Dealing with Plastic Men

 Dealing with Plastic Men

Suppose! ‘There is a person called ‘Plastic Man’ who starts to live in the district where you are the District Magistrate’.   I put this question to my class in the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration.  I elaborated and said that the person has the strange habit of buying plastic sheets from the neighbouring district!  Then he cuts it into small unusable bits! He then carries this bag of small bits of plastic and randomly litters in urban and rural areas of the district!!  Predictably, after a class of acting against public nuisance in which the famed Ratlam Municipality case of the Krishna Iyer era was discussed, all of them responded that the person would be proceeded against under Section 133 of Cr.PC.  There was one officer trainee who had a different idea!

​She was of the view that the person is evidently mentally deranged and needs medical help.  I was, perhaps, prepared for this and I asked them to respond to another scenario. I asked them if the Plastic Man was doing this not just as a freak enterprise but as a commercial activity in which by administering something unhealthy to people and in this coursemaking them do the littering, what would they do.  I added that Plastic Man was actually making money and quite a lot of it! This time the class was more convinced that this was indeed a deleterious public nuisance and that action could be contemplated against Plastic Man under other legal provisions as well.  

      I followed up with a question as to why we (they) are not acting against a popular brand of chocolate for following a trade in which it gets plastic thrown all around and in the process contributes quite a bit of negativity to the health of the society as well.  I left the question unanswered as I do not have an answer myself!  An officer trainee tried to suggest that once the chocolate has been bought, it becomes the property of the buyer and that it becomes the responsibility of the buyer not to litter.  I agree that there is a responsibility for each of us to the greater collectivity of our society not to litter.  But I feel that we should not miss out on the chance to fix more responsibility on the corporations to put in a solution for the mess they are helping to create. 

​The key issue is that we are trained to think that the chocolate company is selling chocolate and that the noodles company is selling noodles.   I would argue that they are also selling the convenience of having it in a plastic cover and the convenience of making it available at distant locations and the convenience of the cover being amenable to be carried to even distant locations- the many trek routes around Mussoorie bears witness to this plastic with mark of reputed companies lying around in the solitude of the mountains.  This is an externality and it needs to have a solution which is the responsibility of the corporation. “When you sell the convenience of a pouch, be responsible to get it back”.

​How do we do this?  Do I ask the CEO of that favouritebrand of my daughter (she loves chocolates) to trek up to the mountains and pick up his stuff or does he go into each and every village to pick up the garbage that is a bye product of his business. I want to!  But then that won’t be practical.   

​What I suggest is this : Each of these companies who are into the business of selling plastic bits should be asked by the society to set up a ‘bring back mechanism’ for the covers that they use.  Each of their products should be uniquely identified and there should be a monitoring mechanism to ensure that all of their covers come back to them or to a responsible location where it will be disposed off (recycled) in a responsible manner.  For this they could put a premium on their product and pay back their customer or the good samaritan who brings back the plastic cover to a responsible location. So the bottle of water which is today available for 15 Rupees would be priced at 65 Rupees and when the bottle is returned to the company (which took the Rs. 65) would be forced to pay Rs. 50/- to whoever isbringing it back to the company or an authorized location set up by the local bodies.  Since there is a buy back promised by the company or the consortium of all ‘plastic men’ there would be an incentive to pick up the litter and give it back to the one who brought the plastic into the society by doing a business in it.

​This is no new idea.  In my childhood, I remember an old lady who used to come to my house every month to collect the packets of ‘Milma milk’.  She would pay some money to the maid at home who was careful to store all the plastic packets in which milk came into one house.  Presumably, the lady would have been getting something from Milma or someone for the covers which was more than what she was paying the maid.  The regulation needs to set up a market mechanism by mandating the Polluter Pay principle.

​This would have the impact of reducing the sale of the unhealthy food as there is now a price hike in that.  That is not a bad bargain either.  This would be one reason why this might not get done immediately as there is a difference between 15 and 65 minus 50.  It is for the society to decide as to how we set up systems in which we do not come up our streets with plastic.  There is a lot of vested interest that we will have to negotiate with!  No wonder the wrapper of the chocolate is not as sweet as the chocolate!

  

 

 Would UTTARA be the answer?

 

It was a long and drawn-out legal battle, but finally, the court had ruled in favour of the applicant. The respondent government had been ordered to consider the applicant's application and dispose of it within three months!! The applicant, a citizen who had been waiting for months for a response from the government, was relieved and grateful for the court's decision. As the applicant stepped out of the courthouse, she couldn't help but wonder why it had taken so long for the government to respond in the first place. She knew that there were thousands of citizens across the country who were facing similar delays and frustrations.

In today's digital age, there is an increasing need for transparency and accountability in government operations. One way to achieve this is by implementing a unique identification and tracking mechanism for all sorts of communications that citizens make with governments and government servants.

Currently, there is no standardized and universal system for tracking and monitoring communications between citizens and government officials. There are many grievance redress platforms; but when it comes to tracking original applications so that grievances are not generated in the first place, we could aspire for more.  The lack of accountability regarding applications makes it difficult to hold government officials responsible for their actions, and this could lead to corruption and a lack of trust in public institutions.

An identification and tracking mechanism would provide citizens with the ability to track all their communications with government officials, enabling them to ensure that their concerns (and grievances) are being addressed appropriately. With this mechanism in place, citizens would have a record of their interactions with the government, which would facilitate communication and help to eliminate conflicts over misunderstandings or miscommunication.

Additionally, a tracking mechanism would enable governments to monitor the performance of their officials and ensure that they are providing quality services to the public. It would help in identifying any bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the system, which would allow prompt redress of grievances and ensure the efficient and effective delivery of services.


However, the implementation of such a system would be challenging, and it would require significant resources and investment in infrastructure and technology. Moreover, there would need to be strict data privacy regulations in place to protect citizens' information.


In addition to enhancing the transparency and accountability of government operations, implementing a unique identification and tracking mechanism for all citizens' communications with governments and government servants would also operationalize the ‘right to response’ for citizens, which is necessary for ensuring a right to life with dignity.

The right to response is a fundamental aspect of a functioning democracy, in which the people have the right to voice their opinions, concerns, and grievances without fear of reprisal. The implementation of a tracking mechanism would provide citizens with an assurance that their communications are being taken seriously and addressed appropriately, and that their voices are heard and their concerns are responded to in a timely manner.

Furthermore, operationalizing the right to response would empower citizens to hold governments accountable for their actions and decisions. It would provide a platform for citizens to voice their opinions and concerns in a transparent and accountable manner, which would help to build trust between the government and citizens.

Importantly, operationalizing the right to response would also enhance citizens' right to life with dignity. The right to life includes a right to basic needs such as education, healthcare, and basic amenities. Operationalizing the right to response would ensure that citizens' concerns and grievances are addressed by the government. Therefore, implementing a unique identification and tracking mechanism for all citizens' communications with governments and government servants would not only enhance transparency and accountability but would also operationalize the right to response, which is necessary for ensuring a right to life with dignity.

In addition to the lack of a unique identification and tracking mechanism, there is presently a significant monetary barrier to accessing the judicial system in many countries. This barrier can prevent citizens from seeking legal recourse when their concerns and grievances are not appropriately addressed by the government.

A tracking mechanism that mandates a response to a representation could help to overcome this barrier by providing citizens with a means of holding government officials responsible for their actions, without incurring the significant costs associated with accessing the judicial system. This would help to ensure that no citizen is denied access to justice, regardless of their financial status.

Implementing a unique identification and tracking mechanism for citizens' communications with governments and government servants would not only ensure that citizens' concerns and grievances are being addressed but would also help to reduce the workload of the judicial system. This would free up resources for the judicial system to focus on more complex cases, thus ensuring that justice is delivered efficiently and effectively.


Additionally, a unique identification and tracking mechanism would also allow officers at every level of governance to view the kind of pendency that exists at different levels reporting to them. With this information, officers would be able to redeploy administrative resources in a more informed manner, ensuring that citizens' concerns and grievances are addressed more efficiently and effectively.

For example, a local officer may see that there is a significant backlog of applications related to revenue records mutation in a particular area. With this information, the officer could work with their team to increase the number of workers dedicated to this task, or to schedule/prioritise activities accordingly. Similarly, an officer at a higher level may see that there is a significant backlog of applications for certain government schemes, allowing them to allocate additional resources to ensure that these applications are processed more quickly.

By providing officers with a clear understanding of the pendency that exists at different levels of governance, this tracking mechanism would enable them to make more informed decisions about resource allocation, leading to a more effective and efficient government system. This would ultimately benefit citizens, as their concerns and grievances would be addressed in a more timely manner, leading to an improvement in their quality of life.


Furthermore, implementing a unique identification and tracking mechanism can help to improve citizen satisfaction by proactively monitoring communication at the initial stage. This would help to address issues before they escalate into complaints or grievances, ultimately increasing citizen delight.

For instance, if a citizen sends a complaint regarding a pothole on a road through the tracking mechanism, the relevant government official would be notified immediately. This would enable the official to take action to fix the pothole before it turns into a larger issue, such as an accident or multiple complaints from citizens. This would help in information gathering regarding points of action which are desired by more number of citizens helping to channelize the resource allocation.

Proactively addressing citizens' concerns would help to build trust between citizens and their governments, as citizens would feel that their grievances are being heard and addressed. This, in turn, would help to reduce the workload of the judicial system, as fewer citizens would need to pursue legal recourse to have their grievances addressed.

Moreover, the tracking mechanism could be used to send automated responses to citizens, acknowledging their communication and providing information on the expected response time. This automated response would increase transparency and enable citizens to track the progress of their grievances in real-time, further increasing citizen satisfaction.


To implement a unique identification and tracking mechanism for citizens' communications with the government, a system like Universal Transparent Tracking of Applications and Responses to Applications (UTTARA) could be used. Similar to Aadhar, UTTARA would provide a unique identification for citizens' communications with the government.

However, unlike Aadhar, which provides a unique identification for individuals, UTTARA would provide a unique identification for each communication. This would help to ensure that all citizens' concerns and grievances are addressed in a timely and efficient manner, regardless of the channel through which they are communicated. Just as the UPI is providing a framework for financial transactions, UTTARA could provide a framework for interactions with the Government for the citizens.

UTTARA could be linked with existing government applications, such as e-governance portals or portals for filing complaints, to provide a seamless user experience for citizens. This would enable citizens to communicate with the government through a variety of channels, including mobile applications and websites, ensuring that they can easily access government services from anywhere, at any time.

Overall, the implementation of a tracking mechanism like UTTARA could significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the government system while providing greater transparency and accountability for citizens.

However, it is important to note that the implementation of a tracking mechanism like UTTARA may not be welcomed by everyone within the government system. Some government officials may be resistant to the idea of transparency and accountability, as they may be accustomed to operating within an asymmetrical system of access and power. They may be resistant to change and may prefer to operate under the radar, away from public scrutiny.

As such, it will be important to build consensus and trust among government officials regarding the value and benefits of such a tracking mechanism. This could involve highlighting the benefits of improved transparency and accountability, including faster and more efficient grievance redressal, reduced workload, and increased citizen satisfaction.

Moreover, implementing such a tracking mechanism would require significant investment in technology, training and education, and administrative resources. This would need to be carefully managed to ensure that resources are deployed effectively and efficiently, without causing undue disruption to existing government operations.

Finally, it is important to ensure that any tracking mechanism is designed in a way that protects citizens' privacy and data security. This would require robust data privacy laws, and strict adherence to cybersecurity protocols, to ensure that citizens' sensitive data is not compromised.

The implementation of a tracking mechanism like UTTARA would require significant commitment and investment from the government, as well as a willingness to change existing systems of power and access. However, the benefits of increased transparency, accountability, and citizen satisfaction are likely to outweigh any initial resistance, making such a mechanism a valuable tool for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the government system.

Implementing a unique identification and tracking mechanism like UTTARA would require significant technological investments on multiple fronts. Some of the key technological investments required for UTTARA may include:

1. A robust database: A central database would need to be created to store all citizens' communications with the government. This database would need to be secure and scalable to handle the high volume of communications that are likely to be received on a daily basis.

2. Unique identification number: Each communication received from a citizen would be assigned a unique identification number, which would enable the government officials to track and monitor the progress of the communication. The government officials would be able to view the status of the communication anytime by entering the unique identification number.

3. Integration with existing systems: The tracking mechanism would need to be integrated with existing government applications, such as e-governance portals, to ensure a seamless user experience for citizens.

4. Artificial intelligence (AI): Deploying AI technologies could aid in the identification and prioritization of communications based on urgency and potential impact. This would enable government officials to deal with critical issues more quickly, reducing the response time and increasing citizen delight.

5. Mobile application: A mobile application can be developed to enable citizens to communicate with the government using their mobile phones. This would increase accessibility for citizens and enable them to receive updates on the progress of their grievances in real-time.

6. Cybersecurity protocols: Robust cybersecurity protocols would be required to ensure the safety and security of citizens' sensitive data. This would include encryption and authentication mechanisms, as well as regular vulnerability assessments and security audits.


In addition to the aforementioned technological investments, UTTARA could also be built as an open source platform. This would mean that the tracking mechanism would be made available to all government offices for adoption, and any office could choose to onboard themselves onto the platform.

By making UTTARA an open source platform, the government would encourage a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. This would enable government officials to work together to identify and address any issues with the system, and to continually refine and improve its functionality.

Moreover, building UTTARA as an open source platform would help to ensure that the system is tailored to the specific needs and requirements of the different government offices. This would enable government officials to adapt the tracking mechanism to their specific workflows, and to ensure that it integrates seamlessly with their existing systems and processes.

An open source UTTARA platform could also enable a wider community of developers and tech experts to contribute to the project, thereby promoting innovation and increasing the pace of development. This would ultimately result in a more robust and effective tracking mechanism, which would benefit both government officials and citizens.

Overall, building UTTARA as an open source platform would enable greater collaboration, innovation, and customization, and could help to ensure that the tracking mechanism is more widely adopted and more effective in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the government system.

It is possible for a citizen's collective to build the framework for UTTARA. This would involve a group of concerned citizens who have the necessary technical expertise coming together to develop the tracking mechanism and make it available to government offices for adoption.

Building UTTARA through a citizen's collective could have significant benefits. For example, it would enable citizens to take a more active role in shaping the government system and ensuring that it is more transparent and accountable. This would help to build trust between citizens and the government and promote greater civic engagement.

Moreover, building UTTARA through a citizen's collective could help to ensure that the tracking mechanism is developed in a way that prioritizes the needs and concerns of citizens. This would help to ensure that the tracking mechanism is user-friendly and accessible, and that it addresses the specific grievances and complaints that citizens are most concerned about.

While government officials may be wary of an asymmetry of access, building UTTARA through a citizen's collective could help to establish a more collaborative relationship between citizens and the government. This would ultimately benefit both parties, by helping to promote greater efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in the government system.

Overall, building UTTARA through a citizen's collective would be a powerful way to harness the collective expertise and energy of citizens in service of a more accountable, responsive, and effective government system.


With UTTARA in place, there would be no need for the courts to mandate that the ‘respondent government address the applicant's application within three months’. The tracking mechanism would have ensured that the government was taking appropriate action and meeting its obligations to citizens in a timely and efficient manner. If not, it would be there for the world to see and make a decision in the next opportunity.

Overall, the unique identification and tracking mechanism can have a significant impact on improving citizen satisfaction by proactively addressing citizens' concerns and grievances, reducing the workload of the judicial system, and increasing transparency in the grievance redressal process. By improving citizen delight, this mechanism would ultimately help to build a more responsive and effective government system.

If you believe you can contribute value to a citizen’s collective building this framework, you could join the group.....https://chat.whatsapp.com/IRe12JJOWPJHYHHiD2Wyks 

 

(The author acknowledges the use of the artificial intelligence of ChatGPT and his natural stupidity in writing this article)

Universal Social Engagement USE

 UNIVERSAL SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

A 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚐𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝙴𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎 and Justice 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍:

For India to flourish, it needs to innovate, compete and give full space for entrepreneurship. This alone will help in wealth generation in an integrated world. This would require reforms in all sectors and would involve transformative change in all sectors. These reforms are bound to have resistance from those who perceive losing out in the short term. Reform measures invariably have to get across this resistance - active or passive - of a few with entrenched interests. A connection between reforms and progress needs to be perceived by the majority to give impetus to it in a democratic polity. 

The (neutral) citizens may not support the reform measures when they do not see a direct connection between their lot and the reforms. However, it is not a healthy option to give them free doles to keep them engaged, as in a Universal Basic Income. There needs to be a system that addresses this challenge of engaging all of the population, along with ensuring enterprise, innovation, competition and social security. This would also mean they are stakeholders in free enterprise, competition, and innovation-promoting reforms.

Technology and finance are changing at an exponential pace. The productivity of society has been improving alongside. It is said that productivity improvement has been exponential since 1850. The exponentially increasing productivity is seen to lead to the exploitation of natural resources at a scale that is indeed not sustainable. If every Indian and Chinese start using the amount of energy that is presently being used in the US, the climate challenge will explode.

The productivity improvement has not been uniformly spread - resulting in rising inequality. The productivity, at present, is sufficient and more to serve a sustainable quantum of products and services to the whole population without requiring all of the people to be in the economic production cycle – leading to deprivation due to lack of purchasing power even when resources are available. The productivity can be even higher if sectoral and structural reforms are made. However, this would alter the present scheme of security for various sections of the population. Resistance to regulation is omnipresent even when some engagements destroy social value, given that livelihoods are affected in the transition. Even standing on top of all the productivity, it is a prick to the conscience that we still bank on the lack of basic needs to enthuse some of us to do some work which is abominable to the rest.

This position makes any reform effort difficult to execute as various stakeholders yearn for status-quo because of their vested interests. We try to argue for a modified system that will provide for social security, dignity, productivity, and equity even as the nation moves to strength by undertaking factor market reforms and other structural reforms in various sectors. These reforms are needed for India to be an assured power in the coming age, where all of its population are stakeholders.

To confidently go ahead on the high productivity path, India needs a safety net for those who are unable to keep pace. This safety net is presently sought to be provided, in the rural areas, as 100 days of wage employment to those who are willing to do unskilled labour in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). 

However, the natural selection of the needy with the condition of doing unskilled labour has the following issues.

1. Loss of Skill -Those exercising the safety net are forced to do unskilled labour even if they are skilled. This leads to their skills not being honoured, conserved, promoted, or newly developed. The mandate of doing unskilled labour hampers the productivity of the population, which had been left behind in the productivity race – condemning them to more inequality

2. Unproductive expenditure- For the same expenditure in the rural employment guarantee scheme, much more rural assets could have been created. The work estimates are higher because of the mandatory labor component. These assets could have been achieved much more cheaply with machines.

3. Possibility of graft- Work estimates are inflated as being done using unskilled labour. The asset gets made at a lower cost using machines, and the booking gets done in the name of labour. This results in the benefits of the scheme being targeted at the undeserving, especially in villages where social schism is more pronounced.

4. Dignity issues: For the selection of the needy, the condition is to do unskilled manual labour. Selection could have been made in a more dignified manner by providing for skilled labour, if possible at least, with a wage which is at a lower level. The Minimum Wage acts as a detriment to full employment. Here the safety net would provide for a de facto Minimum Wage at which full work is guaranteed with the resources of the State. Without this employment guarantee, the enforcement of the Minimum wage leads to unemployment!

5. Sustainability of assets made in MGNREGS: Presently, assets in the scheme are made with the premise that the system is to provide for unskilled labour. In many cases, the required material component is not provided for. This results in the lowered sustainability of assets that are created in the scheme.

6. Lack of convergence: Engagement with people is provided for by the State under other State schemes as well. However, there is no unified tracking mechanism for the engagement that is provided by the State. In extreme cases, it is found that some individuals are given more than possible employment when all schemes are put together.

7. There are disabled individuals who might not find engagement easily, even when they are skilled. Stand-alone works are not possible in MGNREGS. The present guidelines provide support roles for the disabled. However, this is not possible on occasions where there are not many people who are able-bodied asking for work.

The proposal is for a scheme that has the following attributes

1. Guaranteeing at least 40 hours of wage engagement every week for every adult without any rural/urban divide.

2. Unskilled wages will be offered uniformly. The wage level will be sufficient for sustenance but below the Minimum Wages rate (as provided in present MGNREGS)

3. The time offered by the citizen can be used for skilled labour, unskilled labour, or a skill training program. In exceptional cases, it could even be used to promote social causes or for counseling.

4. The objective of the program will be to skill the person to a level where she or he can migrate to the skilled wage rate available in the economy without being dependent on the scheme.

5. Rather than define this as an entitlement, such a dispensation may be made conditional to the citizen being collaborative to development-oriented reforms. 

1. The present MGNREG Act provides for unskilled labour: Though the body of the Act provides for wage employment to those willing to do unskilled labour and does not explicitly provide that skilled labour is not to be given, the schedule of the act has an explicit mention that unskilled labour is to be provided. This would require amendment.

2. The present act mandates that assets are to be created: The primary intention here seems to be ensure that productivity increases as a result of the expenditure incurred in the Act. It could also be to ensure that the work is actually done rather than just booking unproductive expenditure. This could be replaced by a mandate to do the building of productive assets as much as possible. We now have technology that can monitor skilling programs and skilled/unskilled work even when they are not leading to tangible assets. This improvement in technology could be leveraged.

3. The resources required for the scheme would be very high: A back-of-the-envelope calculation to provide for 20 days of 100 Rs wage to 1 billion people leads to the figure of Rs. 24 lakh crores for 12 months. But if the unemployment rate is taken to be 10 percent, it would be around Rs. 2.4 lakh crores. This would be provided converging the engaging platform with other schemes where people are engaged. Along with the material component required, the necessary provision would come up to Rs. 4 lakh crores.

Way forward

It is suggested that the MGNREG Act is suitably amended to provide for the scheme as:-

1. It already has a provision that overrides Minimum Wages Act, which would be required to act as a natural selection for the beneficiary.

2. There is machinery already in place for execution right up to the village level

3. The present form of NREG is having difficulties, as brought out above.

A suitable group may be asked to look into the formulation of a suitable scheme after consultation with all Stakeholders. The aim of the scheme should be to provide a stake to all citizens in the reform measures in the interest of enterprise, innovation, and competition.

Social Security Strategy

  

𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚐𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍𝙴𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍:

 

For India to flourish, it needs to innovate, compete and give full space for entrepreneurship. This alone will help in wealth generation in an integrated world. This would require reforms in all sectors. This would involve change in all sectors. These reforms are bound to have resistance from those who perceive losing out in the short term. Reform measures invariably has to get across the resistance - active or passive - of a few with entrenched interests. A connect between reforms and progress needs to be perceived by the majority to give impetus to it in a democratic polity. 

The (neutral) citizens may not be supportive of the reform measures when they do not see a direct connection between their lot and the reforms. However, it is not an option to give them free doles to keep them engaged as in a Universal Basic Income. There needs to be a system which addresses this challenge of engaging all of the population in the right way along with ensuring security to them. This would also mean that they are stakeholders in free enterprise, competition and innovation promoting reforms.

Technology and finance are changing at an exponential pace. The productivity of the society has been improving alongside. It is said that the improvement in productivity has been exponential after 1850. The productivity increasing exponentially is seen to lead to exploitation of natural resources at a scale which is surely not sustainable. If every Indian and Chinese start using the amount of energy that is presently being used in US, the climate challenge would explode.

The improvement in productivity has not been uniformly spread - resulting in rising inequality. The productivity at present, is in itself sufficient and more to serve sustainable quantum of products and services to the whole population without requiring all of the population to be in the economic production cycle – leading to depravation due to lack of purchasing power even when resources are available. The productivity can be even higher if sectoral and structural reforms are made. However, this would alter the present scheme of security for various sections of population. 

This position makes any reform effort difficult to execute as various stakeholders are status quoist because of thier vested interest. The note tries to argue for a modified system which will provide for social security, dignity, productivity and equity even as the nation moves to strength by undertaking factor market reforms and other structural reforms in various sectors. These reforms are needed for India to be an assured power in the coming age where all of its population are stakeholders.

To confidently go ahead on the high productivity path, India needs a safety net for those who are unable to keep pace. This safety net is presently sought to be provided, in the rural areas, as 100 days of wage employment to those who are willing to do unskilled labour in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). However, the natural selection of the needy with the condition of doing unskilled labour has the following issues.

1. Loss of Skill -Those exercising the safety net are forced to do unskilled labour even if they are skilled. This leads to their skills not being honoured, conserved, promoted or newly developed. The mandate of doing unskilled labour hampers the productivity of the population which had been left behind in the productivity race – condemning them to more of inequality

2. Unproductive expenditure- For the same expenditure in the rural employment guarantee scheme, much more rural assets could have been created. The work estimates are on the higher side because of the labour component being mandatory. These assets could have been achieved much cheaper with machines.

3. Possibility of graft- Work estimates are inflated as being done using unskilled labour. The asset gets made at a lower cost using machines and the booking gets done in the name of labour. This results in the benefits of the scheme being targeted to undeserving, especially in villages where social schism is more pronounced.

4. Dignity issues: For selection of the needy, the condition placed is of doing manual unskilled labour. Selection could have been made in a more dignified manner by providing for skilled labour, if possible at least, with a wage which is at a lower level. The Minimum Wage acts as a detriment to full employment. Here the safety net would provide for a de facto Minimum Wage at which full employment is guaranteed with the resources of the State. Without this employment guarantee, the enforcement of Minimum wage  leads to unemployment!

5. Sustainability of assets made in MGNREGS: Presently assets in the scheme are made with the premise that the scheme is to provide for unskilled labour. In many cases, the required material component is not provided for. This results in the lowered sustainability of assets that are created in the scheme.

6. Lack of convergence: Engagement to people is provided for by the State under other State schemes as well. However, there is no unified tracking mechanism for the engagement that is provided by the State. In extreme cases, it is found that some individuals are given more than possible employment when all schemes are put together.

 

7. There are disabled individuals who might not find engagement easily even when they are skilled. Stand-alone works are not possible in MGNREGS. The present guidelines provide for support roles for the disabled. However, this is not possible on occasions where there are not many people who are able bodied asking for work.

 

Proposal

 

The proposal is for a scheme which has the following attributes

1. Guaranteeing at least 40 hours of wage engagement every week for every adult.

2. Unskilled wages will be offered. Wage level will be sufficient for sustenance but below the Minimum Wages rate (as provided in present MGNREGS)

3. The time offered by the citizen can be used for skilled labour, unskilled labour or a skill training program. In exceptional cases, it could even be used to promote social causes or for counselling.

4. The objective of the program will be to skill the person to a level where she or he can migrate to the skilled wage rate available in the economy without being dependent on the scheme.

 

5. Rather than define this as an entitlement, such a dispensation may be made conditional to the citizen being collaborative to development oriented reforms. 

 

Challenges

 

1. The present MGNREG Act provides for unskilled labour: Though the body of the Act provides for wage employment to those willing to do unskilled labour and does not explicitly provide that skilled labour is not to be given, the schedule of the act has a clear mention that unskilled labour is to be provided. This would require amendment.

 

2. The present act mandates that assets are to be created: The primary intention here seems to be ensure that there is more productivity as a result of the expenditure incurred in the Act. It could also be to ensure that the work is actually done rather than just booking unproductive expenditure. This could be replaced by a mandate to do building of productive assets as much as possible. We now have technology which can monitor skilling programs and skilled/unskilled work even when they are not leading to concrete assets. This improvement in technology could be leveraged.

3. The resources required for the scheme would be very high: A back of the envelope calculation to provide for 20 days of 100 Rs wage to 1 billion people leads to the figure of Rs. 24 lakh crores for 12 months. But if the unemployment rate is taken to be 10 percent it would be around Rs. 2.4 lakh crores. This would be provided converging the engaging platform with other schemes where people are engaged. Providing for the material component required, the required provision would come up to Rs. 4 lakh crores.

 

Way forward

 

It is suggested that the MGNREG Act is suitably amended to provide for the scheme as:-

1. It already has a provision which overrides Minimum Wages Act, which would be required to act as a natural selection for the beneficiary.

2. There is a machinery already in place for execution right up to village level

3. The present form of NREG is having the difficulties as brought out above.

A suitable group may be asked to look into the formulation of a suitable scheme after consultation with all Stakeholders. The aim of the scheme should be to provide for a stake to all citizens in the reform measures in the interest of enterprise, innovation and competition.

 

Social Health Clubs

 Concept Note on Social Health Clubs

 

Introduction:

 

This note tries to lay down the conceptual framework for Social Health Clubs in educational institutions. Social Health Club is designed as an intervention that would create a platform for thought and action where the health of the society as a whole is advanced without commercial distractions.

 

Background:

 

The challenges in the space of ensuring good health are changing. From fighting diseases, the attention has rightly moved to preventive and promotive health. At the same time, non-communicable diseases have increased calling into question the lifestyle choices that society can make. A suboptimal way of life has gained social sanction and commercial currency. The new generation is exposed to an exponential and volatile world in which the presence and impact of narcotic drugs and alcoholism are increasing. The need to be not swayed away by the modern lifestyle from the traditional and healthier alternatives needs emphasis.

 

Structure Proposed:

 

A social health club would be an association of students, with teachers and parents as patrons in the educational institutions. The body would be having the focus on the social aspects of health in which the health of individuals is influenced by social factors rather than biological factors.

 

The club can decide on its bye-laws and identify the activities it wants to take up to promote the course of social health.

 

The structure and subscription for the club in an educational institution would be decided in a decentralized manner. Model bye-law for the club is Annexure-1 and is only recommendatory. It is also envisaged that there would be some mode of interaction and collaboration between the social health clubs in the educational institutions at the cluster, district, state, national and international levels achieved through annual conferences and social media groupings.

 

Activities proposed:

 

The activities that would be taken up by the club are to be decided by the club in a decentralized democratic manner. Various competitions like speech-making, poster-making, video-making, and debates could be organized by the clubs to advance the cause of health for society in a non-commercial manner. The objectives for the events like talks and interactions for the club are also suggested in the annexure.

A suggested pledge for the members of the club with which to initiate deliberations and activities also has been made annexure-2.

 

Incentivization:

 

The activities of the Social Health Clubs are envisaged to be low on budget and high on impact-done at a decentralized level. However, there could be some incentivization of the activities coordinated at the national, state and district, and cluster levels. This could include sponsoring prizes for the activities organized by the Social Health Clubs. This incentivization is sought to be done on a volunteer basis. At present, the organizations as in Annexure -3 have come forward to provide support and incentives for the Social Health Clubs. It is envisaged that the effort to mobilize support will be continued. Organizations, individuals, and Governments at all levels are sought to be pursued for suitable support for the effort.

 

Need:

 

Governments and markets have their unique difficulties in addressing an issue with social overtones. Governments are prone to be tied up to what is popular rather than what is true or required in the long run. Similarly, markets are driven by commercial considerations which may not be easy to accommodate in a sphere where the health of humans is the question and commodification cannot be the answer. Therefore, there is a need for action by Civil Society deliberated and guided in a transparent and accountable manner. The steps as required by markets and Governments would also require to be piloted by civil society action wherever possible.

 

How the effort can be supported? :

 

The first phase would be the communication regarding the concept to the decision-makers in educational institutions. All individuals can play a role in helping educational institutions make an informed choice in this regard - as a student, teacher, parent, or a well-wishing old student of an educational institution.

 

The next step could be pitching in to suggest and design activities for the clubs. The efforts made by the clubs would also need wide dissemination which would, in turn, improve the reach of the concept.

 

A third intervention could be financial support to the Social Health clubs by sponsoring some of their activities in a decentralized and direct manner.

 

The fourth form of support could be supporting the organizations promoting the concept by becoming a member or donating to the effort. The details of the organizations which have expressed support for the cause are in annexure-3.

 

The fifth form of support could be deciding on supporting the cause at an organizational level. To support the cause, the organization could be enlisted as a partner in the framework. The list of partnering organizations as of date is in annexure-3.

 

Conclusion: 

Through committed action by the community, there can be a difference in social spaces 

where governments can’t reach and markets don’t care. Those interested in supporting the cause may reach out at 3sandourhealth@gmail.com or  +91 83058 40890.