Jan Dhan Yojana

Jan Dhan Yojana by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi…

The newly elect Prime Minister is moving with a dream of building a better India. As expected various new yojanas or schemes were to be launched. Recently at the Red fort on India’s Independence Day on 2014 the Prime Minister announced a new scheme under which every family living in India must have a bank account. This yojana is known as the Jan Dhan Yojana. Here are the information’s that will help you more about this new scheme launched by the newly elect central government of India.

 

What is Jan Dhan Yojana?

It is a new scheme launched in India under which every Indian family will be enrolled in a bank for opening a zero balance account. This scheme not only provides the families of India to have an account but it also offer various different profits for the poor families. This new scheme is the 1^st step towards bringing economic equality in the country.

The newly formed Central government of India or known as “Modi Government” showed a great amount of dreams to the common people of India. Based on these dreams the people of India voted Narendra Modi and elected him as the Prime Minister of India. The government had spent almost 100 days in the power and it was high time when steps were taken to change the way country is moving forward to. The government of India on 28^th of August 2014 launched the Jan Dhan Yojana for the common people of India. Various economists of the country believe it to be a major step towards the financial stability of the country.

On 15^th August, 2014 Prime Minister delivered a speech where he share a dream of seeing every Indian Family having an account in the Indian bank. This was his scheme and this is known as the Jan Dhan Yojana today. Under this scheme every Indian is requested to open a bank account in an Indian Bank. At first the Reserve Bank of India had various rules and different documents were required to open an account. Before the launch of this scheme from the central government, RBI relaxed the rules of opening an account. Now if a person has a valid identity proof they are eligible for having an account. A valid Id proof letter from the Sarpanch of a village too works as a proof and will be good for opening an account in the bank.

Why Jan Dhan Yojana?

In a speech the Prime Minister stated that once the father of nation removed the social untouchability from the country. In the current world the financial untouchability is a big concern and it separates people. Thus a bank account will be the first step to eradicate the financial untouchability from the system. Looking to the scheme from an economic point of view the country like India comprises of a huge population. Each of the families living in India is the part of the economic cycle. So once the families have a back account they get connected to the vehicle of economy. Thus when everyone will be connected the economy of the country will run at a greater pace. Thus this step can be a source to a better economic country.

Purpose

In a run up to the formal launch of this scheme, the Prime Minister personally mailed to Chairmans of all PSU banks to gear up for the gigantic task of enrolling over 7.5 crore (75 million) households and to open their accounts. In this email he categorically declared that a bank account for each household was a "national priority".

The scheme has been started with a target to provide 'universal access to banking facilities' starting with "Basic Banking Accounts" with overdraft facility of Rs.5000 after six months andRuPay Debit card with inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs. 1 lakh and RuPay Kisan Card. In next phase, micro insurance & pension etc. will also be added.

Under the scheme:

1. Account holders will be provided zero-balance bank account with RuPay debit card, in addition to accidental insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh(to be given by 'HDFC Egro').

2. Those who open accounts by January 26, 2015 over and above the 1 lakh ₹ accident, they will be given life insurance cover of Rs 30,000(to be given by LIC).

3. After Six months of opening of the bank account, holders can avail 5,000 ₹ overdraft from the bank.

4. With the introduction of new technology introduced by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a person can transfer funds, check balance through a normal phone which was earlier limited only to smart phones so far.

5. Mobile banking for the poor would be available through National Unified USSD Platform (NUUP) for which all banks and mobile companies have come together

How Jan Dhan Yojana is being Implemented?

The Jan Dhan Yojana is a scheme launched by the newly elect government of India. Under this scheme the government aims to see every household in the country to have a personal bank account in a bank. Keeping in mind to this mission of seeing every Indian household have a bank account the government launched the new scheme that will be providing a greater financial stability.

Here is a small idea on how this dream of every household of India will be completed. The country now has 6 lakh villages in total. These villages are divided into Sub Service Area (SAS’s). These SAS will have 1000 to 1500 households under them that are each SAS will cover 3-4 villages. The SAS’s will be a combination of two banking systems. These two systems are real banks which are known as branch banking while special camps will be organised where people representing from a bank will be sitting and providing the services of a bank, this is branchless banking system. After opening the bank accounts in the 1^st phase the government also open 7000 bank branches while 20,000 ATMs across the country. To provide a better service the government also plans to hire 50,000 bank professionals for the new branches to be posted across India. This will provide more employment to the people of India.

Performance

Due to the preparations done in the run-up, as mentioned above, on the inauguration day, 1.5 Crore (15 million) bank accounts were opened. The Prime Minister said on this occasion- "Let us celebrate today as the day of financial freedom." By September 2014, 3.02 crore accounts were opened under the scheme, amongst Public sector banks, SBI had opened 30 lakh (3 million) accounts, followed by Punjab National Bank with 20.24 lakh (2 million) accounts, Canara Bank 16.21 lakh (1.62 million) accounts, Central Bank of India 15.98 lakh (1.59 million) accounts and Bank of Baroda with 14.22 lakh (1.42 million) accounts. It was reported that total of 7 Crore (70 million) bank accounts have been opened with deposits totaling more than 5000 crore Rupees (approx 1 billion USD) as of November 6, 2014. As the government met the target, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has revised the target for opening of bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), the ambitious financial inclusion scheme launched by the government, from 7.5 crore to 10 crore by January 26, 2015.

 

Benefits that the country will get from this Jan Dhan Scheme

The benefit of this yojana is many both for the nation and the common man opening their accounts in the banks under this scheme. The country from this scheme will have a better financial stability as when everyone in the country will open an account they will indirectly get connected to the economic vehicle of the country. Together the people of India then will be able to drive the economy to a better place.

Apart from this the poor people of India will get a high economic boost under this scheme from the Prime Minister of India. The poor people of India after opening the account will be eligible for an life cover of thirty thousand rupees. Apart from it they will also be getting an accidental cover of 1 lakh rupees. Apart from this they will be getting a RuPay debit card which will be attached to the account thus taking the newly formed government is taking technology to the root level of India. This easily is going to be the step that will be taking this country to the future. After sometime if the account is kept active, then the account holder will be liable to overdraft a sum of 5000 rupees from that account.

This new scheme will surely prove to be a good step towards uniting the country together and moving in the correct direction of economic stability which is necessary for the country to prosper.

As announced by the PM of India this is a scheme made to benefit the common man of India and thus this scheme has a lots of benefits for the Indian families opening their bank account under the scheme. Here is the list of benefits that once can get from this scheme.

Each family will have a bank account opened in the countries best bank free of cost and quite easily. This will help them find a place to save their earnings easily.

With a new bank account each family will be getting a RuPay debit card that they can use to withdraw money from the account.

The new opened account will be a zero balance account and thus the account holder will not be required to have a minimum balance in the account.

Each people getting into this scheme people will be getting an Rs 30,000 life cover.

Along with the life cover one will also get an accidental cover of 1 lakh. This will add up a value to the various lives in the country.

If the person keeps the bank account active and saves some money then the account holder will be given the overdraft limit of Rs 5000 that one can withdraw from the account.

Benefits of Jan Dhan Yojana for the common man of India

 

Every person opening an account under this scheme will be getting a new zero balance account. This account is a special account and hence you would not be required to keep a minimum balance in your account.

The second benefit that one will be gaining is a life cover insurance which every account holder under this scheme is liable to it. Every account holder will get a life cover of worth Rs. 30,000.

Every account holder will be given a new RuPay debit card. This debit card comes along with a special accidental cover of 1 lakh rupees. Under this scheme by the PM of India there are two kinds of debit card that is named as the RuPay card and the RuPay kisaan card designed especially for the farmers.

After a period of 6 months the people opening an account under this scheme will be eligible for taking an overdraft of five thousand. Thus this will allow the common man of India to take a credit of five thousand rupees from the government of India. His can only be done if the account holder keeps the account active for a period of 6 months.

Later under this scheme some areas will also get a pension scheme for the elderlies.

Under this scheme the government of India is changing the face of India as many more ATMs are planned to be built as more number of debit card users are being made. It is a step of taking bank to every village.

The few changing steps include the evolution of mobile banking. Under this scheme the mobile banking will be available on Symbian phones as well. This facility was only available for smart phone users.

The credit amount of 5000 will be increased to 15,000 once the repayment of the loan is done on time. This will be a great help for the people of India to prosper as the money will be available for them

 

Project Report ….

Pradhan Mantri Jan - Dhan Yojana (Accounts Opened As on 07.01.2015) Disclaimer: Information is based upon the data as submitted by different banks/SLBCs

 

S.No	Banks	No Of Accounts (In Lacs)			No Of Rupay Debit Cards (In Lacs)	Balance In Accounts (In Lacs)	No Of Accounts With Zero Balance (In Lacs)
		Rural	Urban	Total
1	Public Sector Banks	468.08	394.1	862.18	770.1	672295.77	621.97
2	Regional Rural Banks	163.1	28.9	192	103.35	132139.66	145.84
3	Private Banks	15.97	14.49	30.47	22.9	50033.9	20.53
	Total	647.15	437.49	1084.65	896.35	854469.33	788.34

 

 

SHRAMEV JAYATE SCHEME

Modi launches labour-friendly scheme for Skilled India

New Delhi, October 16, 2014 | UPDATED 15:57 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched labour-reform initiatives under the name of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate scheme.

Shramev Jayate has the same power as Satyamev Jayate for the development of our nation, PM Modi said.

"White-collar jobs are considered good, we'll have to change the way we look at labour," PM Modi further said.

"How to change the work culture? These efforts are a great example," said Modi amid applause. "This is Minimum Government Maximum Governance."

The prime minister said: "E-governance is easy governance. It builds trust for transparency."

On Inspector Raj, he said a computer now determines where an inspection will be carried out the next day. He also said the number of forms that companies have to fill regarding their labour force has been reduced from as many as 16 to just one now. This form can be filed online.

Modi dedicated a Shram Suvidha portal, Labour Inspection scheme and Portability through Universal Account Number (UAN) for Employees Provident Fund at an event in Vigyan Bhavan here.

He also released a booklet of National Brand Ambassadors for Vocational Training and Souvenir for All India Skill Competitions. 

"Skill (development) is the need of the hour. We have to create a Skilled India and increase the scale," Cabinet Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said at Shramev Jayate programme.

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today made a strong pitch for understanding and appreciating labour issues through the perspective of the labourers, so that they could be understood and resolved with compassion. In his remarks after launching five new initiatives at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said that such a compassionate approach would result in the “Shram Yogi” (labourer) becoming a “Rashtra Yogi,” and hence, a “Rashtra Nirmaata” (Nation-builder).

The Prime Minister said that in the Nation’s development, the phrase “Shramev Jayate” had as much significance as “Satyamev Jayate.”

Shri Narendra Modi said the Government must trust its citizens, and a big step had been taken in this direction by allowing self-certification of documents. He said the various initiatives being launched today as part of the Shramev Jayate Karyakram were also a step in this direction.

 

The Prime Minister lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in launching a series of schemes simultaneously, which took into account the interests of workers, as well as the employers. He said the Shram Suvidha Portal has simplified compliance of 16 labour laws, through a single online form.

He said the transparent Labour Inspection Scheme for random selection of units for inspection, would end undue harassment of the “Inspector Raj,” while ensuring better compliance.

The Prime Minister expressed his concern that as much as Rs. 27,000 crore was lying unclaimed with the Employees Provident Fund Organization. He said this money belonged to poor workers of India, and the portability provided for Employees Provident Fund through the Universal Account Number would put an end to such money being locked up and not reaching the intended beneficiary.

The Prime Minister said the initiative of appointing National Brand Ambassadors of Vocational Training would instill pride and confidence in ITI students. The Prime Minister also honoured selected brand ambassadors.

The Apprentice Protsahan Yojana and the Effective Implementation of revamped Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for labour in the unorganized sector were also launched today.

The Prime Minister said the “Shramev Jayate” initiatives were an essential element of the “Make in India” vision, as they would pave the way for skill development of youth in a big way, and even create an opportunity for India to meet the global requirement of skilled labour workforce in the years ahead.

The programme was attended by Union Ministers Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Shri Kalraj Mishra, Shri Anant Geete, and Dr. Harshvardhan, and the Union MoS Labour Shri Vishnudeo Sai.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled long-awaited labour reforms this morning, emphasising in his address that "ease of business is essential to the success of 'Make in India,'" his government's mega plan to turn India into a manufacturing hub.

 

The PM said, "Shramev Jayate (labour triumphs) has the same power asSatyamev Jayate (truth triumphs) does for the development of our nation." Labour problems "must be seen through the eyes of the shramik (worker) not industrialists," he said, adding that people must change their attitude towards those who do manual labour. 

In the reforms today, the wage ceiling has been raised from Rs. 6,500 to Rs. 15,000 per month to ensure vulnerable groups are covered under the EPF scheme. A minimum pension will also be introduced for the first time, so after retirement, a person gets at least Rs. 1,000 per month.

The new system also aims at getting rid of what is called the "Inspector Raj" or terror rule of inspectors that has hobbled industry for many years. "Inspector Raj...we heard this since our childhood and we thought it is for policemen, only but then we realised it's a lot more," Mr Modi said.

About 1,800 labour inspectors across the country will get text messages from the Prime Minister today apprising them of the new rules.  

Two key areas of the reforms will be "Shram Suvidha" - a unified labour and industrial portal, where all data will be stored. The other will be the "Labour Inspection Scheme," which aims at ending arbitrariness in the inspection mechanism.

Inspection lists will now be made centrally and will be generated randomly by computer. Every inspection will have objective criteria and the report will have to be uploaded on the unified portal within 72 hours.

This is radically different from the present system, under which units for inspection are selected locally, without any objective criteria, allowing inspectors to harass unit owners and even exploit them in cases of violation.

Each of the six to seven lakh industrial units in the country will also get a unique Labour Identification Number, or LIN.  

Apart from disinvestment and land acquisition, labour is one of the areas in which India Inc has demanded decisive action.

PM Modi unveils 'Shramev Jayate Yojana' to revamp labour reforms and ease the 'Make in India' call

Looking to create an environment conducive to industrial development while also ensuring transparency in the labour sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled 'Shramev Jayate Yojana' to revamp labour reforms and ease the 'Make in India' call.

Modi inaugurated the 'Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram' organised by the Labour Ministry which will feature a day-long conference of labour, employment, health and vocational training ministers of the various state governments.

A host of schemes was launched by Modi aimed at ending inspector raj and streamlining labour laws.

The initiatives launched are a Unified Labour Portal or 'Shram Suvidha', a transparent and accountable Labour Inspection Scheme, and portability through Universal Account Number (UAN) for Employees' Provident Fund members. Also flagged off is an Apprentice Protsahan Yojana.

Modi said, "The power that Satyamev Jayate has, the same power Shramev Jayate has for the development of our nation."

Modi added, "We have to see labour issues from the eyes of the Shramik. We can't see it from the eyes of the industrialists."

Under the proposed reforms, labour inspectors will lose their power to decide which unit to visit and the number of forms related to compliance with labour laws that employers have to file will drop from 16 to 1.

The revamped Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for workers in the unorganised sector was also launched on the occasion.

The UAN will allow collation of accounts and viewing of updated PF accounts. The UAN would be portable throughout the working careers of members and can be used anywhere in India.

Thus, workers in the organised sector would not need to apply for a transfer of their PF account claim on changing jobs.

Bulk SMSes will be sent across India as part of the programme, the ministry said in a statement.

"While about One crore EPFO subscribers will get SMSes regarding portability through UAN, about 6.50 lakh establishments and 1,800 inspecting officers will get SMSes about Unified Labour Portal which will (make for) a transparent and accountable Labour Inspection Scheme," the ministry said.

Under the new Labour Inspection scheme, labour inspectors will get auto-generated lists telling them where to go for inspection. Ministry officials said that the inspectors have to upload their reports on to the portal within 72 hours of carrying out an inspection.

"An SMS will also be sent to the 1,800 inspectors... urging them to cooperate for the new scheme," said a senior labour ministry official.

A unified Labour Identification Number (LIN) for simplifying business regulations and securing transparency and accountability in labour inspections by various agencies and bodies under the administrative control of Labour Ministry will also be launched.

The LIN web portal will operate through a unique LIN or Shram Pehchan Sankhya for each employer. The portal will provide for the e-filing of annual returns by employers. Under the Apprentice Protsahan Yojana, 50 per cent support for training in MSMEs will be provided by the Labour Ministry.

Also, in a bid to promote Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), the ministry will felicitate some individuals who have passed out from these institutions and are holding top posts in various companies.

The ministry has identified these individuals to be brand ambassadors of the ITIs, the official said, adding that it would encourage more people to enrol at such institutes.

"Around 4 lakh SMSes will be sent to ITI trainees regarding the brand ambassadors of ITIs... An identical number of emails will also be sent simultaneously," it added.

Apart from Union Labour Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Vishnu Deo Sai, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will be attending the programme which aims to take forward these initiatives in tandem with the NDA government's vision of 'Make in India'.

The programme will be telecast live on Doordarshan and arrangements have also been made for its live streaming on ministry websites.

 

NITI Aayog

 

NITI Aayog or National Institution for Transforming India Aayog is a policy think-tank of government that replaces Planning Commission and aims to involve the states in economic policy-making in India. It will be providing strategic and technical advice to the central and the state governments. Prime Minister of India heads the Aayog as its chairperson.

Government had announced formation of NITI Aayog on 1 January 2015.

 

 

The NITI Aayog comprises of the following:

 

Prime Minister of India as the Chairperson

Governing Council comprising the Chief Ministers of all the States and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories

Regional Councils will be formed to address specific issues and contingencies impacting more than one state or a region. These will be formed for a specified tenure. The Regional Councils will be convened by the Prime Minister and will comprise of the Chief Ministers of States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories in the region. These will be chaired by the Chairperson of the NITI Aayog or his nominee

Experts, specialists and practitioners with relevant domain knowledge as special invitees nominated by the Prime Minister

Full-time organizational framework (in addition to Prime Minister as the Chairperson) comprising of:

Vice-Chairperson: To be appointed by the Prime Minister

Members: Two (2) Full-time

Part-time members: Maximum of two from leading universities research organizations and other relevant institutions in an ex-officio capacity. Part time members will be on a rotational basis

Ex Officio members: Maximum of four members of the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister

Chief Executive Officer: To be appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India

Secretariat as deemed necessary 

 

Present Members

The various members of NITI Aayog are:

Chairperson: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Vice Chairperson: Arvind Panagariya

Ex-Officio Members: Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu and Radha Mohan Singh

Special Invitees: Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Zubin Irani and Thawar Chand Gehlot

Full-time Members: Bibek Debroy & V. K. Saraswat

Governing Council: All Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories

CEO: Sindhushree Khullar

 

Government establishes NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) to replace Planning Commission

 

NITI Aayog will seek to provide a critical directional and strategic input into the development process.

In accordance with a key announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day, the Union Government today established NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), as replacement for the Planning Commission. This comes after extensive consultation across the spectrum of stakeholders, including state governments, domain experts and relevant institutions.

NITI Aayog will seek to provide a critical directional and strategic input into the development process.

The centre-to-state one-way flow of policy, that was the hallmark of the Planning Commission era, is now sought to be replaced by a genuine and continuing partnership of states.

NITI Aayog will emerge as a “think-tank” that will provide Governments at the central and state levels with relevant strategic and technical advice across the spectrum of key elements of policy.

The NITI Aayog will also seek to put an end to slow and tardy implementation of policy, by fostering better Inter-Ministry coordination and better Centre-State coordination. It will help evolve a shared vision of national development priorities, and foster cooperative federalism, recognizing that strong states make a strong Nation.

The NITI Aayog will develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans to the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of government.

Through the above, the NITI Aayog will aim to accomplish the following objectives and opportunities:-

 

·An administration paradigm in which the Government is an “enabler” rather than a “provider of first and last resort.”

·Progress from “food security” to focus on a mix of agricultural production, as well as actual returns that farmers get from their produce.

·Ensure that India is an active player in the debates and deliberations on the global commons.

·Ensure that the economically vibrant middle-class remains engaged, and its potential is fully realized.

·Leverage India`s pool of entrepreneurial, scientific and intellectual human capital.

·Incorporate the significant geo-economic and geo-political strength of the Non-Resident Indian Community.

·Use urbanization as an opportunity to create a wholesome and secure habitat through the use of modern technology.

·Use technology to reduce opacity and potential for misadventures in governance.

 

The NITI Aayog will work towards the following objectives:

 

To evolve a shared vision of national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active involvement of States in the light of national objectives. The vision of the NITI Aayog will then provide a framework ‘national agenda’ for the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers to provide impetus to.

To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation.

To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of government.

To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred to it, that the interests of national security are incorporated in economic strategy and policy.

To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefitting adequately from economic progress.

To design strategic and long term policy and programme frameworks and initiatives, and monitor their progress and their efficacy. The lessons learnt through monitoring and feedback will be used for making innovative improvements, including necessary mid-course corrections.

To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded Think Tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions.

To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.

To offer a platform for resolution of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues in order to accelerate the implementation of the development agenda.

To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, be a repository of research on good governance and best practices in sustainable and equitable development as well as help their dissemination to stake-holders.

To actively monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and initiatives, including the identification of the needed resources so as to strengthen the probability of success and scope of delivery.

To focus on technology upgradation and capacity building for implementation of programmes and initiatives.

 

The NITI Aayog aims to enable India to better face complex challenges, through the following:-

 

·Leveraging of India’s demographic dividend, and realization of the potential of youth, men and women, through education, skill development, elimination of gender bias, and employment.

·Elimination of poverty, and the chance for every Indian to live a life of dignity and self-respect.

·Reddressal of inequalities based on gender bias, caste and economic disparities.

·Integrate villages institutionally into the development process.

·Policy support to more than 50 million small businesses, which are a major source of employment creation.

·Safeguarding of our environmental and ecological assets.

 

Government constitutes National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog

The Government has replaced Planning Commission with a new institution named NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India). The institution will serve as ‘Think Tank’ of the Government-a directional and policy dynamo. NITI Aayog will provide Governments at the central and state levels with relevant strategic and technical advice across the spectrum of key elements of policy, this includes matters of national and international import on the economic front, dissemination of best practices from within the country as well as from other nations, the infusion of new policy ideas and specific issue-based support.

 

The forces transforming India are many and include:-

 

The industry and service sectors have developed and are operating on a global scale now. To build on this foundation, new India needs an administration paradigm in which the government is an “enabler” rather than a “provider of first and last resort”. The role of the government as a “player” in the industrial and service sectors has to be reduced. Instead, government has to focus on enabling legislation, policy making and regulation.

India’s traditional strength in agriculture has increased manifold on account of the efforts of our farmers and improvements in technology. We need to continue to improve, and move from pure food security to a focus on a mix of agricultural production as well as the actual returns that farmers get from their produce.

Today, we reside in a ‘global village’, connected by modern transport, communications and media, and networked international markets and institutions. As India ‘contributes’ to global endeavours, it is also influenced by happenings far removed from our borders. Global economics and geo-politics are getting increasingly integrated, and the private sector is growing in importance as a constituent within that. India needs to be an active player in the debates and deliberations on the global commons, especially in relatively uncharted areas.

India’s middle class is unique in terms of its size and purchasing power. This formidable group is increasing with the entry of the neo-middle class. It has been an important driver of growth and has enormous potential on account of its high education levels, mobility and willingness to push for change in the country. Our continuing challenge is to ensure that this economically vibrant group remains engaged and its potential is fully realised.

The challenges we face as a country have also become more complex:-

 

India’s demographic dividend has to be leveraged fruitfully over the next few decades. The potential of our youth, men and women, has to be realized through education, skill development, elimination of gender bias, and employment. We have to strive to provide our youth productive opportunities to work on the frontiers of science, technology and knowledge economy.

Poverty elimination remains one of the most important metrics by which alone we should measure our success as a nation. Every Indian must be given an opportunity to live a life of dignity and self respect. The words of Tiruvalluvar, the sage-poet, when he wrote that “nothing is more dreadfully painful than poverty”, and “gripping poverty robs a man of the lofty nobility of his descent”, are as true today as they were when written more than two thousand years ago.

Economic development is incomplete if it does not provide every individual the right to enjoy the fruits of development. Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya had enunciated this in his concept of Antyodaya, or uplift of the downtrodden, where the goal is to ensure that the poorest of the poor get the benefits of development. Inequalities based on gender biases as well as economic disparities have to be redressed. We need to create an environment and support system that encourages women to play their rightful role in nation-building. Equality of opportunity goes hand in hand with an inclusiveness agenda. Rather than pushing everyone on to a pre-determined path, we have to give every element of society – especially weaker segments like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes – the ability to influence the choices the country and government make in setting the national agenda. In fact, inclusion has to be predicated on a belief in the ability of each member of society to contribute. As Sankar Dev wrote centuries ago in the Kirtan Ghosh: “To see every being as equivalent to one’s own soul is the supreme means (of attaining deliverance)”.

Villages (Gram) continue to be the bedrock of our ethos, culture and sustenance. They need to be fully integrated institutionally into the development process so that we draw on their vitality and energy.

India has more than 50 million small businesses, which are a major source of employment creation. These businesses are particularly important in creating opportunities for the backward and disadvantaged sections of the society. Policy making must focus on providing necessary support to this sector in terms of skill and knowledge upgrades and access to financial capital and relevant technology.

In essence, effective governance in India will rest on the following pillars:-

 

Pro-people agenda that fulfils the aspirations of the society as well as individual,
Governance, across the public and private domains, is the concern of society as a whole. Everyone has a stake in ensuring good governance and effective delivery of services. Creating Jan Chetna, therefore, becomes crucial for people’s initiative. In the past, governance may have been rather narrowly construed as public governance. In today’s changed dynamics – with ‘public’ services often being delivered by ‘private’ entities, and the greater scope for ‘participative citizenry’, governance encompasses and involves everyone.

The institutional framework of government has developed and matured over the years. This has allowed the development of domain expertise which allows us the chance to increase the specificity of functions given to institutions. Specific to the planning process, there is a need to separate as well as energize the distinct ‘process’ of governance from the ‘strategy’ of governance.

In the context of governance structures, the changed requirements of our country, point to the need for setting up an institution that serves as a Think Tank of the government – a directional and policy dynamo. The proposed institution has to provide governments at the central and state levels with relevant strategic and technical advice across the spectrum of key elements of policy. This includes matters of national and international import on the economic front, dissemination of best practices from within the country as well as from other nations, the infusion of new policy ideas and specific issue-based support. The institution has to be able to respond to the changing and more integrated world that India is part of.

An important evolutionary change from the past will be replacing a centre-to-state one-way flow of policy by a genuine and continuing partnership with the states. The institution must have the necessary resources, knowledge, skills and, ability to act with speed to provide the strategic policy vision for the government as well as deal with contingent issues.

Perhaps most importantly, the institution must adhere to the tenet that while incorporating positive influences from the world, no single model can be transplanted from outside into the Indian scenario. We need to find our own strategy for growth. The new institution has to zero in on what will work in and for India. It will be a Bharatiya approach to development.