From Outlays to Outcomes: Getting Development from Development Expenditure
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

On August 25th 2009, Accountability Initiative, Centre for Policy Research and Centre for Development Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research organized a conference entitled: “From Outlays to Outcomes: Getting Development from Development Expenditures”. The conference aimed to create a meaningful dialogue on the processes and mechanisms for strengthening transparency and accountability in the implementation of social sector programs in India by drawing together eminent policy‐makers, practitioners, civil society activists and academics, in a day‐long meeting. The conference provided a forum for key stakeholders – policy‐makers, practitioners, civil society and academics – to exchange ideas, draw lessons from experience, and identify solutions to what is perhaps the greatest challenge faced by the government: ensuring accountability in the money spent. This report offers a brief summary of the day’s proceedings, highlighting the key points that were debated and discussed.

SGRY scheme brief
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) provided wage employment and food security, by undertaking labour-intensive work in rural areas and contributes to the creation of durable community assets. Wages were paid as a combination of foodgrains and cash. In 2008, the self-targeting programme merged with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). This scheme brief looks at the programme’s salient features, various components, and achievements in the years it has been in operation.

NRHM scheme brief
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

The National Rural Health Mission, launched in 2005, is the largest primary healthcare programme run in the world and reflects the Government of India’s commitment to increase public spending on health to 2-3 percent of GDP. It aims provide effective healthcare in rural areas, especially to poor and disadvantaged sections of the population, by improving access, enabling community ownership and demand for services, strengthening public health systems for efficient service delivery, enhancing equity and accountability and promoting decentralisation. It will do so through an architectural correction in the existing delivery mechanism and use of traditional Indian medicine systems. This brief examines the Mission’s salient features and summarises progress to date.

IAY scheme brief
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Indira Awaas Yojana was initiated a part of employment generation programme in 1985 and was made an independent scheme in 1996. Since then the scheme has spent 33,000 crore providing funding for poor rural residents to build pucca houses in an effort to eliminate rural shelterlessness. This brief looks at the scheme’s functioning evaluating its performance as well as efficacy in reaching stated objectives.

SSA scheme brief
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a comprehensive plan to provide free education to all children in the age group 6-14 years. It was launched in 2001 with an initial outlay of Rs.7000 crore. This brief presents the salient features of the scheme and highlights its impact on elementary and primary education to date.

NREGS scheme brief
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

 A flagship programme of the UPA government, the NREGS was announced in 2005. It was introduced in 200 of the country’s most backward districts in 2006 and was expanded to cover all 615 rural districts across India in 2008. Today, NREGS is the largest work guarantee programme in the world. This scheme brief examines some of the challenges the scheme faces and also summarises evidence regarding progress towards meeting the scheme’s stated objectives.

MDM scheme brief
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

One of two flagship programmes initiated to achieve the goal of Education for All, India’s Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme is the largest school lunch programme in the world. It currently reaches 12 crore children in 9.5 lakh schools across India. This scheme brief provides an overview of the scheme and examines available evidence on how MDM has performed against its stated objectives.

ICDS scheme brief
Author(s):Satyarupa Shekhar
Membership:Centrally Sponsored Schemes

ICDS is a comprehensive programme designed to ensure the  holistic development of children. It is one of the largest childcare programmes in the world and has been in operation for more than three decades. This scheme brief examines the salient features of the scheme and the extent to which it has been effective in addressing still-widespread malnutrition among children in India.