live births in 1990 to 31 per 1000 live births in 2015, thus meeting its MDG 4 target successfully. In

2010, the United Nations recognized Bangladesh for its exceptional progress towards MDG 4 and 5 to reduce child

and maternal mortality.

A correlation analysis of IMR against National Family Health Survey 4 variables under various heads such as

Maternity care, Delivery Care and Household profile reveal that socio-economic and maternity care indicators are

the most crucial focus areas that impact IMR today, also justifying the high Peri-Natal Mortality in the country

(number of still-births and deaths in the first week of life). As per SRS, in 2013, around 68% of the total Infant

Deaths were Neo-Natal (number deaths during first 28 days of birth) and around 65% Deaths were Peri-Natal.

Data shows that states where percentage of Literate women or percentage of women having Savings Bank account

is high (indicative of status of women) and households that have improved sanitation practices, IMR is relatively

low.

66 66

38

31 29 27

159 8 8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

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Pak

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Ch

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Sri L

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Infant Mortality Rate (2015)

37

The health infrastructure is also an important component to determine the health landscape of a country, but the

most important parameters that are relevant to IMR are Proper Maternal care and awareness among parents about

sanitation and breastfeeding practices.

While the Government continues to increase the health budget, the current efforts significantly fail to meet self-set

expectations of the Government. The maximum gap is observed in Maharashtra and West Bengal. States such as

Haryana , Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh seem quite close to their target IMR.

0

20

40

60

80

100

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Relation between IMR and Literate Women

IMR Women age 15-24 using hygienic practices

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Mad

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Bih

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Difference between Target and Current IMR

IMR (NFHS 2015-16) Target IMR for XII 5 Year Plan

38

Research Support and Engagement with Elected Officials

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About Research Support and Engagement with Honorable MPs

Swaniti Initiative aims to inform MPs about development issues through dissemination of information on

development topics like health, education, gender or livelihood in the form of analysis of schemes, briefs, research

insights etc. Our research content is developed through consistent feedback and discussion with

MPs. Additionally, Swaniti also provides on-ground support and grassroots-level development insight at the

constituency level in certain cases. The areas of intervention are focused on our 4 core sectors (health, education,

gender and livelihood). As part of engagements, members from the Swaniti team travel to the constituency to study

the issue at hand, interact with the different stakeholders and subsequently draw a plan of action to address the

issue. The Swaniti team also follows up with the stakeholders at regular intervals to ensure that the project is

completed in a time-bound manner.

In the month of April, our associates conducted a team visit to Kahatul in Nandurbar, Maharashtra, to work on the

Saansad Adarsh Gram or Model Village Program. This section highlights the activities undertaken in the constituency

and stories from the field.

40

Kahatul, The Dream Developing an Adarsh Gram in Nandurbar, Maharashtra

Strolling through the newly built toilets of the primary school in Kahatul, I entered the ATM of the village and felt

content that I did a decent job. The immaculately clean village was testimony to all the hard work Swaniti had put

in over the last one year to ensure Kahatul is called an Adarsh Gram. It was around noon when the school bell rang.

Hoping to see children storm out of school as if they had just been granted freedom, I looked towards the school

gate and suddenly realized it was my alarm which was ringing and not the school bell! I woke up to the bitter truth

of all that being a mere dream and that it’s a long way to go to before the dream of Kahatul, an Adarsh Gram could

come true.

I got ready while listing the tasks of the day in my head and met my teammate Utkarsha, a lad equally enthusiastic

to make Kahatul one of the model villages in the country. Though how much of our enthusiasm would percolate to

executing successful interventions on the ground, only time will tell.

As we entered Kahatul, it seemed like the villagers had hosted a storm the previous night which had strewn

plastics over the entire village. Though our subsequent visits made us realize that the mess had nothing to do with

a probable storm and that cleanliness was perhaps something unheard of, in the village. Upon reaching we

interacted with a score of government authorities from different departments who painted a utopian picture of the

village and signified that no external hand was needed to make things better. The reluctance of the local authorities

in accepting the flaws and their parochial approach seemed like a decent challenge in our way towards working

with them for the next one year.

41

The idea behind our village assessment study was to understand the existing structural, social and economical

infrastructure of the village. The visits to the primary school, high school, public health center, veterinary center,

etc. evidently posed before us a humungous task of setting things right. It also highlighted that a lot needs to be

done before Kahatul could be called an Adarsh Gram. A silver lining in the cloud was the job done by the ANM

(Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) who had ensured 100% institutional delivery and 100% immunization coverage in the

village.

The culturally rich village has enough resources that can be harnessed and channelled towards its development. All

said and done, as long as the villagers don’t consider development as their responsibility, the situation in the

village cannot be sustainably changed. They need to build their own initiatives suiting the needs of the village and

successfully execute them. After all, that’s how a model village would qualify to be called one.

Our lunches in different village households were something that both, Utkarsha and I used to look forward to while

grumbling about the food taste during dinners at the government’s guest house. Though on one of these occasions,

the house owner, known for his warm reception in the village was so liberal while pouring ghee in the mango shake

that it led to an upset stomach and I had to eventually skip field visit the following day! Given I’m allergic to mango,

shows how cautious I was in not being rude to his hospitality. So much for an Adarsh Gram! Thus, with the hope of

making the dream of Kahatul come true, we packed our bags to return to the scorching heat of Delhi, only to come

back again and work with the community in realizing our dream of an Adarsh Gram.

42

Swaniti in the Media

43

Swaniti in the Media covers the diverse range of articles authored by Swaniti on key developmental and policy

issues. The articles and research insights are published in leading broadsheets, news aggregators and daily

newspapers. This section also covers the media pieces which cover Swaniti’s work with elected officials and

highlight the projects that we have undertaken.

The April edition includes the following media articles:

Rana lauds Bharti Foundation and Swaniti Initiative: Swaniti’s efforts in Nagrota were lauded by the MLA, Shri

Devendra Rana. Swaniti conducted a study to assess quality of schools and prepared a formal plan to develop them

as centres of excellence in the constituency. The plan was approved by the Bharti Foundation which will include 15

schools in its plan. The article was publishes in the State Times, Jammu.

About Swaniti in the Media

44

Rana lauds Bharti Foundation and Swaniti Initiative for adopting

15 schools of Nagrota constituency Published in State Times, Jammu

Expressing gratitude to Bharti Foundation for accepting his proposal of covering 15 schools of Nagrota Assembly

Constituency under its ambitious Quality Support Model, Provincial President and MLA Devender Singh Rana on

Wednesday said this measure will prove a game-changer for youngsters to excel in academics.

“This is a huge initiative which will transform entire educational scenario in the targeted areas”, Rana said while

interacting people, especially the youth at Chilla, adding that the day is not far when the programme will be

extended to entire constituency.

He reiterated his commitment to steer Nagrota

Assembly Constituency to pinnacles of progress,

educational advancement and development.

“But for the personal interest shown by

Chairman Airtel, Sunil Bharti Mittal, who is also

Chairman Bharti Foundation, and Chief

Executive Officer Lt Gen (Retd) Vijay Chadda, the

dream would not have fructified”, he said while

thanking them for their generosity.

Rana spelled out salient features of Quality Support Model of the Foundation, a nation-wide philanthropic

organisation, and hoped the young students will show a matching enthusiasm in making the programme a success.

He said the youngsters of Nagrota were second to none and given chance they will show their immense mettle in

immense measure.

The Provincial President said that 15 schools of the Constituency will come under implementation of Quality

Support Model in the first instance and the Foundation will mentor these schools for next five years till they bring

them to the level of best schools in the country. The Foundation will keep adding other schools of the Constituency

every year in phased manner, he added.

The MLA Nagrota also expressed his sincere thanks to Swaniti Initiative for conducting a study of the schools

preparing a formal proposal for improving the quality and developing them as centres of excellence for education

in the Constituency. He placed on record his appreciation for Utkarsha Bhardwaj and Baidhurya Mani for

submitting a detailed proposal to Bharti Foundation, which deputed a team to the Constituency and assessed the

schools for inclusion under the programme in 15 schools in the first instance. The programme envisages

interventions to enrich the overall schooling experience for students as well as engage the community in order

reap the rich demographic dividend of Nagrota, he added.

45

Weekly Policy Updates

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About Weekly Policy Updates

Weekly Policy Updates aim to keep the elected officials updated on policy development by providing them crisp

information. This initiative of ours has been recognized by many MPs during our interactions with them.

This section includes the key policy initiatives which were announced in the month of April. These included

developments in Agriculture, Waste Management and Skill development, amongst others. The National Perspective

Plan detailing the contours of Sagarmala to promote port-led development in the country was released on 14th

April. The pilot of e-NAM, i.e. the e-trading platform for the National Agriculture Market, was launched in 21

mandis across 8 states. The month of April also saw further developments with the launch of the Urban

Management Programme to build capacities in State Governments and ULBs to design efficient solutions to urban

problems and revision of Solid Waste Management Rules which will now be applicable beyond Municipal Areas.

Weekly policy updates sent out to elected representatives have been summarized in subsequent pages.

47

April 2nd – April 8th (Week 1)

1. National Energy-Efficient Agriculture Pumps Programme launched

In order to make country more energy efficient, the

Union Government has launched the National Energy

Efficient Agriculture Pumps Programme. The Scheme

will be implemented by Energy Efficiency Services

Limited (EESL), a JV of PSUs under Ministry of Power.

Farmers can replace their inefficient pumps free of

cost with the new BEE star rated energy efficient

agricultural pump-sets. These pumps will come

enabled with smart control panel and a SIM card,

giving farmers the flexibility to remotely control

these pumps from their mobile phones.

EESL will distribute 200,000 BEE star rated pump-sets to the farmers under this programme, which will

lead to 30% of energy savings by 2019 resulting in annual savings of approximately Rs 20,000 crore on

agricultural subsidies or a saving of 50 billion units of energy every year.

2. Modification in the Policy for Liberalization of Administratively-Allotted Spectrum

The Union Cabinet chaired has approved the modifications in the policy for liberalisation of

administratively allotted spectrum where market determined prices were not available.

The most recent recommended reserve price will be taken as the provisional price for liberalisation of

administratively allocated spectrum where auction determined price is not available. Subsequent to the

completion of the ensuing auction and with the availability of auction determined price, the provisional

price already charged will be adjusted with the auction determined price with effect from the date of

liberalisation on pro-rata basis.

This will facilitate optimal utilisation of spectrum by introducing new technologies, sharing and trading of

spectrum and approximately a sum of Rs.1300 crore is likely to accrue by this process.

3. Revision of Solid Waste Management Rules

The Environment Ministry has revised Solid Waste

Management Rules to be applicable beyond

Municipal areas and extend to urban agglomerations,

census towns, notified industrial townships, areas

under the control of Indian Railways, airports,

airbase, Port and harbour, defence establishments,

special economic zones, State and Central

government organizations, places of pilgrims,

religious & historical importance.

48

The source segregation of waste has been mandated to channelize the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse

and recycle. Generator will have to pay ‘User Fee’ to waste collector and for ‘Spot Fine’ for Littering and

Non-segregation.

New townships and Group Housing Societies have been made responsible to develop in-house waste

handling, and processing arrangements for bio-degradable waste. The developers of Special Economic

Zone, industrial estate, industrial park to earmark at least 5% of the total area of the plot or minimum 5

plots/ sheds for recovery and recycling facility.

April 9th – April 15th (Week 2)

1. National Agriculture Market launched

The pilot of 'e-NAM', the e-trading platform for the National Agriculture Market was launched by the Prime

Minister on 14th April. 21 mandis in 8 states have been linked to National Agriculture Market. By

September, 2016 two hundred mandis will be included and by March, 2018 five hundred eighty five

mandis.

This project will operate through an online portal which is being linked to the mandis of the States. Its

software will be provided to all the willing states without cost. A knowledgeable person is being deployed

for one year in every sharing mandi so as to facilitate the smooth functioning of the portal.

Government of India is providing a grant of Rs. 30 lacs to the proposed agriculture mandis of the states. The

farmers will be provided “farmer helpline services round the clock” for obtaining information related to

this portal.

2. National Perspective Plan on Sagarmala released

The National Perspective Plan detailing the contours of Sagarmala, the government’s flagship program to

promote port-led development in the country, was released by the Prime Minister on 14th April.

The National Perspective Plan takes forward Sagarmala’s vision of substantially reducing export-import

and domestic trade costs with a minimal investment. The program is expected to lead to annual logistics

cost savings of close to Rs 35,000 crore and boost

India’s merchandise exports to $110 billion by 2025.

About one crore new jobs are estimated to be

created, of which 40 lakhs will be direct employment.

This plan is based on four strategic levers –

optimizing multi-modal transport to reduce the cost

of domestic cargo, minimizing the time and cost of

export-import cargo logistics, lowering costs for bulk

industries by locating them closer to the coast, and

improving export competitiveness by locating

discrete manufacturing clusters near ports.

49

3. Indo-German Agreement on Namami Gange Signed

An Implementation Agreement for Ganga

Rejuvenation under the Namami Gange Programme

was signed on 13th April between the Ministry of

Water Resources, River Development and Ganga

Rejuvenation and German International Cooperation

(GIZ) of Germany.

The objective of the agreement is to enable

responsible stakeholders at National and State level

to apply integrated river basin management

approach for the rejuvenation of the river Ganga.

This will be based on Indo-German Knowledge exchange and practical experience on strategic river basin

management issues, effective data management system and public engagement.

The project will closely cooperate with other National and international initiatives including Indo-German

bilateral projects like Support to National Urban Sanitation Policy (SNUSP) and ‘Sustainable Environment-

friendly Industrial Production’ (SEIP). The project duration is three years i.e. from 2016 to 2018 and the

German contribution in the project will be to the tune of Rs. 22.5 crore.

April 16th – April 22nd (Week 3)

1. Amendments in the Compensatory Afforestation Bill, 2015

Union Cabinet has given its approval to move official amendments in the Compensatory Afforestation Bill,

2015.

The legislation will ensure expeditious utilization of accumulated unspent amounts available with the ad

hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), which presently is of

the order of Rs. 40,000 crore. Utilization of these amounts will facilitate timely execution of appropriate

measures to mitigate impact of diversion of forest land, for which these amounts have been realised.

Amendments include provision for prior consultation with State Governments for rule formulation and

fixing timeline of three months for Executive Committee of National Authority to approve annual plan of

operations of State Authorities.

2. Launch of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) for additional 61 districts

Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the Beti Bachao

Beti Padhao programme for additional 61 districts in 11 States/ UTs

with low CSR (Child Sex Ratio) on 19th April. BBBP is already

operational in select 100 districts of the country with low child sex

ratio.

Some of the deliverables of the scheme include reducing school dropout

rate for girls, 100% institutional deliveries, Gudda-Guddi Boards in

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every village, safety and security for girls/women, close monitoring of PC&PNDT Act, toilet facility for girls

in school among others

Increasing trend in Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) is visible in 49% of the BBBP districts in the first year of the

scheme itself, according to the Ministry. The goal is to improve SRB by a minimum of ten points per year

and gradually bring it at par within five years.

3. MoU between the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, National Skill Development

Corporation and Wadhwani Operating Foundation of USA

Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for signing the Memorandum of Understanding between

the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), National Skill Development Corporation

(NSDC) and Wadhwani Operating Foundation (WOF) for cooperation in the fields of Skill Development and

Entrepreneurship.

This MoU will assist facilitating and supporting Skill Development initiatives in the country through Multi-

skill Institutes and Skill Universities along with promotion and creation of an eco-system for skill

development.

Under the MoU, Wadhwani operating Foundation

commits a minimum of USD 30 million and maximum

of 40 Million contribution in value of services to be

provided in support of mutually agreed Skill and

Entrepreneurship Development initiatives but

subject to a maximum of 10% (ten percent) of the

total new spending of the Government of India in

each of these identified and mutually agreed schemes

and initiatives over a period of three years.

April 23rd – April 30th (Week 4)

1. Approval of Rs. 9,005 crore Investment in 73,205 Affordable Houses in 3 States

Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation has approved an investment of Rs.9,005 Cr for

construction of 73,205 more houses for Economically Weaker Sections in urban under Prime Minister’s

Awas Yojana in the States of Maharashtra, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

Maharashtra has been sanctioned a total of 71,701 houses in 10 cities at a total project cost of Rs.8,932 Cr

with Central Assistance of Rs.1,064 Cr. Houses sanctioned include -61,946 under Affordable Housing in

Partnership (AHP), 7,399 for Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) and 2,356 for In-situ Slum

Redevelopment. For Punjab, construction of 1,280 houses for In-Situ Slum Redevelopment in Bhatinda was

approved with a total investment of Rs.57 Cr for which central assistance of Rs.12.80 Cr was sanctioned.

For Jammu & Kashmir, construction of 224 houses under Beneficiary Led Construction component of PMAY

(Urban) has been approved with a total investment of Rs.16.07 Cr with central assistance of Rs.3.36 Cr. This

includes construction of 141 houses in Udhampur and 83 in Baramullah. With these approvals, the total

51

investment approved for affordable housing under PMAY (Urban) so far has gone up to Rs.43, 922 Cr for

construction of 6,83,724 houses for urban poor with total central assistance commitment of Rs.10,050 Cr.

2. National Monuments Authority’s Web Portal ‘NOC Online Application and Processing System (NOAPS)’

launched

NMA’S online web portal ‘NOAPS’ has been launched to facilitate single window clearance. The portal uses

technology & expertise of ISRO who are in the process of mapping of 3686 ASI protected monuments and

sites.

The web portal of NMA has been integrated with the online portal of local bodies of Delhi and Mumbai viz.

NDMC, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and MCDs (South MCD, North MCD, East MCD)

to facilitate single window clearance for construction on a common application form. The applicant needs

to fill up a single form which will be sent to the concerned agencies by the local body, from whom No

Objection Certificate (NOC) is required. NMA will communicate its decision to the local body within six

working day, bringing down the time limit from ninety days.

Large projects involving construction of building beyond 2000 sq mt. have been kept out of the purview of

Single Window Clearance System, keeping in view their possible impact on the Monument or the site.

3. Urban Management Programme for Capacity Building of States and Urban Local Bodies launched by NITI

Aayog

NITI Aayog on 27 April 2016 launched the Urban

Management Programme in New Delhi. The

Programme has been designed by NITI Aayog,

Temasek Foundation and Singapore Cooperation

Enterprise (SCE) under the platform of the

Memorandum of Understanding signed between

NITI Aayog and the Singapore Cooperation

Enterprise (SCE) to tap the expertise of Singapore in

urban sector to build capacities in State

Governments and ULBs to design efficient solutions

to urban problems.

The year long Programme would comprise of a series of highly interactive workshops and advisory

sessions and focus on Singapore’s and international best practices in areas of Urban Planning &

Governance, Water and Wastewater Management, Solid Waste Management and bringing in private sector

efficiencies in urban infrastructure and also identify key challenges faced by implementing agencies in

these areas.

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Upcoming... In Our Next Edition, grab hold of the following: 1. Tamra Patra

An Analysis of Fertilizer Subsidy in India Summary and Analysis of TSR Subramaniam Report on Environmental Laws

2. Data and Democracy

Malnutrition in India Ground Water LPG Access

3. Research Support and Engagement with Honorable MPs

Saansad Adarsh Gram in Kaliko, Odisha Judging Water Quality in Kairan

4. Weekly Policy Updates from May, 2016

53

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