Introduction
India's healthcare system has long been a subject of concern due to its inadequate infrastructure, limited access to quality healthcare, and stark disparities in health outcomes. India, known for its rich cultural heritage and technological advancements, has grappled with healthcare challenges for decades, While impressive in some urban centers, the existing healthcare infrastructure has struggled to reach the remote and underserved regions where most of India's population resides. As a result, millions of Indians have faced inadequate healthcare access, limited financial protection, and unequal health outcomes. To address these challenges and ensure the well-being of its vast population, India must embark on a journey of revolutionising its health policies. In recent years, India has been on the cusp of a healthcare revolution as it endeavours to transform its health policies to address its vast population's diverse and complex healthcare needs. With a burgeoning population, the demand for accessible, affordable, high-quality healthcare services has never been more pronounced. This shift in healthcare policy represents a significant turning point in India's journey towards a healthier and more prosperous nation. Over the years, the Indian government has recognised the urgency of revolutionising health policies to meet the diverse healthcare needs of its citizens. Recently, there has been a remarkable shift towards a more comprehensive and innovative approach to healthcare aimed at improving the population's overall well-being. In this paper, we will examine the current health policies in India and their challenges and propose a roadmap for revolutionizing healthcare policies to meet the nation's growing healthcare demands.
Objectives of the Study
1. Achieve universal health coverage to ensure all citizens can access essential health services without financial hardship.
2. Reinforce the primary healthcare system to provide comprehensive and preventive care at the grassroots level.
3. Leverage technology to improve healthcare delivery, data management, and accessibility.
4. Empower communities with health education and promote active participation in healthcare decision-making.
5. Foster research and innovation to address emerging health challenges and improve healthcare outcomes.
6. Foster government and private sector collaborations to leverage resources and expertise.
7. Enhance the healthcare system's ability to respond to health emergencies and natural disasters.
8. Provide financial protection to citizens by expanding and improving health insurance coverage.
Current State of Health Policies in India
Inadequate Funding
The existing healthcare policies have several shortcomings. It has faced persistent challenges related to inadequate funding from 2014 to 2023. Despite some improvements, funding for healthcare in India has remained insufficient to meet the growing demands of its vast population. In 2014, India's healthcare expenditure was approximately 1.15 per cent of its GDP, significantly lower than the global average of around 9 per cent. Over the years, this funding inadequacy has resulted in various issues, including limited access to quality healthcare, shortage of medical facilities, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.
Government spending on healthcare has been consistently low, hindering the development of a robust public healthcare system. In 2014, the National Health Mission (NHM) received around INR 20,822 crore; by 2023, this budget had increased to INR 39,984 crore. While there was an increase in nominal terms, it remains insufficient to provide comprehensive healthcare coverage. The lack of funding has also affected critical areas like rural healthcare, resulting in a shortage of doctors, nurses, and health facilities in remote areas. India's doctor- to-patient ratio has been a persistent concern, with just one doctor for every 1,457 people, far below the World Health Organization's recommendation of 1:1000.
Inadequate funding has also led to disparities in healthcare services, with the private healthcare sector growing rapidly but often at a high cost, making it inaccessible for many. Furthermore, inadequate funding has hindered investments in research and development, which could have otherwise contributed to medical innovation and drug discovery. Despite some positive initiatives, such as the launch of Ayushman Bharat in 2018, which aimed to provide health coverage to millions, the overall funding situation has yet to see a substantial transformation.
To address these challenges, India needs to prioritize healthcare funding, increase public investment, and promote effective implementation of healthcare policies to ensure that its population receives the quality healthcare it deserves.
Urban-Rural Disparities:
In recent times, the urban-rural disparity in the Indian health sector has perpetuated several disadvantages, exacerbating the country's healthcare challenges. Access to healthcare remains a prominent issue. According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), over 70 per cent of India's healthcare infrastructure is concentrated in urban areas, despite 65-70 per cent of the population residing in rural regions. This stark contrast leads to unequal access to medical facilities, doctors, and essential services. The shortage of healthcare professionals in rural areas is another critical concern. World Health Organization (WHO) statistics indicate a significant disparity in doctor-patient ratios between urban and rural areas. For instance, there are about 80 doctors per 100,000 people in urban regions, which drops to 8 doctors per 100,000 in rural areas.
Furthermore, the need for proper infrastructure and medical facilities in rural areas affects healthcare quality. Remote regions often face challenges accessing medical supplies, equipment, and emergency services, contributing to higher mortality rates and poorer health outcomes than their urban counterparts. This divide hampers efforts to address crucial health issues such as maternal mortality, infectious diseases, and child healthcare in rural areas, creating a persistent cycle of disparity. In recent times, while efforts have been made to bridge this gap through initiatives like telemedicine and rural postings for healthcare professionals, the urban-rural health divide remains a significant challenge in India's healthcare landscape.
Limited Insurance Coverage
Health insurance penetration in India has historically remained low due to several factors. Firstly, a significant proportion of the Indian population, particularly in rural areas, lacks awareness about the importance of health insurance. Many individuals don't perceive it as necessary due to a lack of understanding about its benefits and operations. Additionally, limited access to affordable health insurance options and a general mistrust of insurance companies have hindered widespread adoption. The predominance of out-of-pocket payments for healthcare expenses is another reason, as many people prefer to pay directly for medical services when needed. According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data in 2017–18, over 85 per cent of rural and 82 per cent of urban Indian households still primarily rely on their savings to pay for healthcare expenses.
Furthermore, India's large informal sector, where a substantial portion of the workforce is employed, faces challenges in accessing and affording health insurance, as formal insurance schemes often need to cover these workers adequately.
The high cost of comprehensive health coverage is also a deterrent for many, especially for lower-income groups.
Statistics from 2022 revealed that health insurance penetration in India was less than 20 per cent, indicating the vast gap in coverage across the population. These figures emphasise the need for comprehensive awareness campaigns, affordable insurance options, and tailored schemes for the informal sector to increase health insurance penetration in the country.
Lack of Preventive Care
India faces several challenges in ensuring widespread access to preventive healthcare services. The lack of preventive care in India's health sector can be attributed to several factors, supported by statistics.
1. Limited Healthcare Infrastructure: India has a shortage of healthcare facilities, with only
2. 0.55 doctors per 1,000 people and 1.7 hospital beds per 1,000 people (World Bank, 2019). This inadequacy hinders the delivery of preventive services.
3. Low Healthcare Expenditure: India allocates only about 1.28 per cent of its GDP to healthcare (World Bank, 2019), leading to a lack of resources for preventive programs.
4. Unequal Distribution: Healthcare resources are disproportionately concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural populations underserved. Around 70 per cent of India's population resides in rural areas (Census of India, 2011).
5. Lack of Awareness: There is a general lack of awareness about preventive care and its importance. For example, the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–16) reported that only 13.6 per cent of Indian women aged 15–49 had comprehensive knowledge of HIV prevention.
6. Poverty and Inequality: Socioeconomic disparities hinder access to preventive care. Nearly 22 per cent of the population lives below the national poverty line (World Bank, 2019).
7. Fragmented Healthcare System: A fragmented healthcare system makes it challenging to coordinate preventive services effectively.
8. Cultural Beliefs: Cultural factors may deter individuals from seeking preventive care until they exhibit symptoms.
Addressing these issues to improve preventive care in India is crucial to promoting early intervention and reducing the burden of diseases.
1. Lack of Awareness: There is a general lack of awareness about preventive care and its importance. For example, the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–16) reported that only 13.6 per cent of Indian women aged 15–49 had comprehensive knowledge of HIV prevention.
2. Poverty and Inequality: Socioeconomic disparities hinder access to preventive care. Nearly 22 per cent of the population lives below the national poverty line (World Bank, 2019).
3. Fragmented Healthcare System: A fragmented healthcare system makes it challenging to coordinate preventive services effectively.
4. Cultural Beliefs: Cultural factors may deter individuals from seeking preventive care until they exhibit symptoms.
Addressing these issues to improve preventive care in India is crucial to promoting early intervention and reducing the burden of diseases.
Inefficiencies and Corruption
Inefficiencies manifest in various forms, including a lack of proper infrastructure, insufficient healthcare funding, a shortage of healthcare professionals, and an imbalanced distribution of resources between urban and rural areas. This leads to overcrowded hospitals, longer waiting times, and inadequate access to essential medical services, particularly in remote regions. According to a 2022 study, India's public health system, responsible for serving most of the population, faces a shortage of 600,000 doctors and 2 million nurses. This shortage results in overcrowded hospitals and prolonged wait times for patients.
According to a Transparency International report, India's health sector is among the most corrupt, with bribery, embezzlement, and kickbacks prevalent in healthcare services. Corruption exacerbates these issues, with reports suggesting that around 40 per cent of Indians have paid bribes for medical services. This corruption affects the quality of healthcare, mismanagement of funds, and the provision of substandard or counterfeit medications. In 2020, India ranked 145th out of 195 countries on the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index, highlighting disparities and inefficiencies in healthcare delivery. Moreover, Transparency International's 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked India 86th out of 180 countries, indicating substantial corruption within the healthcare system.
Challenges in Revolutionising Health Policies
Revolutionizing health policies is complex and multifaceted, as healthcare systems are deeply ingrained in society and profoundly impact individuals' well-being. While there are numerous potential benefits to transforming health policies, there are also substantial challenges to consider:
Cost and Funding: Healthcare reforms often require significant financial investments; revolutionizing health policies poses formidable challenges, primarily related to cost and funding. Statistical data is crucial for informed decision-making but can be limited by the complexity of healthcare systems. Global health expenditure reached $8.45 trillion in 2019 and $10 trillion by 2022. Funding gaps persist, hindering reforms. In the US, healthcare costs constitute 17.7 per cent of GDP, totalling $3.8 trillion annually. Balancing innovation with cost- effectiveness demands strategic allocation; for instance, vaccine development and distribution demand substantial investment. Overcoming these challenges necessitates efficient resource allocation and collaboration among public, private, and philanthropic sectors to ensure sustainable, affordable, and equitable healthcare systems that address evolving societal needs.
Political Resistance and Regulatory Barriers: Health policies can be deeply politicized, with various interest groups and stakeholders advocating for different approaches. Political resistance to revolutionising health policies often stems from entrenched interests, fear of change, and partisan divides. Key challenges include lobbying by pharmaceutical companies, reluctance to challenge the status quo, and ideological clashes over the role of government in healthcare. To overcome these barriers, grassroots movements, public education, and bipartisan cooperation are vital. Building a compelling case for equitable, efficient, and patient-centric healthcare is crucial. By fostering collaboration, addressing financial concerns, and demonstrating successful models from around the world, political resistance can be overcome, leading to a healthier, more accessible healthcare system that serves the needs of all citizens. Revolutionising health policies encounters multifaceted regulatory barriers, including complex compliance frameworks, slow adaptation to innovative technologies, and stringent data protection laws. These barriers impede the swift implementation of groundbreaking healthcare advancements, hindering progress in telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics, and personalised medicine. Regulatory reform is pivotal to streamlining approval processes, balancing safety with innovation, and fostering collaboration between health institutes.
Policymakers, and technology developers. Overcoming these hurdles demands adaptable regulations prioritising patient safety, encouraging experimentation, and accommodating the rapid evolution of healthcare technologies, ultimately enabling a more responsive and effective healthcare ecosystem.
Technology Integration and Interoperability with Data Privacy and Security: Implementing technology integration and interoperability to revolutionise health policies in India presents multifaceted challenges. First, a diverse healthcare landscape with varying digital maturity across states complicates standardization. Second, privacy concerns and data security amidst large-scale digitisation initiatives require robust regulatory frameworks. Third, interoperability between legacy systems and new technologies demands significant investment and structural changes. Fourth, ensuring equitable access to technology across urban and rural areas is critical for inclusive healthcare development. Additionally, the need for skilled manpower to manage, maintain, and innovate these systems poses a challenge. Overcoming these hurdles necessitates comprehensive planning, collaboration between government and private sectors, investment in infrastructure, robust data governance, and continuous capacity building. Addressing these challenges is crucial for leveraging technology's transformative potential to enhance healthcare access, quality, and outcomes in India. Revolutionising health policies requires a delicate balance between harnessing data for enhanced healthcare outcomes and safeguarding data privacy and security. Protecting personal health information is pivotal to fostering trust and compliance. The digital transformation of healthcare systems must prioritize patient confidentiality, robust encryption, and secure data storage. Striking this balance is essential to promoting innovative telemedicine, personalized treatments, and data-driven decision-making while protecting against breaches and unauthorised access. Robust regulations, transparent consent processes, and continuous cybersecurity measures are critical components in shaping a future where data-driven health policies improve patient care while respecting privacy and maintaining the highest security standards. A comprehensive approach to privacy and security fosters innovation and upholds integrity and trust within evolving healthcare landscapes.
Health Workforce Challenges and Public Engagement: India faces several health workforce challenges that impede the revolutionisation of health policies. Insufficient human resources, especially in rural areas, hinder healthcare accessibility. There's a maldistribution of healthcare professionals, with a concentration in urban regions, leading to disparities service provision. Moreover, a lack of proper training, infrastructure, and adequate support for healthcare workers affects the quality of care. Low retention rates, burnout, and insufficient remuneration contribute to the strain on the workforce. India needs comprehensive strategies to revolutionise health policies, including incentivising rural practice, investing in training and infrastructure, implementing equitable distribution policies, and ensuring adequate support and remuneration for healthcare workers. Addressing these challenges is vital for creating a sustainable, effective healthcare system in India. The country requires extensive public engagement to address numerous challenges. Firstly, India's diverse population with varying healthcare needs necessitates a multifaceted approach considering regional disparities and cultural nuances. Second, there is a need to educate the public about health issues and the importance of preventive care, as awareness is often lacking. Additionally, achieving consensus among a population of over 1.3 billion is a monumental task, given the different perspectives and priorities. Furthermore, limited access to healthcare in rural areas and affordability issues for many citizens present significant hurdles. Balancing public expectations with budget constraints poses a substantial challenge. Ultimately, fostering public engagement demands effective communication, transparency, and inclusive decision-making processes. Only by overcoming these challenges can India transform its health policies better to meet the nation's complex and evolving healthcare needs.
Public Perceptions and Trust: Historically, healthcare in India has been marked by disparities, inadequate infrastructure, and corruption. This has eroded public trust, leading to scepticism about the government's ability to effect meaningful change. Misinformation and a lack of transparent communication from authorities exacerbate these challenges, leading to hesitancy in accepting new health initiatives. The challenge lies in convincing citizens that new policies will address their healthcare needs effectively and equitably. Engaging in transparent and open communication, involving key stakeholders in the policy formulation process, and emphasising accountability are essential to overcome these challenges. Building trust will require demonstrating tangible improvements in healthcare access and quality. Collaborating with healthcare professionals, community leaders, and civil society organisations can play a crucial role in bridging the trust gap and securing public support for health policy revolutions in India. Revolutionising health policies is a formidable task involving many economic, political, social, and technical challenges. Successful reform efforts require careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and a long-term commitment to improving healthcare systems.
Proposed Roadmap for Revolutionizing Health Policies
As a rapidly developing nation, India faces many challenges in its healthcare sector. To revolutionise its health policies, it needs a comprehensive overhaul that addresses various key areas, drawing inspiration from successful global models while considering India's unique needs. The country can learn from examples worldwide to implement policies that enhance healthcare accessibility, affordability, and quality. The roadmap should prioritize expanding healthcare infrastructure in rural and underserved regions to bridge this gap. Mobile clinics and telemedicine services can help extend healthcare access to remote areas, and investments in rural healthcare facilities should be increased to meet the rising demand. The quality of healthcare services is another vital aspect. India's healthcare infrastructure is often overburdened, often leading to subpar care. Statistical data on healthcare outcomes and patient satisfaction can guide policymakers in setting quality benchmarks and monitoring performance. Adopting Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and telehealth can help ensure better healthcare coordination and standardization while reducing medical errors.
Furthermore, strengthening medical education and training is essential to produce a skilled healthcare workforce, with updated statistics on the number of medical professionals and their distribution integral to this effort. Financing healthcare is a perennial challenge, with millions of Indians struggling to afford necessary treatments. To address this issue, the roadmap must explore innovative financing mechanisms. Data on healthcare expenditure patterns and trends in insurance coverage can inform decisions on public-private partnerships, health insurance schemes, and subsidies for the underprivileged. By leveraging public and private sector resources, India can create a sustainable model for healthcare financing that ensures affordability for all. Preventive healthcare is often overlooked, leading to a high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country. Reliable statistics on disease prevalence and risk factors are critical for designing effective preventive strategies. The roadmap should prioritize public health campaigns, health education, and early screening programs to reduce the incidence of NCDs.
Additionally, promoting healthy lifestyles through nutrition and fitness initiatives can significantly impact the overall health of the population. Pharmaceuticals and healthcare innovation should not be neglected in the quest to revolutionise health policies. India is global leader in generic drug production, and the pharmaceutical sector can contribute to cost-effective healthcare solutions. Statistics on research and development expenditure, patents, and drug affordability can guide policies that encourage innovation and enhance the availability of affordable, high-quality drugs; digital health initiatives can play a transformative role in healthcare.
Several countries around the world have successfully implemented innovative policies to revolutionize their healthcare systems, setting examples that India can draw inspiration from. One such standout model is found in Singapore. The Singaporean government has adopted a comprehensive approach to healthcare that combines accessibility, affordability, and quality, yielding impressive results.
Singapore's healthcare system, often cited as one of the best globally, is built on a foundation of compulsory savings and insurance, known as the Central Provident Fund (CPF). Citizens contribute a portion of their income to this fund, which is then used to cover their healthcare expenses. This approach ensures that all citizens have access to healthcare services without incurring crippling financial burdens. Statistics further illustrate the success of Singapore's healthcare policies. The country boasts one of the world's highest life expectancies at 83 years, while its infant mortality rate stands at a remarkable 2.1 per 1,000 live births. Additionally, Singapore spends only 4.9 Implementing technology integration and interoperability to revolutionise health policies in India presents multifaceted challenges. of its GDP on healthcare, much lower than the OECD average of 8.8 Implementing technology integration and interoperability to revolutionise health policies in India presents multifaceted challenges, while delivering exceptional healthcare services.
India can revolutionise its health policies by investing in digital health infrastructure, following the example of Estonia. Estonia's e-Health system allows patients to access their medical records, make e-appointments, and receive e-prescriptions online, reducing the burden on physical healthcare facilities. This has increased efficiency and reduced healthcare costs. With a growing digital economy, India can leverage technology to improve healthcare access and quality. Another noteworthy example is Germany, where the healthcare system is characterized by universal coverage through a multipayer model. Statutorily insured citizens have access to a wide range of services, and the competition between various insurance companies ensures high-quality care and efficiency. This system has led to an impressive life expectancy of 81 years and an infant mortality rate of 3.4 per 1,000 live births.
India also needs to focus on preventive healthcare measures, as seen in Japan. Japan has one of the highest life expectancies globally, partly due to its emphasis on health education and preventive healthcare measures. India can invest in public health campaigns and education to promote healthy lifestyles, reducing the burden on its healthcare system in the long run. As demonstrated by Cuba, another critical aspect is strengthening the primary healthcare system. Cuba's primary care system, with a strong emphasis on preventive care, has led to exceptional health outcomes, such as a lower infant mortality rate and a higher life expectancy. India can restructure and invest in its primary healthcare infrastructure, ensuring citizens receive regular check-ups and early interventions.
In South Korea, the government has implemented a national health insurance program that covers almost the entire population. This policy has resulted in a life expectancy of 83 years and an infant mortality rate of 2.7 per 1,000 live births. The healthcare expenditure in South Korea is around 7.6 per cent of its GDP. India can also take a page from the United Kingdom's book in ensuring quality healthcare through the National Health Service (NHS). It is a prominent example of a publicly funded healthcare system. The NHS provides comprehensive healthcare services to all citizens, regardless of their ability to pay. As a result, the UK has achieved a life expectancy of 81 years and an infant mortality rate of 3.9 per 1,000 live births. The UK's healthcare expenditure is approximately 9.8 per cent of its GDP.
Additionally, India can look at models from low- and middle-income countries like Thailand that successfully implement cost-effective healthcare systems. Thailand's universal healthcare scheme provides comprehensive medical services at affordable rates. India could adopt similar strategies to offer affordable healthcare to its vast population, reducing out-of-pocket expenses and pushing millions into poverty yearly. With over 63 million people in India facing poverty annually due to healthcare expenses, this change is crucial. India's public expenditure on health is also significantly lower than developed nations, like the US, which spends around 17.7 per cent of its GDP. However, despite the high spending, the US faces issues related to accessibility and affordability. Learning from these pitfalls, India can avoid over- reliance on private healthcare and work towards a balanced, multi-tiered healthcare system.
Conclusion
The statistics reveal the gaps in healthcare expenditure and access, emphasizing the need for comprehensive reform. India can revolutionise its health policies by drawing inspiration from successful healthcare models worldwide. India can significantly improve its healthcare system by implementing universal health insurance, investing in digital health infrastructure, promoting preventive healthcare, strengthening primary care, and expanding access to quality healthcare. Revolutionising India's health policies is not only essential for the well-being of its citizens but also crucial for the country's economic and social development.
By amalgamating successful strategies from various countries and customizing them to suit India's needs, the country can revolutionize its healthcare policies. The international examples demonstrate that successful healthcare reform is achievable through various models, including compulsory savings, multipayer systems, and publicly funded services. While each country's approach has its unique features, they share a common commitment to ensuring that healthcare is accessible, affordable, and of high quality. India can draw inspiration from these policies as it seeks to revolutionise its healthcare system, tailoring them to its specific needs and challenges to improve the health and well-being of its citizens.
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This paper outlines the century-long history of Mongolia’s civil service training institution, the National Academy of Governance (NAOG), which plays a crucial role in meeting the contemporary needs of training and developing human resources within the civil service sector.
India stands at a crucial juncture in its quest for inclusive development that will bring prosperity across the spectrum. Large amounts of public funds are spent to address these issues, but their implementation and the quality of services delivered leave much to be desired.
India has committed to achieving developed nation status by the centenary of its independence, leveraging cutting-edge technologies including AI tapping into its vast human capital, and implementing policies that foster high growth while addressing enduring social and economic inequalities.
This article explores the value and statehood of Mongolia by utilising Woodrow Wilson’s categorisation of “Judging by the constitutional histories of the chief nations of the modern world, there may be three periods of growth through which government has passed in all the most highly developed of existing systems, and through which it promises to pass in all the rest.
This paper examines India's economic trajectory through the lens of its demographic dividend a substantial youth population exceeding 50% under age 25 within its 1.4 billion citizens. While this demographic advantage offers unprecedented economic potential, its promise is threatened by systemic challenges including inadequate education access, limited skill development, and employment scarcity, particularly in rural areas.
Remarkable technological and scientific progress has made the modern democratic State not a mere watch-dog or a police institution but an active participant interfering in almost every sphere of individual and corporate life in society in the changed role of a service state and a welfare state
Since the reform and opening up, China’s leadership training has experienced three stages of development: the initial stage of leadership training and development in the early period of China’s reform and opening up to the world (1978-2002), the rapid growing stage of leadership training and development in the period of fast growing economy and society (2002- 2012) and the innovative…
Accountability and control are essential for efficient, ethical administration in public and private sectors. Accountability ensures officials answer for actions and resource use, while control involves mechanisms to monitor compliance with laws and goals, promoting responsibility and preventing misconduct.
Healthcare in rural India presents unique challenges and opportunities. While global health metrics emphasize indicators like life expectancy, mortality rates, and healthcare infrastructure, they often fail to capture the socio-cultural nuances of rural communities
The “Internet plus” government service reform in China has progressed through three stages, namely one-stop service, one-window service, and companion service. This reform has become a significant example of reshaping the relationship between the local government and the public.
This paper explores the evolution of Indian welfare philosophy from Gandhi's nonviolent resistance to contemporary governance. It traces how the sacrifices of Indian revolutionaries fostered Sarvodaya and Antyodaya ideals, examining the philosophical underpinnings of these concepts in Advaita and dualistic traditions.
Like most other countries around the world, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh's education system has undergone a radical change from the beginning of March 2020 onwards. The study attempts to analyse teachers’, students’ and parents’ perceptions and experiences about the online education in the COVID-19 pandemic at the school level.
Health is a fundamental human right and a critical indicator of development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasizes the importance of ensuring health and well-being for all individuals. A key objective of this agenda is to guarantee favorable health outcomes, underscored by the endorsement of a new declaration during the Global Conference on Primary Health Care held in Astana,…
In this article, published reports have been used for analysing state-wise status of SDGs achievements and their correlations with attainments in areas of poverty-reduction and other developmental indicators. Also, progress made by GPs on various metrics related to SDGs has been corroborated with other relevant metrics
Loss of governance reform efficacy is an identified entrenched institutional problem in systems. Reform, anywhere, is a sticky material because holders of powers and their cronies have rarely shown altruistic intentions of relaxing their profiteering grips over resources.
On September 1, 2023, a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind explored the possibility of something called One Nation, One Election in India and ever since this thing has come out in public, political parties all across the country have been fuming with anger.
This paper examines various initiatives taken by Government of India to promote collaborative governance in various sectors. With increasing needs and aspirations of the community for public services and the limited capacity of government to provide the same, the involvement of various stakeholders to deliver these services becomes important and necessity.
In the vast and diverse landscape of India, regional disparities in development have long posed significant challenges to achieving equitable growth and social justice. Recognizing the urgent need to address these disparities, the Government of India launched the Aspirational Districts Programme in January 2018.
A dynamic interaction between the recognition of human complexity in organizations and the pursuit of structural efficiency has shaped the evolution of administrative philosophy. The foundational works of Frederick W. Taylor, Max Weber, Mary Parker Follett, Elton Mayo, Chester Barnard, Rensis Likert, Chris Argyris, and Douglas McGregor are critically examined in this essay, which charts the shift from traditional administrative…
In India, National Training Policy was formed in 2012, replacing the old policy of 1996. This was needed two reasons, new areas of administration given in the reports of second administrative reforms commission setup in 2005 and changing environment in different spheres of governance and new challenges of administration being faced by the civil servants.
India's emergence as a global services powerhouse in the 21st century marks a profound and transformative shift. This evolution, far from a mere economic change, is a strategic leap driven by its demographic dividend, technological advancements, and the burgeoning global demand for specialized services.
Public administration, as the executive arm of the state, has tremendous responsibilities to match the needs and aspirations of the citizens of the state. The systems have evolved over the years in almost every country as the politico and socio-economic environment of the respective country have changed.
Public administration is the cornerstone of modern governance. It refers to the organization, management, and implementation of government policies and programs, carried out by public officials and institutions. As a vital mechanism of the state, public administration not only ensures the effective delivery of services to citizens but also upholds the principles of accountability, transparency, and rule of law.
Tribal Sustainable Development through Evidence-based Policy and Planning: A major issue in post-Independence India has been a misreading of demands of tribal communities. What they have been demanding pertains to choice upholding their traditions and customs and having ownership over natural resources
As the Idiom of technological advancement takes its toll. The paper highlights a few poignant and emerging factors in the International Relations theorization. It was conservatively maintained by the defense strategists and the political leadership across the Global polity that foreign policy and the Diplomacy are greatly determined by the “given” of Geography and terrain
With the deepening of democracy, increased decentralisation, increasing social and political awareness, digital penetration, shifts in demography, demand for quality services by common citizens has been accelerating at a faster pace. In such a scenario, the role of State is critical for promoting equity in access to services.
"Accelerating India's Development" holistically looks at India’s growth trajectory since gaining independence – it rounds up all where it has done well including unity, upholding the integrity of its constitution, retaining democratic values at its core. It also does not mince words to convey where all the nation has faltered such as falling short in delivery of public services including…
Income and Employment Intensive Growth Agenda for India: The paper examines income and employment status in the Indian labour force to identify policy attention and follow up. The macroeconomic policies taken during last one decade are yielding positive results leading to expansion of manufacturing and services and structural transformation in the economy.
An Analysis of India's Social Welfare Programs: In a democracy, the state's role is to promote societal welfare. According to Aristotle, the state should not only ensure its survival but also improve the quality of life for its citizens. The state has a moral responsibility to its citizens. Modern views agree that the state should provide essential services like education,…
Digital Innovations in Social Protection: Trends, Challenges, and Solutions: The integration of digital technologies into social protection systems represents a transformative shift with profound implications for the delivery of welfare services. This chapter explores the evolving landscape of digital innovations in social protection, contextualising these developments within the broader framework of universal social protection and a systemic approach to welfare.
One of the most crucial aspects of our society is law enforcement, which deals with issues of law and order nationwide. It is an essential component of the state's legal system. The British government introduced a Police Act in 1861, which is still very relevant and based on policing.
India’s Vision for 2047 aims to transform the nation into a developed country, with healthcare being pivotal for this progress. Achieving universal health coverage and modernising healthcare infrastructure are essential for fostering a healthy productive population, which in turn drives economic growth and reduces poverty.
Several challenges linger in the Indian education system, like rote learning, the non-existence of practical skills among students, and disparities in access to quality education. To deal with the criticism for excessive curriculum and unreasonable focus on rote learning, this chapter examines the strategies comprising the building blocks to reform Indian schools.
Social development is expected to promote holistic improvement of individuals, institutions and their surrounding environments. Looking at the pace of development in India, the economy of most states requires strategic prioritization to accelerate improved well-being of the people. Accessibility to health, school education and public security are critical to the edifice of social development.
India is the largest democracy in the world inhabited by about 1.36 billion people over an area of 3287 thousand square kilometers according to an estimate for 2021 based on Census 2011. The Indian economy is characterised as a middle-income emerging market economy. In the last three decades the economy has faced three major crises, i.e., balance of payment crisis…
Neoliberal policies pursued by India since 1990s have created a space for private enterprises hitherto occupied by the state entities, unshackled the existing enterprises and introduced reforms to facilitate private initiative. This chapter looks into the ecosystem of the private sector in general and the developments in three specific sectors- urban mobility, water supply and housing, to draw lessons for…
This Chapter highlights the gradual transformation from Personnel Administration to Strategic Human Resource Management over the years in Government of India. However, there is still a long way to go. In this Chapter an attempt has been made to delineate the criticality to move towards Strategic HRM in Government of India to achieve India’s developmental goals.
Robust statistical data forms the cornerstone of an informed governance system. This paper studies the statistical system and data dissemination in the Centre and State governments in India, and the measures put in action to accelerate the data dissemination process. Arguing that the availability of high-frequency statistical data is a necessary condition for good governance, the first section of the…
In the Amrit Kaal (golden period) of independent India, the ‘citizen first’ approach guides public governance by deepening the outreach of service delivery mechanism so that international standards could be achieved in India@100. The goal can only be achieved by all inclusive governance involving stronger and effective local self-governments both panchayats and municipalities.
In modern societies, with the increasing role of the state in social and economic fields, emphasis on the quality of its governance is of prime concern to all. Indian bureaucratic system of governance is founded on the principle of rule of law, as the state power is divided amongst three chief organs, each has the its own quality under a…
This paper discusses the concept of good governance and its relations with the electoral politics in Indian context. It highlights the various strategies employed by the government and related agencies for the growth and development of the country. Major reforms pertaining to the country’s infrastructure, IT, administration, economy and public services are a few areas that have been explored in…
With the Indian government’s vision to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, marking hundred years of independence, it has become of highest importance to learn from the past, tenaciously work in the present and step towards the future with complete efficiency. In its 77 years of becoming a democracy, India has soared high with continuous transformations marked by both…
The vision of Viksit Bharat can be realised through Viksit States, and that the aspiration of Viksit Bharat should reach the grassroot level i.e. to each district, block, and village. For this, each State and District should create a vision for 2047 so as to realise Viksit Bharat @ 2047.