The full text of the Economic Survey 2021-22 (and Statistical Appendix) can be accessed here.
Pandemics pose severe challenges to public policy practitioners. The manner in which countries across the world reacted and responded to the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is the latest case in point. This respiratory disease that took the form of a pandemic opened up a phase of uncertainty worldwide. The threats from pandemics such as the COVID-19 are tremendous, especially in their early phase. Grave uncertainties engulfed the
possible magnitude of spread of the causative SARS-CoV-2 virus, and its effects in terms of disease and mortality among the infected. To confound policy makers further, the knowledge available to effectively contain and treat the viral infection was thoroughly inadequate. The initial global response was first to deny and then impose strong measures that brought several economies to a standstill.Governments and the citizenry reacted to the pandemic in different ways. The former, after initial hesitation and incomprehension about the magnitude of the looming crisis, attempted to address
it with strong measures (The Hindu Net Desk 2020). The citizenry — this included communities, families and individuals, civil society and businesses — understood the risk posed by the pandemic and took steps to protect themselves and others, often on their own initiative.
Initial responses are important as they set the path for the pandemic (Bickley et.al, 2021) and how it is managed. For instance, countries with early closure of borders and activities did better in terms of prevention than those that waited for the disease to spread and to be identified on a large enough scale before the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns, masking and physical distancing were enforced (Gwee et al, 2021; Grepin et al, 2020). In general, the initial phase of pandemics also creates a policy frame that continues to be in place through the entire pandemic period, albeit with constantly calibrated course corrections. This is also the phase in which the image of the pandemic is imprinted in the popular mind and, hence, Download Pdf[14mb]
Never since the founding of the Indian republic have so many millions depended directly on India’s government machineries for sustenance. One reality that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven home is that the welfare state cannot be replaced and needs to be strengthened. In addition to market failures, the inability of markets to operate under extraordinary circumstances – such as the ongoing pandemic – places the onus on governments to emerge as providers of the last resort.In this interview-based empirical study, O. Grace Ngullie and Arib Ahmad Ansari, Independent Researchers, revisit beneficiaries who were respondents in a previous study by the first author on the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Delhi. (The names of all respondents have been changed to protect confidentiality.) While the earlier study focussed on the comparative benefits of cash transfers vis-à-vis provisioning of ration, the present exploratory study aims to find out the manner in which the PDS has worked for the poor in times of COVID-19 pandemic.This preliminary inquiry finds that the pre-existing problems with the PDS persist, thereby worsening the woes of the vulnerable who have been promised food security during the pandemic. For instance, there were differences reported in the quantity or rations received and promised, the quality of the food grains, exclusion, and access.The authors suggest a set of policy recommendations addressing each of the problems. The recommendations include utilising modern and emerging technologies to address supply chain issues, the creation of new cadre for monitoring, and upwardly revising the allocation.Click to read this Policy Watch (HTML)[PDF 523 KB][ Correction: A typographical error in Endnote 9 [PDF version] was corrected on June 27, 2020, in the HTML version of this Policy Watch The corrected Endnote 9 is: 9. Mander, H. et al. 2020 . A plan to revive a broken economy , The Hindu , May 14. [https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/a-plan-to-revive-a-broken-economy/article31577261.ece].Related Resource: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Press Releases by the Government of India [HTML and PDF]. Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.Related Article: Vijay, G. and Gudavarthy, A. 2020 . A Pandemic as a Political Reality Check, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, April 15.
This report presents the findings of a primary study conducted across four districts in Tamil Nadu about the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and its implications for achieving full financial inclusion. The need to conduct the study just prior to the one-year anniversary stemmed from the quick success that banks and the government proclaimed. Given that the programme was quite similar to previous attempts at complete financial inclusion, the stark difference in success came as a surprise and demanded a study.The study found that several of the problems that earlier attempts at financial inclusion faced, such as bankers acting as large barriers to access, exclusion of the most vulnerable and lack of awareness of programme features, continue to persist even with the PMJDY. These findings have been placed in the context of what has been observed with large government programmes with explanations drawn from theory and secondary literature, wherever relevant. The paper examines both design and implementation gaps, providing possible solutions for re-design and implementation.
Thoothukudi, in southern Tamil Nadu, found its place in recorded history preceding even that of the State’s capital, Chennai. Famed as one among the world’s ancient seaports documented by the likes of Ptolemy, it is now in the news for all that can go wrong in the dynamic interplay of the state and citizenry, industrialisation and the environment, and governance and public interest.On May 22, 2018, police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators who had been protesting against a copper smelter plant, which for close to two decades was mired in controversy over its impact on the environment, public health, and the manner in which the state was seen as siding with corporate interests overriding public concerns.The police action on the 100 day of the protests went down as an emotive experience in which public voices were stilled by bullets, governance was all but abdicated by civil authorities, and, in a seeming response to the popular outcry, the smelter, run by Sterlite Copper, a subsidiary of Vedanta, a global mining conglomerate was shut down.In this Issue Brief , M.G. Devasahayam, former Indian Army and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, puts together the pieces and focusses the spotlight on the failure of state mechanisms, leading to the government resorting to “Governance by Fear.” Drawing from his experience as an administrator and soldier he points out the serious flaws in the handling of the entire issue by the political leadership, executive and the judiciary. He dissects the order under Section 144 CrPC and exposes its illegality, draws attention to the procedural blunders and the disproportionate role played by the uniformed force of the State, and the manner in which what started out as an expression of collective dissent ended in a tragedy which claimed the lives of 13 people and the limbs of many more.The Issue Brief also delves into the growing trend of the seemingly democratic state becoming brazenly autocratic to facilitate the “ruling oligarchy grow richer while their less fortunate brethren suffer and starve” a sure sign of the State not being governed as per the mandate of the Constitution of India.
The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy and UNICEF, Chennai, organised a Round Table on Public Policy and the Child in Tamil Nadu on September 02, 2017 (Saturday), at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai. The aim of the Round Table was to take stock of the extent to which the State’s policies have contributed to and shaped childhood. Covering the ages of 0 to 18 years, the discussions at the Round Table explored the relationship between the state and the child in Tamil Nadu, which is critical for the quality of life for children. Papers were invited from the participants at the Round Table on the following themes: 1. Policy and Fiscal Space in Tamil Nadu2. Education and Health3. The Disadvantaged Child, and4. Social Spaces for the ChildThis Background Note contains the Concept Note and the 10 papers that were presented and discussed at the Round Table.Feedback and comments may please be sent to [email protected]
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, has published the draft India Data Accessibility and Use Policy 202
Policy making, to be effective, requires assessments of magnitudes and trends of major events based on evidence. One of the objectives of government policy interventions is—or should be—to pick up and stem slides in standards of living when they occur. For a stubbornly poverty-stricken country such as India, this function of the state assumes even greater significance when calamities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, descend on the populace. Although the Government of India is yet to release data on the population pushed into poverty as a result of the pandemic, research organisations—both national and international—have attempted to study this important link. These studies throw light on the important issue of arriving at estimates of the numbers of people that might have been pushed into poverty as a consequence of COVID-19, and therefore on the magnitude of the problem confronting any conscientious policy-maker. The first of the two estimates assessed in this essay is due to researchers at the Pew Research Centre (PRC) in the U.S., and the second to researchers at the Centre for Sustainable Employment at Azim Premji University (APU) in India. In this Issue Brief, S. Subramanian, Economist, and author of Inequality and Poverty: A Short Critical Introduction, and other books on poverty, seeks to reconstruct the assumptions and data inputs that have gone into the making of the estimates under review. Analysing the estimates, which suggest vastly differing outcomes, he discusses the manner in which poverty figures are arrived at to provide a quantitative picture of economic deprivation. In the immediate context, and on the basis of such data as are available, he concludes that it could be reasonably estimated, in line with the APU study, that anywhere upward of 200 million people may have slid into poverty after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding assumes importance as an aspect of evidence-based assessment of the economic devastation that has accompanied the pandemic. It points even more specifically to the role of the state, or its relative absence, in safeguarding its peoples from a once-in-a-century, long-drawn out catastrophe which has persisted for over a year. Behind these numbers are real people, whose predicament would have been better served by a state with a mind to basing policy intervention on evidence, not least when such research evidence is available in the public domain. Even based on a partial assessment, the two main pandemic responses by the government – a hastily declared lockdown and reluctantly ad-hoc relief measures – have resulted in “grievously harsh” consequences for India and its fight against poverty. By highlighting the outcomes of two earlier significant research efforts, Subramanian invites attention to importantly required numbers that would enable policy makers to get a sense of the enormity of the deprivation that has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. [PDF 438 KB]
An up-to-date compilation of more than 1,600 official statements by the Government of India from January 17, 2020. Links to articles published by The
Views of leaders occupy prominent positions in the popular narrative in any society: they set a tone for political and social discourse and play a rol
More as a norm than as an exception, pedestrians have no option but to walk on the carriageways designed for fast-moving motorised traffic exposing th
India’s road network carries close to 90 per cent of the country’s passenger traffic and about 60 per cent of its freight. This sector also includes t
CORPORATIONSCOMPANIES Andhra Pradesh SRTCKadamba TC Ltd. Assam STCMetro TC (Chennai) Limited Bangalore Metropolitan TCPUNBUS Bihar SRTCState Exp.TC TN Ltd. Calcutta STCTN STC (Coimbatore) Ltd. Delhi TCTN STC (Kumbakonam) Ltd. Gujarat SRTCTN STC (Madurai) Ltd. Himachal RTCTN STC (Salem) Ltd. J&K SRTCTN STC (Villupuram) Ltd. Karnataka SRTCTN STC (Tirunelveli) Ltd. Kerala SRTCGOVT DEPARTMENTS Maharashtra SRTCAndaman & Nicobar ST Meghalaya STCArunachal Pradesh ST North Bengal STCChandigarh TU North Eastern Karnataka RTCHaryana ST North Western Karnataka RTCMizoram ST Odisha SRTCNagaland ST Pepsu RTCState Transport Punjab Rajasthan SRTCSikkim NT South Bengal STCMUNICIPAL UNDERTAKINGS Telangana SRTCAhmedabad MTC Tripura RTCBEST Undertaking Uttar Pradesh SRTCKolahpur MTU Uttarakhand TCNavi Mumbai MT Puducherry Road Transport CorpPune Mahamandal West Bengal Surface Transport Corp.Sholapur MT SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLESThane MT MEERUT CIY TSLKalyan Dombivali MT KANPUR CITY TSLASSOCIATE MEMBERS Himachal Pradesh TDCL Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd.
India’s road network carries close to 90 per cent of the country’s passenger traffic and about 60 per cent of its freight. This sector also includes t
In India’s hierarchy of roadways, its millions of pedestrians are reduced to helpless trundlers. Despite the reality that they constitute the single l
In India’s hierarchy of roadways, its millions of pedestrians are reduced to helpless trundlers. Despite the reality that they constitute the single l
COVID-19 updates from India and the WorldCOVID-19 State-wise Status - July 2022(Last updated on July 4, 2022; 11.22 a.m.)Source: MoHFW, Government of IndiaWHO Global Situation Reports on COVID-19 [External Link]. Source: World Health OrganizationCOVID-19 Research Resources Repository(Data Sets) [ External Link]Source: National Digital Library of IndiaWeekly Epidemiological Reports on COVID-19, Updates 1-98. (Last updated on June 29, 2022)Source: World Health OrganizationPIB Daily Bulletin on COVID19 - July 2022(Last updated on July 1, 2022; 5.41 p.m.) Source: PIB, Government of IndiaThe WHO’s India Updates on COVID-19, Updates 1-115. (Last updated on June 15, 2022)Source: World Health Organization - IndiaDaily Updates from Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi (ICMR) [External Link] Source: ICMR, New DelhiCOVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions. [External Link] Source: Food and Drug AdministrationPIB Press Releases – COVID-19 for the year 2022JANUARYFEBRUARYMARCHAPRILMAYJUNECOVID-19: Month-wise Press Releases for the Year :- 2020 and 2021Related Articles on COVID-19 published by The Hindu CentreExternal Links on COVID-19Press Releases in JulyJuly 04, 20221667. 16,135 new cases reported in the last 24 hours - Ministry of Health and Family WelfareIndia’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 197.98 Cr (1,97,98,21,197) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,58,55,578 sessions. 11.25 a.m. IST. Read more... [https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1839001]. Click here for PDF.July 03, 20221666. 16,103 new cases reported in the last 24 hours - Ministry of Health and Family WelfareIndia’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 197.95 Cr (1,97,95,72,963) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,58,31,465 sessions. 9.35 a.m. IST. Read more... [https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1838912]. Click here for PDF.July 02, 20221665. COVID-19 UPDATE - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare17,092 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours. 9.36 a.m. IST. Read more... [https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1838748]. Click here for PDF.July 01, 20221664. More than 11.36 Crore balance and unutilized vaccine doses still available with States/UTs - Ministry of Health and Family WelfareThe Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID 19 vaccination started on 16th January 2021. 9.17 a.m. IST. Read more... [https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1838375]. Click here for PDF. Return to PIB Releases – COVID 19Related Articles on COVID-19 published by The Hindu CentrePriya, R, et al., 2022. COVID-19: Urban Middle Class Survey Highlights Need for People’s Agency in Policy Making, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, February 18.Subramanian, S. 2021. Pandemic-induced Poverty in India after the First Wave of COVID-19: An Elaboration of Two Earlier Estimates, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, August 19.Shankar, G. and Kumari, R. 2020. The Migrant Economy During the Pandemic: An Exploratory Study in Baisi Block, Bihar, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, December 10.Jacob, N. 2020. Sewage Testing as a Pandemic Monitoring Tool, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, September 10.Chaturvedi, S. 2020. Pandemic Exposes Weaknesses in India’s Disaster Management Responses, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, September 3.Mudliar, P. 2020. A Reality Check on India’s Search for Digital Utopia, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, August 28.Ebenezer, R. 2020. Ensuring Zero Tolerance for all Forms of Forced Labour, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, July 14.Ngullie, O. G. and Ansari, A. A. 2020. India’s Public Distribution System and the Pandemic – Revisiting Delhi’s Beneficiaries, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, June 26.Vijay, G. and Gudavarthy, A. 2020. A Pandemic as a Political Reality Check, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, April 15.External Links on COVID-19COVID-19: National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. [https://ncdc.gov.in/index4.php?lang=1&level=0&linkid=132&lid=549].Statement on the eighth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic Source: World Health Organization. [https://www.who.int/news/item/15-07-2021-statement-on-the-eighth-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-pandemic].Therapeutics and COVID-19: living guideline Source: World Health Organization. [https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-therapeutics-2021.1].Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Source: World Health Organization. [https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA74/A74_16-en.pdf].Information related to COVID-19 Source: office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of IndiaStandard Operating Procedures SOPs: National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of IndiaICMR Third National Sero-survey for SARS-CoV-2 infection Source: Indian Council of Medical ResearchGovernment of India PIB Press Briefing, 4th February 2021 Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Governement of IndiaCOVID-19 VACCINE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Governement of IndiaFull Text: World Migration Report 2020 Source: International Organization for Migration, November 2019World Bank Report: COVID-19 Crisis Through a Migration Lens Source: The World Bank Group (April 2020)WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the World Health Assembly Source: World Health Organization, November 9, 2020.Atmanirbhar Bharat Package 3.0 Source: Ministry of Finance, November 12, 2020Press Information Bureau: CoronavirusSource: Press Information Bureau, Government of IndiaCOVID-19 Updates Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,Government of India JAMA Network: Coronavirus Disease 2019Source: 2020 American Medical Association
Views of leaders occupy prominent positions in the popular narrative in any society: they set a tone for political and social discourse and play a rol
An up-to-date compilation of more than 1,600 official statements by the Government of India from January 17, 2020. Links to articles published by The
An up-to-date compilation of more than 1,600 official statements by the Government of India from January 17, 2020. Links to articles published by The