India must be a functioning social democracy
India is one of the largest welfare states in the world and yet, with COVID-19 striking in 2020, the state failed to provide for its most vulnerable citizens.
- The covid crisis has revealed why we need to remodel social sector policies and institute far-reaching governance reforms for the sake of everyone’s well-being.
India needs to make social welfare universal
- India has become the state of multiple crises: The country witnessed multiple crises: mass inter- and intra-migration, food insecurity, and a crumbling health infrastructure during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Large number of population is drifted into poverty: The coronavirus pandemic has led to extenuating circumstances which has pushed an estimated 75 million people into poverty.
- Lack of availability of social capital: The Economic capital has proven to be insufficient in accessing healthcare facilities because of the absence of social capital.
- Lack of last mile connectivity of social welfare schemes: India has over 500 direct benefit transfer schemes for which various Central, State, and Line departments are responsible but these schemes have not reached those in need.
- Presence of poor quality public services: The developing countries suffer from poor quality public services and lack of other critical functions of the government such as social safety nets, public works, and law-and-order suffer from systemic weaknesses.
- Poor health infrastructure: India spends a shockingly low percentage of GDP on health i.e. only 1.28%.
- It has been pointed out that India has one government doctor for nearly 11,000 people.
- Overlooking the needs of vulnerable section: The large population of vulnerable group was largely left to ordinary citizens and social activists to come to their rescue with soup kitchens and other aid materials.
Importance of Universal Social Welfare
- Ease of application: The presence of a universal system of social welfare would improve the ease of application by consolidating the data of all eligible beneficiaries under one database.
- Better standard of living: The making of other schemes/welfare provisions like education, maternity benefits, disability benefits etc. also universal would ensure a better standard of living for the people.
- Economic support for the vulnerable population: The social safety nets (social welfare policies) have emerged as one of the key policy levers in the hands of governments to address the immediate effects of the economic downturn.
- These schemes range from cash transfers to transfers in kind, such as food grains and other goods for essential consumption, attempting to ensure food security for all.
- These welfare schemes are targeted at the poor and the lower middle class, and informal sector workers, who make up a large proportion of the labour force in developing countries.
- Creation of capabilities among the less privileged: The social security plan weaves a social safety net that provides security to the poor.
- It adopts policies of positive discrimination to enable groups of people to overcome the disadvantages of long-standing social and economic deprivations.
- Welfare agenda is not about freebies: It rests on ensuring equal access to quality healthcare and education and equitable access to economic opportunities.
- Development of a strong citizen-government bond: The building of a wide coalition of people who benefit from a pro-poor welfare agenda creates a strong link between the government and citizens.
Measures to be adopted for Universal Social Welfare
- Lessons to be learned from other countries: Ireland has introduced the Poor Law System to provide relief that was financed by local property taxes.
- The social welfare system in Ireland has evolved into a fourfold apparatus that promises social insurance, social assistance, universal schemes, and extra benefits/supplements.
- Cooperative federalism: It is required to map the State and Central schemes in a consolidated manner which aims is to avoid duplication, inclusion and exclusion errors in welfare delivery.
- In-depth study of vulnerable groups in India: A study to understand costs of welfare access for vulnerable groups can be conducted which will help give a targeted way forward.
- Development of social housing concept for migrant population: The informal sector workers, irrespective of whether they work in their home states or are economic migrants, need social housing that includes basic essential services such as regularised water supply and electricity.
- Improvement in public health infrastructure: It has to be improved significantly so that pandemics do not overwhelm our health systems.
- Development of far-reaching governance reforms: They are needed to ensure that public services are controlled and delivered by agencies at the appropriate level (national or sub-national) with clear mechanisms for social accountability.
Road Ahead
- The pandemic has revealed that leveraging our existing schemes and providing universal social security is of utmost importance which will help absorb the impact of external shocks on our vulnerable populations.
- The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) is one scheme that can be strengthened into universal social security which already consolidates the public distribution system (PDS), the provision of gas cylinders, and wages for the MGNREGS.
- The implementation of any of the ideas is only possible through a focus on data digitisation, data-driven decision-making and collaboration across government departments.
- There is now substantial evidence from across the world that for basic social security schemes such as old-age pension, universal coverage not only scores higher on equity, but is also administratively efficient and cost-effective.
- The securing of commitments to increase the level of social sector spending and toimplement far-sighted and transformative reforms will prove vital in determining how prepared we are for the next crisis.
Read More - https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/things-india-must-do-to-be-a-functioning-social-democracy-120121101105_1.html
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