Introduction:
- Improving sanitation coverage has been a significant public policy achievement in India over the past decade.
- The country’s efforts align with Goal 6 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on access to water and sanitation.
- This editorial examines the evolution of India’s public sanitation programs, particularly highlighting the transition from subsidy-based initiatives to demand-driven approaches.
Historical Evolution:
- The journey began with the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) in 1986, followed by the Total Sanitation Campaign in 1999.
- The shift towards a low subsidy regime and a demand-driven approach occurred under the Total Sanitation Campaign.
- In 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) was initiated with the aim of making India Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019.
Phase I Achievements and Phase II Objectives:
- Data indicates a remarkable increase in sanitation coverage from 39% in 2014 to 100% in 2019.
- Phase II of SBM-G focuses on sustainability, waste management, and covering previously excluded households.
- The goal is to transition from ODF to ODF Plus by 2024-25, with approximately 85% of villages achieving ODF Plus status.
Behavioural Patterns and Challenges:
- Despite infrastructure development, behavioural change remains a challenge.
- Surveys highlight reasons for non-usage, including infrastructure issues, hygiene concerns, and social norms.
- Household surveys reveal disparities across states, with access to water being a crucial factor in toilet usage.
Social Norms and Network Dynamics:
- Social norms significantly influence sanitation behaviors, with caste dynamics and social networks playing pivotal roles.
- Upper caste-dominated villages exhibit different network characteristics compared to others, impacting sanitation decisions.
- Sanitation behaviors vary across socio-economic classes, emphasizing the need for tailored behavioral change campaigns.
Synergy and Coordination:
- Despite significant investments, lack of synergy among various programs hampers collective behavioral change.
- The absence of coordinated efforts leads to inefficiencies in resource utilization and impedes overall progress in fulfilling basic needs.
Conclusion:
India’s sanitation policies have made substantial strides in infrastructure development but face persistent challenges related to behavioral change, social norms, and program coordination.
To achieve sustainable progress, there is a crucial need for targeted interventions addressing behavioral barriers, leveraging social networks, and fostering coordination among diverse initiatives aimed at improving living standards.
Introduction:
- Uttar Pradesh showcases a remarkable example of leveraging women’s empowerment to combat malnutrition through community-based micro enterprises led by self-help groups.
- These enterprises produce fortified and nutritious foods for pregnant/breastfeeding mothers and children, distributed via the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme.
Decentralized Production Model:
- Collaboration between the Department of Women and Child Development and the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission led to the establishment of decentralized production units.
- Women’s groups, comprising 20 members each, utilize automated equipment to produce varied fortified rations for ICDS beneficiaries.
- Piloted by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the model demonstrated feasibility, leading to rapid expansion across 43 districts, benefitting 12 million ICDS beneficiaries.
Empowering Women for Nutrition:
- Over 4,000 women organized into 204 self-help group micro enterprises across 204 blocks.
- Provided with subsidized machinery and raw materials, women produce and distribute take home ration, contributing to local economies.
Shift from Centralized to Decentralized Model:
- Uttar Pradesh transitions from a centralized model to empower women from self-help groups in ration production and supply.
- Aim to generate additional income of ₹8,000 per month for each woman.
Reformulating Take Home Rations:
- Department of Women and Child Development re-formulates rations to include high-quality milk powder, oil, vitamins, and minerals.
- Different formulations designed for various groups to address monotony, with enhanced packaging reflecting quality standards.
Strengthening Demand:
- Collaboration with WFP focuses on enhancing nutritional value and diversifying ICDS supplementary nutrition.
- Research-backed process develops new products under ICDS norms, including sweet and savory options, with informative packaging.
Fostering Innovation and Sustainability:
- Development of app-based solutions to build women’s capacities in producing nutritious foods.
- Pilot projects to strengthen supply chains and track rations using QR codes, supported by WFP, ensuring transparency and efficiency.
Conclusion:
- Uttar Pradesh’s women-led micro enterprises exemplify effective and sustainable approaches to combat malnutrition.
The success underscores the significance of multi-stakeholder collaboration and empowering women for long-term community nutrition improvement.
Introduction:
In her presentation of the 2024 budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the establishment of a committee to analyze India’s population growth trajectory, aiming to align with the Viksit Bharat goal by 2047.
This initiative marks a pivotal shift in the nation’s discourse surrounding demographic evolution, occurring nearly five decades after the contentious population control measures of 1976.
Transition from Population Explosion Fear to Demographic Realities:
- India, anticipated to remain the world’s most populous nation, has witnessed a notable decline in fertility rates, indicating a departure from the previously feared population explosion.
- Despite this shift, there exists a pressing need to adapt policies to accommodate the ongoing demographic transition effectively.
Priorities for Policy Agenda:
The proposed committee should prioritize reshaping policy agendas to accommodate the inevitable demographic shift rather than perpetuating outdated population bomb narratives. Key priorities include:
- Workforce Preparedness: Recognizing the changing demographic composition, there’s a need for significant investments in skill development and on-the-job training to equip the workforce for a technologically driven economy.
- Inter-State Disparities: Disparities in demographic transition across states necessitate targeted interventions to enhance productivity and welfare in historically lagging regions, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
- Women’s Workforce Participation: With declining childcare burdens, there’s an opportunity to bolster women’s participation in the workforce through initiatives like improved childcare facilities, integrating schemes like Anganwadi and MGNREGA.
- Elderly Care and Self-Sustainability: Addressing the rising elderly population requires policies promoting self-sustainability, including raising retirement age and enhancing pension schemes.
Learning from International Experiences:
- India must learn from the experiences of other nations, particularly China’s demographic challenges stemming from strict population control policies.
- A more nuanced approach, allowing fertility decline to occur naturally, is advocated to avoid similar pitfalls.
Multifaceted Approach and Policy Integration:
- Addressing these multifaceted challenges necessitates collaboration across disciplines, including demography, economics, sociology, and public policy.
- The committee’s alignment with the 16th Finance Commission ensures that recommendations can inform government spending priorities, fostering a synergistic approach towards demographic adaptation.
Conclusion:
The proposed committee signifies a significant departure from past population control narratives, emphasizing the need for adaptive policies to navigate India’s demographic transition.
By embracing these complexities and integrating diverse expertise, India can steer its demographic destiny towards sustainable growth and societal well-being.
