Government investments in infra and contrast from its digital push
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 22ndFed. 2016
The government's push for make in India contrasts significantly from its push for Digital India. For Make in India, it has identified an elaborate list of infrastructure projects which are needed to be financed mostly from public money. Then it has brought in defence contracts and others where government is a keen buyer of the made in India products. For Digital India, the plans works differently. It allows private sector to build products and services on the back of telecom and optic cable infra being put in place. Now again this infra is mostly finance from private money though some public fund are being used for rural access as we are informed.
The government buying significant breakthroughs from private sector to improve public services is not being planned though investments in UIDAI continues. Most other industries like shipping, railways, Automobile (roads & bridges) & household goods say in kitchen or entertainment (power/energy, satellite/cable etc.) are backed by huge government expenditure. The other sector which is neglected is the rural and agri-based economy where again government support comes in terms of lower prices of inputs via subsidy to producers, which are mostly based out of urban centers. This continues even as political leadership has obliquely accepted that India has not reformed its antiquated laws, rules, government processes and procedures for several decades. It is common knowledge that with the advancement of science and technology, there is much to gain it terms of overall cost savings plus improvement of effectiveness of government's reach to people through services.
While reforms in taxation or other revenue mechanisms have continued, the reforms that would improve transparency of delivery of services have lagged. Also, there seems to be a lacuna in terms of better understanding of how these will impact the overall costs, which may be significant; since we have only seen linear cost escalations in line with inflation. If incorporation of new technologies can reduce the cost of projects for delivery of services to people have never been considered, probably for political reasons. With the new political parties emerging and trying to make a dent with new mantras, the noise is just in terms of cost impact on one or two siloed projects; however a statement in terms of improvement in processes that may lead to overall cost savings and can be replicated in other states as well; may do the trick, though currently not on offer.Generally, the reform measures in almost all states have shunned radical measures in most public engagement areas.
Take the government schooling for example. The management continues in line with age old practices while the measures like student coupon subsidies which give flexibility to students to opt for schools that they may want to study at, using government subsidy is not on offer. This is even as the most experimentative chief minister would continue with ragas around their own euphoria and claim drastic improvements in standards of education. The survey of student and parent satisfaction level is coolly not reported as is any new ideas for new measures, which may do the trick.
It may be noted the socialistic ideals of equality with quality (for public/rather than for the ruling class), has been defeated while it is only the European standards for people welfare alongside business savviness which has managed to survive as an ideal, and that's the best case for most ordinary public. However what seems to be the case in India is a plethora of rhetoric from almost all political sides, with very few principled arguments and policy measures witnessing the light of the day.This, then tends to become pugnacious during upcoming elections where political leaders try to mobilize public support basis a perception created with the support of media, which in any case has little tendency to ask questions from the public point of view. Then we of course have no dearth of self-serving political leadership who would continue to chase narrow/select interests and even claim de facto monopoly over the interests of select minorities and deprived classes, while ensuring such deprivation is maintained through appropriate measures so that they dalliance with governance can continue unabated.
Let's see now that with newbie political avatars, are we in any better shape to meet up with the challenges through more comprehensive measures. This would lead to a greater consolidation of political forces who have generally strayed and went haywire to satisfy narrow political interests of one or two mass leaders rather than operating basis some comprehensive ideology and programmes. With the rise of new economy which is also amongst the largest job creating one, the new political avatars are much needed who would champion the cause of new economy and front end the new ideas to be taken to public, which would then decide basis their experienced service levels. New avatars shying away from new measures is hardly the answer and the Delhi experiment has been showing this to all, though only in select areas. Of course for such an experiment to expand, more ideas to deliver benefits more effectively to masses may need to be demonstrated in multiple sectors.
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 22ndFed. 2016
The government's push for make in India contrasts significantly from its push for Digital India. For Make in India, it has identified an elaborate list of infrastructure projects which are needed to be financed mostly from public money. Then it has brought in defence contracts and others where government is a keen buyer of the made in India products. For Digital India, the plans works differently. It allows private sector to build products and services on the back of telecom and optic cable infra being put in place. Now again this infra is mostly finance from private money though some public fund are being used for rural access as we are informed.
The government buying significant breakthroughs from private sector to improve public services is not being planned though investments in UIDAI continues. Most other industries like shipping, railways, Automobile (roads & bridges) & household goods say in kitchen or entertainment (power/energy, satellite/cable etc.) are backed by huge government expenditure. The other sector which is neglected is the rural and agri-based economy where again government support comes in terms of lower prices of inputs via subsidy to producers, which are mostly based out of urban centers. This continues even as political leadership has obliquely accepted that India has not reformed its antiquated laws, rules, government processes and procedures for several decades. It is common knowledge that with the advancement of science and technology, there is much to gain it terms of overall cost savings plus improvement of effectiveness of government's reach to people through services.
While reforms in taxation or other revenue mechanisms have continued, the reforms that would improve transparency of delivery of services have lagged. Also, there seems to be a lacuna in terms of better understanding of how these will impact the overall costs, which may be significant; since we have only seen linear cost escalations in line with inflation. If incorporation of new technologies can reduce the cost of projects for delivery of services to people have never been considered, probably for political reasons. With the new political parties emerging and trying to make a dent with new mantras, the noise is just in terms of cost impact on one or two siloed projects; however a statement in terms of improvement in processes that may lead to overall cost savings and can be replicated in other states as well; may do the trick, though currently not on offer.Generally, the reform measures in almost all states have shunned radical measures in most public engagement areas.
Take the government schooling for example. The management continues in line with age old practices while the measures like student coupon subsidies which give flexibility to students to opt for schools that they may want to study at, using government subsidy is not on offer. This is even as the most experimentative chief minister would continue with ragas around their own euphoria and claim drastic improvements in standards of education. The survey of student and parent satisfaction level is coolly not reported as is any new ideas for new measures, which may do the trick.
It may be noted the socialistic ideals of equality with quality (for public/rather than for the ruling class), has been defeated while it is only the European standards for people welfare alongside business savviness which has managed to survive as an ideal, and that's the best case for most ordinary public. However what seems to be the case in India is a plethora of rhetoric from almost all political sides, with very few principled arguments and policy measures witnessing the light of the day.This, then tends to become pugnacious during upcoming elections where political leaders try to mobilize public support basis a perception created with the support of media, which in any case has little tendency to ask questions from the public point of view. Then we of course have no dearth of self-serving political leadership who would continue to chase narrow/select interests and even claim de facto monopoly over the interests of select minorities and deprived classes, while ensuring such deprivation is maintained through appropriate measures so that they dalliance with governance can continue unabated.
Let's see now that with newbie political avatars, are we in any better shape to meet up with the challenges through more comprehensive measures. This would lead to a greater consolidation of political forces who have generally strayed and went haywire to satisfy narrow political interests of one or two mass leaders rather than operating basis some comprehensive ideology and programmes. With the rise of new economy which is also amongst the largest job creating one, the new political avatars are much needed who would champion the cause of new economy and front end the new ideas to be taken to public, which would then decide basis their experienced service levels. New avatars shying away from new measures is hardly the answer and the Delhi experiment has been showing this to all, though only in select areas. Of course for such an experiment to expand, more ideas to deliver benefits more effectively to masses may need to be demonstrated in multiple sectors.