NEXUS - swaniti.com · 2 Dear Readers: NEXUS is a monthly compilation of briefs, research insights,...
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NEXUS
Transcript of NEXUS - swaniti.com · 2 Dear Readers: NEXUS is a monthly compilation of briefs, research insights,...
NEXUS
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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 crosscutting 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
section Policy Updates.
It is our sincere effort to disseminate our work through this compendium and 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:
Swati Gautam
Analyst, Swaniti Initiative
Email : [email protected]
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. It is in line with this vision that Swaniti provides knowledge support and human resource support to elected
representatives in order to catalyze development at the grassroots.
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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 December! 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 municipal bonds to insight on current
legislation in mental health. The content produced reflects our mission to deliver development solutions by providing
knowledge on key developmental issue. 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 first of every month we will be releasing the “monthly compendium” that will bring to
you in a concise and reader friendly manner and the information we have released that month. 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,
RBA
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"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 organisations
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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About NEXUS ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
From the Desk of the CEO ..................................................................................................................................................................................................3
Parliamentarians Speak........................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Tamra Patra ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
Developing Rural Tourism ...........................................................................................................................................................................................8
Women Entrepreneurship in India ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Mid Day Meal Scheme ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana .................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Disease Surveillance and Response..................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Data and Democracy ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
MPLADs: Where was the money spent? ................................................................................................................................................................ 30
Section 12(1)(c) - Providing Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections ......................................................................................... 32
Research Support and Engagement with Elected Officials ................................................................................................................................ 34
Exploring Welfare Opportunities for the Siddi Tribe ........................................................................................................................................ 36
Nurturing Warm and Welcoming Learning Space in Nagrota ..................................................................................................................... 38
Weekly Policy Updates ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
October 31st – November 6
th (Week 1) .................................................................................................................................................................. 42
November 7th
– November 13th
(Week 2)............................................................................................................................................................. 42
November 14th
– November 20th
(Week 3) .......................................................................................................................................................... 43
November 21st – November 27
th (Week 4) .......................................................................................................................................................... 44
Upcoming... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 45
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Tampra Patra is a 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. And, we
analyze programme approaches that can be beneficial for policy makers and development specialists. All this information in
form of briefs is disseminated to all the MPs and is also uploaded on our website.
In our December issue of NEXUS, we worked on the following briefs:
Developing Rural Tourism: This brief sheds light upon the various aspects related to rural tourism and the great potential
that India keeps for emerging as a rural tourism icon. After discussing the key factors responsible for the potential growth of
rural tourism, the brief enlists various centrally sponsored schemes for supporting rural tourism in the country. In further
section, a few organizations functioning across the country in this space have been introduced. The penultimate section
discusses a couple of case studies of successful rural tourism projects. The final section analyses the key factors responsible
for successful implementation of rural tourism projects.
Women Entrepreneurship in India: The policy brief addresses the constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in starting
and growing their enterprises. Gender-specific policy initiatives to promote women-owned businesses have also been listed
out.
Mid Day Meal Scheme: This brief discusses the long standing Mid Day Meal Scheme launched as a centrally sponsored
scheme to ensure nutrition in school going children. In its various sections the brief sheds light upon the objectives, statistical
analysis, institutional mechanism, funding mechanism and convergence. The brief concludes by giving examples of best
practices and interventions from across the country.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY): It was launched on 25th June, 2015. It seeks to meet the gap in urban housing
units through increased private sector participation and active involvement of the States. It has four broad components-
Slum Rehabilitation, Affordable Housing in partnership with Public and Private Sectors, Beneficiary led individual house
construction and Credit Linked Subsidy. Out of these, the first three components would be implementaed as a Centrally
Sponsored Scheme with active involvement of State Governments, whereas the credit linked subsidy would be implemented
as a Central Sector Scheme directly by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.
Disease Surveillance and Response: Communicable diseases account for more than 37% of the total disease burden in
India and also account for more than 43% of the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death. In 2014
alone, more than 5.2 crore cases of major communicable diseases were reported. This brief sheds light upon the prevailing
communicable disease burden. In further sections, we get to know about the existing framework for disease surveillance and
response, integrated disease surveillance programme, and biological disaster response. The penultimate section provides a
critical analysis and the final section concludes the brief.
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Developing Rural Tourism
Promoting Rural Tourism for Sustainable Development and Livelihood Generation
A tourist's paradise, India is a magnum of diverse geography and cultures, offering 30 World Heritage sites, 25 bio-
geographical zones and attractive beaches. The country saw the arrival of 1282 million domestic and 22.57 million foreign
tourists in the year 2013-14. Tourism in India accounts for 6.8% of the GDP, and is the third largest foreign exchange
earner for the country with USD 18.13 Billion. It has been accorded a priority sector status in the 12th
Five-year Plan.
In recent years, there has been an increased realization that the tourism growth potential can be harnessed as a strategy
for Rural Development. With 69% population living in rural India, and almost 6.5 million village units spread across the
country, India foresees itself as a strong platform for harnessing rural tourism. The geographical diversity of India makes it
a unique spot for harnessing rural tourism which can include tourist sites like desert, mountains, plains, plateaus, islands
and coasts in different regions. 2 biodiversity hotspots of the total 34 in the world are located in India, namely, the
Western Ghats and Himalayas, housing a large number of flora and fauna. India showcases a variety of cultural patterns
having different lifestyles, practices, art and craft, and festivals. These can be incorporated and leveraged in the form of
rural tourism. The country is also rich in heritage and offers 30 World Heritage sites.
Factors such as increasing level of awareness, growing interest in heritage and culture, improved accessibility, and
environmental consciousness have shifted trends towards rural tourism. This will not only preserve the culture and
heritage of the country, but will also generate employment in the villages since it can be leveraged to provide skill
development in tourism related job roles such as that of guide, driver, cook, housekeeping and hospitality to the tourists.
Ministry of Tourism specifies that any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural
locations, benefits the local community economically and socially, and enables interaction between the tourists and the
locals for a more enriching tourism experience can be termed as rural tourism. Rural tourism may include multiple facets
such as farm tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, and eco-tourism. The country has seen
successful rural tourism models in states such as Kerala’s backwater, Karnataka’s forest, and Tamil Nadu’s temple.
Key Central Government Schemes for Promotion of Rural Tourism
The Government of India has taken various initiatives and introduced policies to grow rural tourism. This section takes a
look at some key schemes and policy decisions.
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1. Rural Tourism Infrastructure Development Component under PIDDC scheme – Promoting Village Tourism
The Ministry of Tourism has released a Rural Tourism Infrastructure Development Component, which is part of the Product
Infrastructure Development for Destinations and Circuits (PIDDC) Scheme. 100 percent Central Assistance is provided in
this scheme. The objective of this scheme is to showcase rural life, art, culture and heritage in villages, that have core
competence in art and craft, handloom, textiles, and natural environment. Central Financial Assistance (CFA) up to Rs.50.00
Lakh for infrastructure development and up to Rs.20.00 Lakh for capacity building is provided.
The activities permitted under this scheme are improvement of village surroundings and village connectivity within the
panchayat limits (does not include major roads which connect the village), providing solid waste management and
sewerage management, village illumination, tourism related activities such as procurement of equipments and tourist
accommodation. The State government will identify the region suited for promotion of rural tourism, and is also
responsible for seeking convergence of other schemes and allocations for broader development at the site to benefit local
communities.
2. Swadesh Darshan – Positioning Tourism as an Engine of Growth
The Ministry of Tourism introduced Swadesh Darshan, a Central Sector scheme for Integrated Development of Theme-
Based Tourist Circuits. A Tourist Circuit is a route on which at least three major tourist destinations are located such that
none of them are in the same town, village or city, while a tourist circuit with a consistent theme such as religion, culture,
ethnicity and niche is known as Theme Based Tourist Circuit. These circuits would be identified by the Ministry of Tourism
based on factors such as current tourist traffic, connectivity, potential and significance attached to sites and holistic tourist
experience. The allocated budget for the scheme is Rs.600.00 crore for 2015-16 and components eligible for financing are
infrastructure development; capacity development, skill development and knowledge development; and online presence.
3. Scheme for Organizing Fair, Festival and Tourism related events – Domestic Promotion & Publicity including
Hospitality (DPPH)
Ministry of Tourism provides financial assistance to State Governments to organize fairs and festivals and tourism related
events such as seminars, conclaves and conventions. These events are to be selected by the State Government based on
the tourism potential. Maximum financial assistance to be provided to each State Government during 1 financial year
should not exceed Rs.50.00 lakh.
4. Hunar Se Rozgar Tak (HSRT), Ministry of Tourism
Fully funded by Ministry of Tourism, this programme offers courses in hospitality trades of food production, food and
beverage service, housekeeping and bakery and patisserie. Apart from that courses to bring up tourist escorts, tourist
facilitators, event facilitators, security guards, tour assistants, transfer assistants and office assistants have also been set up.
This programme is delivered by Institutes of Hotel Management, Food Craft Institutes and State Tourism Development
Corporations amongst others. Over 2 lakh persons have been trained under the programme as of 31st March, 2015.
5. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) – Developing Human Capital
This is a flagship outcome-based skill training scheme aimed at benefiting 24 lakh youth across the country. A monetary
reward is provided to trainees on assessment and certification. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will
implement the scheme and involve the Sector Skill Councils to identify job roles for which training could be imparted
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through the PMKVY. A budget of INR 1,500 crore has been allocated for the same which would also include awareness,
mobilization and administrative expenses. NSDC supports vocational training institutes by providing funding up to 75% of
the total project cost in case of for-profit entities and up to 85% of the total project cost in case of not-for-profit entities.
Candidates who successfully complete the courses are given a Skill Card. The trainees are also entitled to a monetary
reward1
upon successful completion of the assessment carried out by the assessment agencies (independent of the TP),
which are appointed by the SSC. Training is Tourism and Hospitality is given under this scheme, where in the trainees are
trained for job roles such as guide, driver, cook, housekeeping and hospitality to the locals.
Major Organisations Functional in India
Certain enterprises and non-governmental organizations have been working towards fostering rural tourism in the
country. Many of these are functional across the country. Grassroutes is one such enterprise working in the rural tourism
market, wherein they help in building the necessary infrastructure in a village from a tourist's point of view. The overall
cost of developing a village ranges from 5-10 lakhs. The Village Tourism Committee is the common link between
Grassroutes and the tourists. Grassroutes works closely with the tourism committee and the local NGO to conduct regular
training programs for the villagers to function as guides, service providers, cooks, etc. and also to learn communications
skills and quality processes. The local NGO monitors the tourists’ village experience in the village and the interactions
between the tourists and the villagers. Another such initiative is Rural Tourism Network Enterprise (RTNE). RTNE works
with a network of Destination Management Companies (DMC). While RTNE provides the core, capital-intensive support
service, the individual DMC focuses on managing relationships with accommodation providers. The architecture of a DMC
network allows delivery of services like hospitality training, rating and credit access to improve infrastructure and service
levels at rural stays.
A few more organizations in this domain, functional across the country are: DHAN Foundation (National Award for Best
NGO Promoting Tourism by Ministry of Tourism), Blue Yonder, Travel Another India, Culture Aangan, Ecospiti,
Baramati Agri Tourism, Village Ways and Eco Login.
Case Studies
1. Rural Tourism for Sansad Adarsh Gram: The following case study exemplifies development of rural tourism in a village
adopted to be developed into a model village.
1 Under the National Skill Qualification Framework, the SSC is a certifying body for Diploma and Certificates awarded on attainment of Levels 1-6. Monetary rewards are
dependent on the corresponding NSQF level attained by the successful trainee.
Promoting Village Tourism in Kitam Manpur – Adopting a Market-driven Approach
Kitam Manpur, the Sansad Adarsh Gram in South District of Sikkim, adopted a "family with family" model of village
tourism wherein tourist families stayed with the Sikkimese families. The market-driven approach was taken up in
partnership with Youth Hostel Association(YHAI) of India. Based on the assurance of arrival of tourists from YHAI,
training on homestays, nature guides and local hospitality was carried out by WWF-India, ECOSS and SIRD. The village
panchayat played a prominent role in promoting this initiative, also ensuring equitable sharing of incomes among the
various wards in the gram panchayat using a rotation based approach for hosting tourist families. The model included
two nights stay for tourists in Kitam Manpur village where they were entertained by cultural shows, exciting visit to the
Kitam Bird Sanctuary and Rangit river side walk. This was followed by a 2-day stay in Tingvong, which offered the
tourists a spectacular view of the mountains and dense forests. Apart from this, the package also included trekking in
the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, joint cultural show and village walk.
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2. Community Tourism in White Desert: Following case study describes the rural tourism opportunities discovered in
Rann of Kutch, as a concerted effort of Ministry of Tourism and United Nations Development Programme(2003-07).
Success Factors
Rural Tourism projects have been carried out at several places across the country. However, only a handful of the projects
have been successful and have resulted in increased tourist inflow as well as enhanced livelihood for the locals. The Impact
and Evaluation Study of Rural Tourism Projects cited the low tourist flow to project areas and difficult access as the key
factors for the failure of almost 31% of the projects evaluated.
Therefore, in order to develop a village as a tourist destination, first step should be to identify the key strength of the
village around which the theme of rural tourism can be developed. These themes can include handicrafts, folk music,
dance, puppet shows, theatre/street dramas, organic farming, herbal, yoga and meditation centers, eco zones within or
around the village, and/or any unique feature (such as the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics, Punjab). Important key factors which
drive growth of tourism, namely, location, proximity to prominent tourist destinations, implementation and maintenance
of hardware and software components must be considered. Further, as a multi-sectoral activity, involving multiple service
providers, rural tourism is an area where a strong public-private partnership is of prime importance, particularly given the
number of schemes under ministries beyond tourism, for instance, rural development, culture, environment and
tribal welfare, convergence of schemes must be considered for a holistic approach. Participation of village panchayat and
Rural Innovation Fund under NABARD may also be leveraged.
Conclusion
Given the geographical and cultural diversity of India, the country has a plethora of opportunities to harness rural tourism.
If implemented and promoted properly, rural tourism projects can become a driver of economic growth by generating
employment for the youth. It keeps the potential of addressing issues such as poverty, empowerment of women and
strengthening the economic status of the rural people.
Endogenous Tourism in Hodka, Rann of Kutch
Home to an ethnically diverse community, Hodka village is a unique cultural mosaic of cattle herders and traditional
crafts persons. Sham-e-Sarhad, Hodka village resort, was an initiative by the Endogenous Tourism Project (ETP) in
collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Tourism, Government
of India. Owned and operated by the Village Tourism Committee of Hodka, the resort is run by local community
members and offers an authentic yet incredible experience of the local culture, crafts and heritage. At Sham-e-Sarhad,
sustainable visitor strategies based on art, craft, culture, natural heritage and environment care, have led to larger
tourism yields, which in turn have contributed to the conservation of Hodka’s unique ecology and its community. The
beneficiaries have been the area’s rural poor, women and unemployed youth. The formation of rural self help groups
and local stakeholder participation has been a successful exercise in sustainable capacity building. By facilitating
engaging experiences of rural life for the paying visitor, who is the direct income source for the local communities,
Sham-e-Sarhad has helped improve the local people’s quality of life, and created an opportunity for conscious eco
travelers to experience a whole new perspective.
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97.62
2.37 0.01
Classification of Women-owned MSMEs
Micro
Small
Medium
Women Entrepreneurship in India
Creating Opportunities for Livelihood of Women
There are nearly three million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) with full or partial female ownership.
Collectively, these women-owned enterprises contribute 3.09 percent of industrial output and employ over 8 million
people. However, globally men and women are not on a level playing field when it comes to access to resources.
Women-owned businesses face barriers to entry and business growth that include access to education and training, legal
and cultural barriers and infrastructure-related challenges. Access to finance is typically identified as a critical constraint.
While financing is almost always a challenge for MSMEs, the difficulties are often intensified by gender-related factors,
including women’s lack of collateral, weak property rights and discriminatory regulations, laws and customs. In India, as
per the 4th
MSME Census, women enterprises, which work predominantly in the service sector, constitute a total of 7.36%
of the MSME sector. The diagrams below show how majority of women-owned MSMEs, across both registered and
unregistered sector, are classified as micro enterprises.
A state-wise analysis shows us that Meghalaya (33.76%) and Mizoram (33.8%) have the highest percentage of women-
owned enterprises, in rural and urban areas respectively. However, in several states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,
less than 5% of enterprises are owned by women.
Barriers to Women entrepreneurship
While female-run enterprises contribute to household incomes and growth of the national economy, women
entrepreneurs continue to face obstacles to the entry and growth of their businesses. Outlined below are a few major
issues.
a) Access to Finance: On average, women have less access to basic banking services such as checking and saving
accounts. As a result, many female entrepreneurs rely on their own savings, loans from family and friends, or
13.70% 9.09% 7.36%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Registered Sector Unregistered Sector
Total
Percentage of Women MSMEs
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micro-loans to finance their business needs. Though, the small size and short-term nature of micro-loans do not
allow women borrowers to make long-term investments in their businesses.
The total finance requirement of women-owned MSMEs in 2012 was around Indian rupees 8.68 trillion ($158
billion). The total supply of formal finance to women-owned MSMEs in 2012 was around Indian rupees 2.31 trillion
($42 billion). This resulted in a finance gap of Indian rupees 6.37 trillion ($116 billion), or 73% of total demand. This
credit supply originated from various types of financial institutions such as public sector banks, non-banking
financial corporations, and self-help group-bank linkage programs. A breakdown of types of institutions financing
women-owned MSMEs is as follows:
b) Informal Sector: Women entrepreneurship is largely skewed towards smaller firms and approximately 90% of these
are in the informal sector. Female ownership and employment also tend to be concentrated in less profitable and more
competitive sectors such as food, garments and retail, while male ownership and employment tend to be in more
profitable sectors such as materials and construction.
c) Access to Markets and Networks: The ability to tap into new markets requires expertise, knowledge and contacts.
Women entrepreneurs often lack access to training and experience and are unable to market the goods and services
effectively. Since majority of women entrepreneurs function on a small scale, they also lack access to sufficient market
information about prices, inputs and competitors, as well as support services they can leverage.
d) Skill gap: Women often lack the
combination of education, vocational and
technical skills, and work experience needed
to support the development of highly
productive businesses. Male entrepreneurs,
for example, are more likely than female
entrepreneurs to have been employed in the
wage sector prior to starting a business.
Women-specific solutions to these issues should
tackle both supply-side issues (such as policy
bias and discrimination, lack of training and
Source Financing Supply Share (percent)
Public sector banks through micro credit 30
Public sector banks to small scale industries 38
Private sector banks 19
Foreign banks 5
Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana 4
Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana 2
Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana 1
57 56
30
18
44
38
0
30
60
Formal training Informal training
Status of Vocational Training (per 1000 people)
Male
Female
Total
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misconceptions about female credit risk) and demand side issues (such as women’s reluctance to enter the business or
expand their work given a lack of business training and higher failure rates).
Various initiatives to expand support to MSMEs have been developed over the past few years, but only some have a
gender-specific component. Given below are women-focused schemes introduced by the government to ease access to
finance, skill development and mentorship for women entrepreneurs.
a) Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD) Scheme for
Women
The scheme envisages economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs through trade related training, information and
counseling extension activities related to trades, products, services etc. Since such women are not able to have an easy
access to credit, it will be made available to women applicants through NGOs who would be capable of handling funds in
an appropriate manner. These NGOs will not only handle the disbursement of such loans needed by women but would
also provide them adequate counseling, training and assistance in developing markets.
The salient features of the scheme are as follows:
Institutions such as EDIs and MSME-DIs sponsored by State Govt. and any other suitable institution will be provided
need based Government grant primarily for undertaking activities aiming at empowerment of women covered
under the scheme.
The grant shall be limited up to Rs. 5 lakh per project.
Credit
•Government Grant up to 30% of the total project cost as appraised by lending institutions which would finance the
remaining 70% as loan Assistance to applicant women, who have no easy access to credit from banks.
•Government Grant and the loan portion from the lending agencies to assist such women shall be routed through
eligible NGOs engaged in assisting poor women through any kind of income generating activities in non farm
sector.
Training and Counseling
•Training organizations viz. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Entrepreneurship Development
Institutes (EDIs), NISIET and the NGOs conducting training programmes for empowerment of women beneficiaries
identified under the scheme would be provided a grant upto maximum limit of Rs. 1.00 lakh per programme
provided such institutions also bring their share to the extent of minimum 25% of the Government grant.
•The batch size for such a training activity will be at least 20 participants. Duration of the training programme will
be minimum one month.
Eliciting Information
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b) Mahila Coir Yojana
Mahila Coir Yojana is a woman oriented self-employment scheme in the coir industry, which provides self-employment
opportunities to the rural women artisans in regions producing coir fibre. The scheme envisages distribution of motorized
ratts for spinning coir yarn to women artisans after giving training.
The salient features of the scheme are as follows:
Women spinners are trained for two months in spinning coir yarn on motorized ratt at the Coir Board’s training
centres.
A stipend of Rs. 500/- p.m. is also paid to the trainees.
The Coir Board provides motorized ratts/ motorized traditional ratts at 75% cost subsidy, subject to a maximum
ceiling of Rs. 7,500/- for motorized ratts and Rs. 2,925/- for traditional ratts.
c) Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana
Under the scheme , preference is given to women beneficiaries. While communicating the targets under the Scheme to
the States/ Union Territories and Reserve Bank of India (RBI), standing instructions are issued for ensuring that the number
of women beneficiaries under PMRY should not be less than 30%. Furthermore, in order to facilitate participation of
women beneficiaries under this scheme, the following relaxations are being provided:
Age Relaxation – the upper limit for women applicants is 45 years, as against 35 years for general category
applicants.
Relaxation in residency criteria for married women - the residency criterion of last three years is applicable for
spouse/in-laws in case of married women applicants
In addition, certain government schemes for MSMEs provide special incentives and concessions for women entrepreneurs.
For example, under the MSE Cluster Development Programme by Ministry of MSME, the contribution from the Ministry
of MSME varies between 30-80% of the total project in case of hard intervention, but in the case of clusters owned and
managed by women entrepreneurs, contribution of the M/o MSME could be upto 90% of the project cost. Similarly, under
the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises, the guarantee cover is generally available up to
75% of the loans extended; however the extent of guarantee cover is 80% for MSEs operated and/ or owned by women.
While an entrepreneur friendly policy ecosystem is the need of the hour, there is also a pressing need to make it more
gender-inclusive. The right blend of suitable policies, empowering ecosystem, provision of infrastructure, access to finance
and incubation are required to energize women-owned business and reduce the gap between men and women.
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Other ,
233.43, 89%
MDMS, 29.77, 11%
19.5 19.74 19.9 19.97 19.89
11.77 11.04 10.52 10.68 10.45
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Enrolment in Elementary Education Mid Day Meal Coverage
Other, 652082, 98%
MDMS, 13215,
2%
Mid Day Meal Scheme
A School Meal Programme of the Government of India
With the view to enhancing enrollment, retention and attendance in schools, and simultaneously improving nutritional
levels among children, Mid Day Meal Programme has been prominently present in the Indian education system since the
year 1925, where it was first introduced in Madras Municipal Corporation. In August 1995, National Programme of
Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. This scheme was
renamed as 'National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools' in October 2007, and since year 2008, covers all children
studying in Government, Local Body and Government-aided primary and upper primary schools and the EGS/AIE centres
including Madarsa and Maqtabs supported under SSA of all areas across the country.
Objectives
The objectives & nutritional targets of the scheme are as follows:
To address hunger in schools by serving hot cooked meals & improve nutritional status of children.
To improve enrolment, retention and attendance rates of children belonging to disadvantaged sections.
To focus on intrinsic educational values such as importance of clean water, good hygiene by imparting good habits
(such as washing hands before & after meals) through a well-organized Mid Day Meal.
To foster social equality as children from varied social backgrounds learn to sit together and share a meal which helps
to break barriers of caste & class in a school.
To provide 450 calories & 12 gms of protein at primary level, and, 700 calories & 20 gms of protein at upper primary
level per child per meal
To provide adequate quantities of micro-nutrients like Iron, Folic Acid & Vitamin A.
Statistical Analysis
Institutional Mechanism
The mechanism of Mid Day Meal Programme is as follows:
A National Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee (SMC) serves asthe nodal agency for the program. It monitors the
programme, assess its impact, and coordinate among concerned departments and agencies and provides policy
advice to Central and State Governments. After submission of annual work plan by States/UTs, the Programme
Budget Expenditure 2013-14 Foodgrain Allocation 2013-14
*Figures in crores *Figures in crores *Figures in crores
17
• The cooking is done primarily in the school kitchen by engaging cook cum helpers or self-help
groups.
• The village education committee or parent teacher association are in charge of the cooking.
Decentralized Model
• A centralized kitchen is set-up mostly through public-private partnership. An external organization
cooks and delivers the meals to schools.
•This is primarily found in the urban areas. Many organizations such as Akshay Patra Foundation,
Naandi Foundation, etc are providing mid day meals in cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Bhopal,
Ajmer, etc.
Centralized Model
Approval Board (PAB) releases central assistance bi-annually. Both the SMC & PAB are under the chairmanship of
Secretary, Dept. of School Education & Literacy.
States and UTs are also required to set up Steering-cum-Monitoring Committees (SMC) at the State/District/Block
levels to monitor implementation of the programme. Every State Government/UTs has to authorize one of its
departments as the Nodal Department to take overall responsibility for implementation of the programme.
The Panchayat/Urban Local Bodies are to be in charge of the implementation of the programme in states where
primary education is entrusted to them. Gram Panchayat/Municipality may assign the supervision of the programme
at school level to the Village Education Committee (VEC)/School Management and Development Committee
(SMDC) or Parent Teacher Association (PTA), as the case may be, to be accountable to the Gram
Panchayat/Municipality.
There are two models being followed as far as the cooking and distribution of food is concerned.
Funding Mechanism
Under the scheme the Central Government provides for supply of 100 grams of free food grains (wheat/rice) per child per
school day from the nearest FCI (Food Corporation of India) godown. The Central Government also reimburses the actual
cost of transportation of food grains from nearest FCI godown subject to a ceiling of Rs. 100/- per quintal for 11 special
category states (N.E states along with J&K, H.P, Uttaranchal& Sikkim) and Rs. 75/- per quintal for other states & U.Ts.
The Centre also provides assistance for cooking cost at Rs. 1.80/- per child per school day provided the State Government
contributes a minimum of 20 paise (for N.E States) and at Rs. 1.5/- per child per school day provided the State
Government contributes a minimum of 50 paise (for other states/U.Ts).
Centre also provides assistance to construct kitchen-cum-store at Rs. 60,0000/- per unit and for provisioning and
replacement of kitchen devices at Rs. 5000/- per school.
Convergence
The efficient implementation of the MDMS requires convergence with several other development programmes (which
provide for MDMS needs) in order to meet all the requirements of the scheme.
18
Initiatives and Measures Taken by Governments
1. Public Private Partnership
•Ministry of Rural Development-Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojana(SGRY)as a useful public asset in
rural areas.
•Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation -Urban Wage Employment Programme(as useful
public asset), a component of Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) for urban areas
outside slums.
•Ministry of Human Resource Development - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for new school
construction.
Construction of Kitchen-cum-Store
•Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation: National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP)
for drinking water supply in schools. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan(NBA) for sanitation facilities in schools.
Water Supply
•Ministry of Human Resource Development: Funds available under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA)
Annual school grant of Rs 2000/- per annum per school and, grant of Rs 1000/- per annum for EGS
Centers (Under Education Guarantee Scheme(EGS) centers. They are set up in un-served habitations
where no school exists within a radius of 1km and at least 15 children in age group of 6-14 & not
going to school are available)
Kitchen Devices
Use of Ultra Rice in Andhra Pradesh
The Centralized Model of implementation of Mid Day Meal scheme was adopted in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
in 2008. PATH and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) partnered with Naandi foundation to provide iron-
fortified lunches every day to 61,000 school children that comes in the form of Ultra Rice. The National Institute of
Nutrition conducted a study from 2007-2008 to assess the impact of Ultra Rice on the iron status of school children
participating in the Mid Day Meal programme. The study showed a significant increase in the iron stores (measured by
serum ferritin levels) of the children. The children also experienced significant reduction in incidence of morbidity in
comparison to the control group.
In Centralized kitchens, the incremental cost of adding Ultra Rice to rice-based meals is nominal because the fortified
grains are easily blended with traditional rice either during or right before cooking. The incremental cost per day per
child comes out to be Rs 0.1. Given the proven benefits of Ultra Rice on child health, this is an intervention which
deserves attention and can be implemented in other regions for better results. The Mid Day Meal programme can thus
be utilized to achieve the goals of greater student attendance as well as making focused interventions in the field of
child health and nutrition.
19
2. Added Nutrition
3. Health
Tithi Bhojan in Gujarat
'Tithi Bhojan' is a community participatory model followed by the Gujarat government in the midday meal
programme. Under this, food is voluntarily served among school children by villagers in several forms like sweet and
namkeen with the regular midday meal and supplementary nutritive items like sprouted beans. The community
members also contribute to improve quality of the school mid day meals on a happy occasion/event in the family or
festivals. Around 2 lakh children were benefited through Thithi Bhojan initiative.
This scheme would now be replicated across the country by the HRD Ministry, where greater public participation as
well as involvement of religious and charitable to ensure more effective community monitoring is planned.
Breakfast Scheme in Puducherry
Government of Puducherry started additional meals for children in schools such as the Rajiv Gandhi Breakfast Scheme
and Rajiv Gandhi Evening Milk Scheme. Under this, a glass of hot milk and biscuits are provided to the students. This
scheme also ensures food security to poor children.
As a result of its enactment, the school attendance and enrolment of students in the schools have seen improvement
and enhancement in the student’s nutritional status and thereby reducing the status of malnutrition. It contributes to
gender equality by reducing the gender gap in Education by boosting female attendance in schools. It also
contributes all round development of the entire school system. The height and weight of the students have also shown
marked improvement. According to a 2010-11 MDMS Puducherry report, the dropout ratio drastically reduced to Nil in
Primary level and 3% in the upper primary level due to the implementation of these welfare schemes.
Apna Swasthya Apne Haath in Jharkhand
This programme is directly related to children of schools who ensure their good health and sanitation keeping them
clean. The Bal Sansad (Student Body) does health check-ups by using tazos (small cards carrying health logos)
indicating cleanliness of Ear, Eye, Nose, Teeth, Nail, Dress, Hair and Bath. The Bal Sansad ensures the cleanliness of
school premises, classroom, kitchen, hand pump. The Bal Sansad ensures that the soap is kept near the hand pump so
that children use it after using toilet and before taking MDM. The Bal Sansad also ensures the use of dustbin in every
class.
20
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
Housing for All (Urban) Scheme by Government of India
India is experiencing urbanization at a very rapid pace. While it presents a number of opportunities, it has also created
several devellopmental challenges. One such challenge is the urban housing shortage prevalent across 4041 statutory
towns in the country. The issue is more acute in the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Lower Income Groups (LIG).
The Technical Group on Urban Housing Shortage, 2012-17 estimated the total housing shortage at 18.78 million in
2012. EWS and LIG categories account for 96% of this housing shortage.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana was launched on 25th June, 2015. It seeks to meet the gap in urban housing units through
increased private sector participation and active involvement of the States. It has four broad components- Slum
Rehabilitation, Affordable Housing in partnership with Public and Private Sectors, Beneficiary led individual house
construction and Credit Linked Subsidy. Out of these, the first three components would be implementaed as a Centrally
Sponsored Scheme with active involvement of State Governments, whereas the credit linked subsidy would be
implemented as a Central Sector Scheme directly by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.
Components of the Scheme
In Situ Slum Rehabilitation
Under this component, in-situ slum redevelopment will be carried out. Central grant of Rs 1,00,000
per household will be provided for the same.
A slum redevelopment project would be expected to have two components- rehabilitation to
provide housing and basic civic amenities to current and existing slum dwellers, and free sale
under which a portion of the land would be available to developers for selling in the market.
The project would be implemented by private developers, selected through an open transparent
bidding, on criteria decided by States or ULBs. The developers would also be responsible for
providing transit accommodation to slum dwellers.
Affordable Housing in Partnership
The component targets creating housing for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) households,
with annual income up to Rs 3 lakh and current house sizes up to 30 sq m.
Central government would provide assistance to State governments for undertaking housing
projects targeted towards EWS households. Each such project should have at least 250 houses,
with at least 35% earmarked for EWS households. Assistance would amount to Rs 1.5 lakh for
each EWS household covered under the project.
The State governments have the flexibility of involving the private sector in the housing projects.
21
Funding under the Scheme
Under the Scheme, indicative State-wise allocation has been made by Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
based on urban population and estimated slum population. A total of Rs 4000 crore has been allocated to all State/UTs.
Component wise allocation will be decided on the basis of proposals received from States. Given below is the State-wise
indicative allocation.
Beneficiary-led individual house construction
The component is targeted towards EWS households looking to construct new houses or
enhance existing ones. Central assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh is provided all such households.
A beneficiary desirous of availing assistance under the component may approach the
relevant ULB.
State governments may also contribute financially for such individual house
construction.
Credit linked Subsidy Scheme
The component provides interest subvention subsidy to EWS and Low Income Group (LIG)
households (income between 3-6 lakh and house sizs up to 60 sq m) seeking housing loan from
banks.
Interest subsidy is provided at 6.5% for a tenure of 15 years for loans up to Rs 6 lakhs.
Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and National Housing Bank (NHB) have
been identified as central nodal agencies to channelize the subsidy amount to lending
institutions.
State / ULBs will be responsible for linking beneficiary identification to Aadhar, Voter Card or any
other unique identification.
Arunachal Pradesh 25.00 Kerala 79.42
Assam 140.00 Maharashtra 561.74
Bihar 87.46 Punjab 86.25
Chhattisgarh 83.82 Rajasthan 139.05
Delhi 122.48 Sikkim 25.00
Goa 5.67 Tamil Nadu 314.55
Gujarat 172.99 Tripura 70.00
Haryana 84.28 Uttar Pradesh 369.96
Himachal Pradesh 50.11 Uttarakhand 27.25
Jammu and Kashmir 34.13 West Bengal 307.34
Jharkhand 55.14 Odisha 79.94
Karnataka 204.51 Madhya
Pradesh
253.23
22
Role of State Governments
The State Governments have a major role to play in ensuring that the urban housing provision is equitable and effective.
Hence the policy initiatives taken by the State have a major role to play in the effective implementation of the scheme.
Some of the initiatives which States have to take mandatorily include-
The State Government of Gujarat has taken several steps which has facilitated the implementation of housing projects in
the State. Given below is a brief summary of the initiatives.
• Preparation and amendment of master plans earmarking land for affordable housing.
• Dispensing need for separate non- agricultural (NA) permission if land falls under a residential zone
earmarked under the master plan of the city.
• Provision of single-window clearance time bound clearance for layout approval and building permissions at
ULB level.
• Amendment of existing rental laws on the lines of the Model Tenancy Act prepared by the Ministry.
• Provision of additional Floor Area Ratio / Floor Space Index / Transferable Development Rights for slum
redevelopment and affordable housing
Under the Mukhya Mantri Gruh Yojana, Gujarat government aimed to provide affordable housing to EWS / LIG with
a focus on in situ rehabilitation of slums. Assistance of up to Rs 1,50,000 per household and exemption from stamp
duty was provided by the government. The State played a major role in creating an enabling environment for
affordable housing to be implemented efficiently. These included-
Technology neutral tendering process- Earlier the tendering process varied as per building types and was
cumbersome and time consuming. This was streamlined and made more transparent.
Incentives provided to developer- Provisions for cross subsidization were allowed opening avenues for
commercial development of up to 10% of land. This helped in attracting private sector participation.
Government land made available at token price- Land owned by government and ULB were made available
through a simplified process by giving advanced possession for a token value of Re 1. This helped enhance project
viability.
Housing allotment during the beginning of the project- Earlier allotment was done after the completion of
construction of houses. This limited involvement of community during the construction process. Allotment at the
beginning of the project ensured additional quality checks and ownership by the community.
Organizing loan melas- Earlier beneficiaries had to arrange loans on their own without the support of
implementation agency. Loan melas provided platform for beneficiaries and banks and ensured financial inclusion,
reduced and streamlined paper work, and shortened processes making project implementation more effective.
Creation of ICT platform- State level web enabled MIS was set up. This ensured effective monitoring and
transparency in the implementation of the scheme.
Due to the proactive role played by the State Government, construction of 1,15,900 houses was completed within one
year. More than 88,300 slum families have already been rehabilitated. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is a centrally
sponsored scheme, but States have a major role to play in its implementation. Creation of an enabling environment by
States for effective implementation of the scheme can provide a major boost to the Urban Housing for All mission.
23
Disease Surveillance and Response
Communicable diseases account for more than 37% of the total disease burden in India and also account for more than
43% of the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death. In 2014 alone, more than 5.2 crore cases of
major communicable diseases were reported. The working group on communicable diseases for the 12th Five Year Plan
noted that most of these cases have been endemic and geographically limited but may frequently attain epidemic
proportions. Multifold increase in global trade and travel has also lead to an elevated exposure to foreign pathogens and
pandemics. A biological outbreak, in addition to being a major public health threat, also puts excessive stress on the
routine health functions and can disrupt economic activity. Early detection and identification of an imminent epidemic
threat is important to limit the fallout of the biological event and formulate effective response strategy to mitigate the
damage.
Current Communicable Disease Burden
As per the “Global Disease Burden Report 2008” by World Health Organization, communicable diseases contributed to
37% of the total disease burden in India. Various communicable diseases like Malaria, Chikungunya, Dengue, Influenza,
Leptospirosis, Water-borne diarreahol diseases are a major point of concern. Over 1 million cases of malaria were
reported in India in 2014. Pulmonary Tuberculosis was responsible for more than 63000 deaths in the 2014. Nearly 11
million cases of acute diarreahol diseases were reported, mainly among low-income groups in the states of Bihar and
West Bengal. Rapid urbanization and poor waste management practices have increased the incidence of vector-borne
diseases like Dengue (40000 cases) and Chikungunya (15000 cases). The 12th Five-year plan also noted that evolution of
antimicrobial resistant varieties of pathogens has made the task of containing communicable diseases more complex.
Endemic Recurring Diseases
•Acute Diarreahol disease
•Acute Respiratory Infection
•Acute Encephalitis Syndrome
•Dengue
•Chikungunya
•Malaria
•Entric Fever
•Tuberculosis
Large-Scale Epidemic/Pandemic
•Avian Influenza (H5N1) (in 2006)
•Swine Flu (H1N1) (in 2019-13)
•SARS (in 2003)
•Plague (in 1994 and 2001)
1584
1961
1562
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
2012 2013 2014
Reported Outbreaks in India
24
In addition to the recurring diseases, various large-scale pandemic outbreaks also pose a major challenge. The Swine
Flu (H1N1) epidemic caused more than 7300 deaths between 2009 and 2013, with more than 1700 deaths in one single
year (2010). A Hepatitis B outbreak in Gujarat in 2009 caused 49 deaths. Similarly, the global breakout of SARS in 2003 and
Ebola in West Africa in 2014 caused global panic; though the impact in India was small (3 reported cases of SARS and
none for Ebola).
Existing Framework for Disease Surveillance and Response
Health is a state subject under the constitution and but The National Health Policy of 2002 recognized that the “…(then)
existing surveillance network is rudimentary…”and envisaged a “full operationalization of an integrated disease control
network from the lowest rung of public health administration to the Central Government, by 2005”. The draft
National Health Policy 2015 also reiterates the intent to “respond to localized outbreaks as and when they occur and
before they become generalized epidemics” through “public health capacity to collect, analyze and respond to the
disease outbreaks using the state of the art public health knowledge”. The working group on Communicable Disease for
the 12th five year plan identified “an efficient disease surveillance and response system for early detection and
treatment of cases and for early detection and control of outbreaks of epidemic prone disease” as a key strategy to
deal with the high incidence of communicable diseases. Similarly, WHO’s International Health Regulations (2005), to
which India is a signatory, requires all member states to strengthen their core capacity to detect, report and respond
rapidly to public health events and to notify WHO, within 24 hours, of all events that may constitute a public health
emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
In 1996, the National Apical Advisory Committee for National Disease Surveillance and Response System (NAAC) was
created followed by the establishment of National Surveillance Programme on Communicable Diseases (NSPCD) in
1997 on a pilot basis initially in 5 districts. The programme was eventually expanded to cover 101 districts over years. The
programme was designed to report outbreaks on occurrence and weekly reporting of epidemic prone diseases. The states
acted as the implementing agencies and the National Institute for Control of Diseases (NICD) was the nodal agency for
co-ordination. In 2004, Government of India launched the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) with World
Bank assistance. IDSP is the primary disease surveillance and response mechanism currently in place.
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is administratively and financially a part of National Centre for Disease
Control (NCDC), which is the successor of NICD. The objectives of IDSP are as follows:
1) To establish a decentralised state-based system of surveillance for communicable and non-communicable
diseases so that timely and effective public health action can be initiated in response to health challenges in the
country at the state and national levels
2) To improve the efficiency of the existing surveillance activities of disease control programmes and facilitate
sharing of relevant information with the health administration, community and other stakeholders so as to detect
disease trends over time and evaluate control strategies
25
The IDSP has established District Surveillance Units (DSUs) and State Surveillance Units (SSUs) in all the states and
districts of the country, each headed by headed by a surveillance officer and supported by epidemiologists,
microbiologists and data management staff. A national “Central Surveillance Unit” (CSU) has also been established in
Delhi as a part of NCDC.
Disease incidence data is collected on weekly basis to provide information on the disease trends and seasonality of
diseases. The data is collected on a syndromic surveillance basis where the suspected case is reported at the Primary
Health Centre or lower units. Confirmed case reporting is also done after clinical tests of the suspected cases.Whenever
there is a visible trend of illnesses in any area, it is investigated by the Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to diagnose and
control the outbreak. A defined set of triggers for a disease is used to decide the level and the scale of response
required. In case of local outbreak District Rapid Response Team responds in real time, investigate the outbreak & take all
preventive measures. A physician, epidemiologist and a pathologist are the members of District RRT. If the outbreak is of
serious nature, RRT from regional medical college assists the District RRT to control the epidemic. The State RRT will be
activated in case of major epidemic situation.
The working of the DSU is overseen by a District Surveillance Committee comprising of relevant officials across line
departments from the district administration. A State Surveillance Committee is formed at the state level to oversee the
functioning of the SSU.
.
The IDSP is also building capacity at the district laboratories and designated regional laboratories to strengthen the
laboratory diagnosis systems. In addition, all IDSP DSUs are networked with IT-enabled systems and video conferencing
facilities to enable real-time reporting of outbreaks. The CSU also includes a media monitoring cell and a 24/7 helpline to
detect any unusual outbreak which is not captured by IDSP’s local units.
Trigger-1
•Response by Health Workers
Trigger-2
•Outbreak Investigation & Response (PHCs/ CHCs)
Trigger-3
• Outbreak Investigation & Response (DSU)
Trigger-4
•Epidemic Response (SSU)
Trigger-5
•Disaster Response (CSU)
Field Health
Workers
•Reporting of suspected
cases
•Awareness
Sub Centre
•Compilation of data
•Collection of Samples
•Reporting to PHC
PHC/CHC
•Outbreak Response
•Reporting to DSU
•Information, Education
and Communication
DSU
•Data entry & analysis
(incl. data from private
hospitals)
•Outbreak investigation
•Outbreak response
•Training
26
Biological Disaster Response
The Disaster Management Act of 2005 mandates the National Disaster Management Authority to formulate guidelines
for all disasters including biological incidents. NDMA prepared a guideline for management of biological disasters in 2008.
The guidelines defined the response and disaster management mechanisms at central, state and district levels. However,
the guidelines have not been in effect pending notification.
Response to an epidemic event (natural or otherwise) is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s
(MoHFW) Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division. It is provided technical support by the NCDC and other subordinate
technical institutions. MoHFW is responsible for co-coordinating efforts and response of all departments in case of a
biological disaster, under the supervision of the national crisis management committee. NCDC also acts as the national
focal point for International Health Regulation 2005 and is responsible for reporting public health emergencies to
WHO and receiving international emergency alerts related to public health.
During the anticipated spread of Ebola in 2014, the NCDC issued guidelines informing the IDPS surveillance officers of the
measures to be taken to detect the cases, possible contact, spread of infection and procedures for isolation and treatment
of suspected cases. The overall effort was co-ordinated by EMR with technical support from NCDC and international
liaison by the International Health division of MoHFW.
Critical Analysis
IDSP has been successful in detecting and reporting a majority of outbreak cases. On an average, the CSU receives over 30
outbreak alerts from the field. Over 90% districts regularly report outbreak data. As the information is reported by the
ground level health worker, reporting integration has been achieved across various communicable diseases
programmes like National Vector Borne Diseases Programme (NVBDP), National TB Programme, etc. The reporting
format also requires reporting on investigation of and response to the outbreak which has ensured accountability in SSUs
and DSUs. A multilevel trigger based response system enables immediate response at all levels beginning from the D-
RRT which is in best position to respond immediately. A lab network of 65 labs has been established in 9 states for
providing diagnostic services. Provision of a strong IT network has enabled rapid reporting of outbreaks resulting in
shorter response times. Even in case of large-scale biological disaster cases, the mechanisms are in place for a rapid
response as seen in case of Ebola.
However, the reporting from private hospitals is in many cases incomplete and can lead to undetected cases. Many
DSUs are still reporting data through emails instead of the portal, thus adding some delay in reporting. The quality of
investigations in reported outbreaks and efficiency of response has also been inconsistent across states. A review
conducted by Center for Disease Control, USA on request of MoHFW identified some issues with IDSP. The lack of
trained manpower like epidemiologists, entomologists etc. is a major cause of concern for effective functioning of the
disease surveillance programme. The review also noted inadequate prioritization of the programme by state and
district administrations. The division of authority between directorates of health services and medical education has led
to hampering of the diagnostic services through medical colleges.
27
The IDSP needs increased co-ordination under International Health Regulations 2005 at state-level and constant
communication with other stakeholders like the airport, ports and ground borders authorities. The notification of the
NDMA guidelines on biological disasters will help formalize the response mechanism with clear demarcation of
responsibilities of various stakeholders.
Conclusion
A robust disease surveillance and response mechanism is important to effectively address the heavy disease burden and
challenges posed by pandemics. IDSP has considerably improved case and outbreak detection. The gaps in the design and
performance of IDSP need to be addressed to improve its performance from the current levels. Adequate human
resources and addition of response capacity are necessary to make it better.
28
29
Data brings objectivity and efficiency in the delivery and assessment of development. There's a scope of leveraging 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 present crisply to our
audience. The page can be viewed at visualdata.indianexpress.com.
We analyzed the following in the month of November, as a result of the recently occurred events:
MPLADs: Where was the money spent?: Despite many criticisms on the utilization of funds, about 88% of
the MPLAD funds released since inception have been spent on asset creation under the scheme. The quality of work,
however, seems to be lacking a robust monitoring mechanism. The write-up in this section sheds light on where this
money was spent.
Section 12(1)(c) - Providing Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections: The Right to Education Act provides that
every child in the 6-14 age group shall have a right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school. The Act
also provides for certain time targets that Governments must adhere to. In particular, Secton 12 (1) (c) of the Act
mandates that Private unaided institutions and special category schools shall provide free and compulsory education to at
least 25% (of the strength of class) to children belonging to disadvantaged groups and weaker sections. The Supreme Court
in 2012 upheld the Constitutional validity of this section. However a study by Central Square Foundation in 2015 found
that many states are not strictly adhering to this provision.
30
MPLAD scheme was introduced on 23rd December 1993 by former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao. The basis for the
scheme was that Members of Parliament (MP) be able to recommend developmental works of capital nature in their
respective constituencies. Initially starting with Rs 5 lakh per MP per year, the amount was increased to Rs. 1 Crore per
year per MP during 1994-95 till 1997-98. It was further increased to Rs. 2 crores from the years 1998-99 and since 1st April
2011 each MP can recommend works worth Rs. 5 crore per year under MPLADS. Emphasis under the scheme is creation of
durable community assets based on the locally felt needs. For the development of areas inhabited by SCs and STs, MPs
are also supposed to recommend every year, works costing at least 15% and 7.5% of the MPLADS entitlement for the year.
The Guidelines specify that all recommended eligible works should be sanctioned within 75 days from the date of receipt
of the recommendation, after completing all formalities. The time-limit for completion of the works should generally not
exceed one year (it is not feasible to prescribe precise time-frames for all the different types of works).
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) monitors the overall position of funds released, cost of
works sanctioned, funds spent while the Nodal Department in the State is responsible for coordination with the Ministry
and proper and effective supervision of the MPLADS implementation in the State.
MPLADS scheme has been a subject of intense media scrutiny over the years with reports usually focussed on % of
utilization every year. However, despite many criticisms on the utilization, about 88% of the funds released, under the
scheme, since inception have been spent on asset creation.
Most of the funds are spent on constructing roads, pathways & bridges and other public facilities. These two sectors
constitute to about 61% of the works and 64% of the funds. Infrastructure for education stands third with 15% of the
funds directed towards these works.
1,310.00 1,433.90 1,451.50 1,470.55 1,580.00 1,531.50 1,533.32
2,507.68
3,722.00
88.35 90.88 91.92 93.04 94.35
92.58 92.73
88.72 87.98
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Funds Released (In Cr) % of Cummulative Utilization
31
Some of the major criticisms remain on the quality of work, improper use of funds and lack of robust monitoring
mechanism. Several reports have been commissioned to evaluate the scheme. Programme Evaluation Organization of
erstwhile Planning Commission had conducted an evaluation of the Scheme for the reference period 1994-95 to 1998-99.
The report submitted in 2001 mentions monitoring as the weakest part as the weakest part of the scheme. The CAG in its
2010-11 report had identified few lapses in the scheme including: selection of prohibited works, improper documentation
of works, Assets not being put to use and has made recommendations accordingly.
In a survey conducted during 2012-13 by an independent monitoring agency, Agricultural Finance Corporation Limited
(AFC), it was found that 82% of the works were in rural areas and 18% in Urban / Semi Urban areas. The share of rural and
urban area in aggregate cost was 78% and 22% respectively. This survey spanned over 5615 works across.
Roads Pathways
and Bridges 32%
Other Public Facilities
28%
Education 13%
Drinking Water Facility
12%
Electricity 5%
Sanitation and Public
Health 4%
Sports 2%
Others 4%
Roads Pathways and
Bridges 38%
Other Public Facilities
26%
Education 14%
Drinking Water Facility
7%
Electricity 4%
Sanitation and Public
Health 4%
Sports 2%
Others 5%
32
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was passed in 2009 making education a right for children in
the age group 6-14. Section 12(1)(c) of the Act mandated that schools provide admission for children belonging to
economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantageous groups in the neighbourhood schools. These admissions are
from Class I to the extent of at least 25% of the strength of that class. The Act also provides that such schools shall be
reimbursed expenditure incurred by these schools on providing education to these children. The SSA Framework has been
amended to assist the States/UTs towards reimbursement of costs incurred with respect to admissions.
Till September 2014, about 14.22 lakh students benefitted through Section 12(1)(c). In the year 2015-16 alone, the Union
Government approved funds to the tune of Rs. 250 crores for reimbursements of over 5 lakh children in 7 states. There is
also a divide among different states in implementing – with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu having
the most admissions.
ASER 2014 found that the learning gap between Private and Public schools is increasing putting the latter at a
disadvantage. A learning gap of 9.8 percentage points in 2006 doubled to 20.3 percentage points in 2014. This has
resulted in more parents enrolling their children in private schools. Data from Unified District Information System for
Education (UDISE) shows that for classes I-V, % enrolment in private unaided schools increased from 25.93% in 2008-09 to
34.38% in 2013-14.
This makes the implementation of Section 12(1)(c) even more important so as the EWS and disadvantageous groups do
not lose out on opportunities and quality education.
While the intention of this provision was to make schools socially and economically inclusive, its implementation has faced
many roadblocks. The section was also challenged for its constitutional validity in the Supreme Court and was
subsequently upheld – with the exception of minority institutions.
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33
A study by IIM Ahmedabad and Central Square foundation has shown that the implementation has been far from the
targets. In 2013-14, roughly 610,000 (6.1 lakh) seats were filled out of approximately 2.11 million (21.1 lakh) seats available.
While this is a substantial improvement from the 21.5% fill rate the previous year, it still falls way short of the intended
goal. The study has further listed 4 legal lacunae in the implementation as: 1) Income limits for determining economically
weaker sections 2) Grievance redressal 3) Issues with the admission process 4) Exemptions for minority schools.
Another issue is lack of awareness among the EWS and disadvantageous groups. A study by J-PAL in Delhi has found that
only 3% of the eligible families in Delhi are aware of this opportunity. In another survey conducted by INDUS ACTION, it
was found that only 4% families were aware of the provision and less than 1% were aware of the documentation required.
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34
35
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, where the area of
intervention is 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.
Our team members recently visited Uttara Kannada and Nagrota to assess the ground situation and evaluate the potential
of growth in certain sectors. In this section, let's find out what they have to say about their visits.
36
Swaniti provides many platforms to hold conversations with the Members of Parliament to better understand their interest
areas and passions. On one such occasion, we had the pleasure to sit across and sip tea with a member of Rajya Sabha
from Karnataka. The MP shared how even after years of development, some of the scheduled tribes in his state were still
not able to reach their potential. The particular tribe in consideration here were the Siddis of the African descent who
came to India almost 400 years ago.
The next thing we know we were in Uttara Kannada to know more about the tribe and their needs. For ground support, we
had members from the local MLA’s office to guide us in the right direction. To best utilize our time there and meet as
many community members as possible, we decided to hit the road from the first day. On our journey to the tribal
habitations, we were taken aback by the vastness of the land and the beauty of the dense forests that covered more than
two-third of the district’s total land. Soon, we were on the doorsteps of our new hosts and unlike the popular myth
surrounding the behavior of the tribals towards strangers, Siddis were one of the most hospitable people that we have
ever met.
After exchanging pleasantries and spending a considerable time with them, we began to realize the depth of their
problems. Though most children went to school, they dropped out after the upper primary education and began to work
as agricultural laborers in the farms nearby, a common way to earn livelihood for most of the community members. At
first, we considered it as a simple lack of secondary schools or a financial constraint problem, but on further examination
we realized though these were some of the challenge, there was more to it. Uttara Kannda being a large district by area
and the availability of the higher education at the Taluka level, made it difficult for the children to reach schools despite
their willingness. To complicate this further, the poor public transport and the landscape of the region did not help either.
37
On expanding this, we understood the challenge of being unconnected or unreachable was not just limited to children but
was impacting the lives of other members of the community as well. Since, the members were spread throughout the
district, meeting and interacting with each other was not so easy and frequent. This was not a good sign as we have all
realized that if communities have to sustain, especially the ones such as Siddis with numbers only in mere thousands, they
need to stay united. What was even more discouraging was the dearth of the central places where the community could
hold social gatherings, public meetings and promote cultural activities.
Now that we had identified some of the problems and the challenges associated, it was time for us to figure out the
solutions. However, as we had been away from office for too long, we had to bid adieu to our new friends, only to
continue the work from Delhi. That evening on our flight back, we made a promise in our hearts to find a way to send
those children to school and to find a place where the community could build itself and endure its heritage.
38
The Honorable Member of Legislative Assembly representing Nagrota in the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly, sough to
transform it into a model constituency in J&K by developing it along modern lines. It was in this context that he held
discussions with Swaniti and invited the team to study the current situation in Nagrota and draw a roadmap for the
development of the constituency.
Nagrota is an Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) Constituency in Jammu District, located at a strategic location as it is very close to
the winter capital of J&K, Jammu and is the gateway to the revered shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. It is a predominantly rural
area and agriculture and animal husbandry is the primary occupation for the vast majority of the people in this
constituency, which has approximately 23,000 households. Nagrota also houses a large cantonment that is home to the 16
Corps as well as one of the largest ammunition depots in the country.
With all this in the backdrop, the team set off to Nagrota to understand the issues and assess the current state of facilities
so as to design and execute a set of interventions to address the issues. The visit revealed to us that despite the
advantages offered by virtue of its location, rural communities in the constituency remained backward in terms of literacy
and education. The current state of schools and school education was not up to the mark and most government schools
39
don’t have an environment that is conducive for learning. We interacted with the different stakeholders in the education
domain i.e. the Department of Education (Jammu), Panchayat members, the parents, the teachers and the students to seek
their inputs and understand their perspective. Among all the challenges and issues, the heartening aspect is that there is a
strong realization among the parents, students and the local community regarding importance of good education in
changing their lives. It was felt that improving the condition of schools and the quality of education in the constituency
would help in laying down a strong edifice for development in Nagrota and help harness the immense potential and
strategic location of Nagrota.
Thereby, we designed a plan of action, incorporating a series of interventions, to improve the quality and access to
education for students in the rural areas of Nagrota based on extensive inputs from experts in the domain and the
feedback from the local community. The interventions focused on imparting holistic and integral education to the
students, while touching upon physical, emotional and aesthetic development in addition to academics. Taking inspiration
from the quote mentioned below, the team also focused on the creation of classrooms, which would not just push each
child to imagine a life of limitless opportunities but also ensure that each second in the classroom counts!
"Art in the classroom not only spurs creativity, it also inspires learning"
Accordingly, the team worked with a Mumbai based organization to execute a Classroom Canvas Project, wherein
professional and budding artists came to Nagrota and painted the classrooms in 2 schools with murals based on different
themes, which best suited the learning needs of the students and were based on the ideas and thoughts expressed by
them.
At the end of the project, the white, unimaginative walls with a ubiquitous blakcboard had been well and truly transformed
into warm and welcoming learning spaces, marking a successful beginning to the idea of developing happy and learning
schools across Nagrota, as envisaged at the onset of the project. While some students were transported right into the
middle of a Jungle Carnival in one of the classrooms whilst enouraging them to imagine a life of limitless possibilities
through a dream sequence in another classroom. Enthused by the response from the students, teachers and the local
community and the wonderful end product, it was decided that the project would also be implemented in more schools in
a phased manner in the coming months.
The entire experience was best encapsulated in this quote by one of the artists:
“Hope they learnt something after painting here. Hope they are a bit hopeful. Hope, the colors we used in their rooms change
a bit of them. Hope they have hope now. Hope”
At the same time, the happiness and the smiles on the faces of the students and everybody associated with the project
gives us the inspiration to work harder to play a part in the transformation of Nagrota, as envisaged by the Honorable
MLA.
40
41
Weekly Policy Updates as a product was first released in the month of April. The idea behind starting it was 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 November. These included
developments in agriculture, infrastructure, urban development and health. The Accessible India campaign was launched
to provide equal opportunity to Persons with Disabilities and the Central sector scheme ‘Nai Manzil’ was approved with a
total expenditure of Rs. 650 crore. The month of November also saw further developments under existing schemes and
Acts with amendments introduced in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order to modify the list of scheduled castes in
certain states and changes made in the funding pattern of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to be in the ratio of 60:40 between
Centre and states. Weekly policy updates sent out to elected representatives have been summarized in subsequent pages.
42
1. Approval for UDAY (Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana)
Union Cabinet has given its approval for UDAY (Ujjwal
DISCOM Assurance Yojana), to be implemented by the
Ministry of Power. The scheme provides for a financial
turnaround and revival of power distribution companies.
The scheme would target improving operational efficiency of
DISCOMs, reducing cost of power, reduction in interest cost
of DISCOMs, and enforcing financial
discipline of DISCOMs through alignment with state finances.
States not meeting milestones envisioned under the scheme
will be liable to forfeit grants under Integrated Power
Development Scheme (IPDS) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram
Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).
2. Launch of SATYAM (Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation)
A new program SATYAM has been launched under Ministry of Science and Technology to strengthen research in
the area of yoga and meditation.
The program will encourage research on the effects of yoga and meditation on physical and mental health, and
basic body processes. Knowledge obtained in academic institutions and other related agencies will be harnessed
under the program.
3. Additional allocation of food grains to States and UTs
20 States have begun implementing National Food Security
Act (NFSA), which came into force w.e.f 5.07.2013, while the
rest are under TPDS. Additional allocation for APL and BPL
families during the current financial year was made to non
NFSA States/UTs only upto September, 2015.
The non-NFSA states, however, are under active preparation
to implement the NFSA within the next few months. Hence
the Government has decided to continue the monthly
additional APL and BPL allocation to the non-NFSA States/UTs
from October, 2015 to March, 2016 or till implementation of the Act in these States/UTs, whichever is earlier, at
APL and BPL rates.
1. Chief Minister’s Sub-group Report on Centrally Sponsored Schemes
The CM’s sub-group was constituted on March 9th, 2015 to consider the design of Centrally Sponsored Schemes
and recommending ways to make their implementation more effective and outcome oriented.
43
The sub-group has recommended that the number of schemes should be reduced for improving their visibility
and impact. It has highlighted that the investment in core schemes should be maintained at least at their current
level. Furthermore, special attention must be given to North-Eastern and Himalayan States and UTs while
determining their funding pattern.
According to the sub-group, existing Centrally Sponsored Schemes must be divided into two types- Core Schemes
and Optional Schemes. While investment levels under core schemes will be maintained, funds under optional
schemes will be transferred to states as lumpsum amounts with states having the freedom to chose the schemes
they wish to implement.
2. Launch of E-Pathshala, Saransh and Shaala Siddhi Portals
Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched various ICT based initiatives for school education such as
e-Pathshala, Saransh and National Programme on
School Standards and Evaluation Framework
(Shala Siddhi).
E-Pathshala is a web portal which hosts
educational resources for students, teachers,
parents, researchers and educators. Saransh is a
tool which allows the schools to identify areas of
improvement in students, teachers and curriculum
to facilitate and implement change. Shaala Siddhi
is a comprehensive instrument for school
evaluation which enables the schools to evaluate
their performance in more focused and strategic
manner to facilitate them to make professional judgment for continuous improvement.
3. States to progress on rural electrification in mission mode
Power Ministers of all States and Union Territories have unanimously decided to ensure electrification of all the
remaining un- electrified villages by 31st March 2017 in mission mode under Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen
Jyoti Yojana ( DDUGJY).
States have resolved to set targets for replacement for all existing conventional street lights and incandescent
bulbs with LED by 2019. Nine States namely Haryana, Uttar Pradesh , Punjab, Maharashtra , Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
, Madhya Pradesh , Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have decided to replace 10% of existing agricultural water
pumps with energy efficient pumps including solar within one year. States whose plan documents on Power For
All have not been prepared should get it expedited with the help of consultants and central team members so
that all these documents are completed by 31st December 2015.
1. Launch of TADF (Technology Acquisition and Development Fund)
Aimed at bridging technological gap at an affordable cost, TADF was launched under National Manufacturing
Policy being implemented by Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP).
44
The scheme provides for upto 50% or max ₹20 lakh support in direct and indirect (Eg. Patent pool) technology
acquisition by MSMEs. It also provides for subsidy in technology/equipment manufacturing and incentives for
green manufacturing.
2. Unified Committee to make Curricula for Skill Development.
The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has approved the creation of “Sector Mentor Committees”
that would act as integrated committees for creating model curricula for skill training courses, both long-term and
short-term, in each sector.
The Committee will comprise of members from Government as well as Private sectors and will focus on providing
long-term vocational education opportunities in various sectors. It will also be responsible for aligning all existing
curricula in short-term and long-term skill competency based courses with corresponding National Occupation
Standards (NOSs), Qualification Packs (QPs) and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).
3. Extension of the IDEA (Indian Development and Economic Assistance) Scheme
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the 2nd extension of IDEA scheme i.e. from 2015-16 to
2019-20. Under this scheme, the GoI has been extending Lines of Credit (LoC) to developing countries since 2005.
The projects under IDEA are selected by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) based on diplomatic considerations and
specific requests from countries, and are approved by Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). The LoCs are
extended at a concessional rate through Exim Bank.
1. Target date for full completion of rural road connectivity under PMGSY forwarded by 3 years
The Government has brought forward the target
date from 2022 to 2019 to achieve complete rural
connectivity through all-weather roads under the
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
The accelerated implementation will be achieved by
providing enhanced financial allocation and
through modified funding pattern. The annual
allocation will increase by Rs. 5,000 crore during
2015-16 and the accepted fund sharing pattern will
be in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and
States for all States except for 8 North Eastern and 3
Himalayan States for which it will be 90:10.
As a result, 29,000 new habitations will be connected between 2015 to 2017 as against 13,500 between 2012 to
2014.
2. Basic urban infra investment plans for 102 cities approved under AMRUT
MoUD has approved an investment of Rs.3,120 cr for enhancing water supply, sewerage network services, storm
water drains, non-motorised transport and availability of public spaces in 102 cities, under AMRUT. The ministry
will provide an assistance of Rs.1,540 cr which is about 50% of the total project expenditure.
45
State level Annual Action Plans for 2015-16 have been approved with an investment of Rs.438 cr for Haryana
which has 18 Amrut cities, Rs.573 cr for Chattisgarh (9 cities), Rs.416 cr for Telangana (12 cities), Rs.588 cr for
Kerala (9 cities) and Rs.1,105 cr for West Bengal which has 54 Atal Mission cities.
With the approval, the Ministry has so far cleared a total investment of Rs.11,654 cr in 272 Atal Mission cities.
3. 10 new/ revised schemes announced for the disabled under the National Trust
On December 3rd, Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan or Accessible India
Campaign will be launched as a nationwide flagship campaign for
achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and to
create an enabling and barrier free environment.
The following schemes will be launched: DISHA (Early Intervention and
School Readiness Scheme), VIKAAS (Day Care), SAMARTH (Respite
Care), GHARAUNDA (Group Home for Adults), NIRAMAYA (Health
Insurance Scheme), SAHYOGI (Caregiver training scheme), GYAN
PRABHA (Educational support), PRERNA (Marketing Assistance),
SAMBHAV (Aids and Assisted Devices) and BADHTE KADAM
(Awareness and Community Interaction).
The number of categories of disability will also be increased from 7 to
19, so that more number of disabled could be brought into the ambit
of the new initiatives.
46
In Our Next Edition, grab hold of the following:
1. Tamra Patra
Women in Agriculture
E-health records
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
2. Data and Democracy
Lagging behind the herd: Livestock in India
MUDRA: Targeting micro and unorganized businesses
3. Research Support and Engagement with Honorable MPs
Indian Women Parliamentarians’ Forum Round-table session: Generating Livelihood for Women
Round-table session on Water: Water Quality and Fluoride Mitigation
Round-table session on Agriculture: Post Harvest Scenario and Opportunities in India
4. Weekly Policy Updates from January, 2016
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