One size doesn't fit all

Instead of giving bricks and mortor to build a structure, our policies also tend to give a floor plan and penalties for deviating. The freedom to implement according to local conditions and situation is missing.

One of the commonest arguments we hear about failure of public policy in India is– “We have good policy but bad or no implementation”. The reasons given are manifold – lack of political will and resources, myriad of rules for various programs, etc. A major problem hampering implementation is inherent to policy itself which is – having a one-size-fits-all policy. Instead of giving bricks and mortor to build a structure, our policies also tend to give a floor plan and penalties for deviating. The freedom to implement according to local conditions and situation is missing. If we have one-size-fits-all policy, we might end up not fitting any and it results in a failure. It is a fact that in India, local political and socio-economic conditions change when one moves over very small distances. Detailing to that minute level is difficult, yet, it should be considered to some administratively feasible level (say till district level).

The debate since the last few years has been centred around ‘growth vs human development’, which was also a one sided one, trying to solve all problems either through growth or human development. Sufficient focus has not been given to decentralisation. We have a single poverty line for the whole country. Till recently we had a calorie norm which fits entire urban (2100 kcal) and entire rural (2400 kcal). Education is imparted to all in the same form irrespective of its utility to the learners. No wonder parents do not send their children to schools, as it is more beneficial for them if they send them to work. In a recent interaction with an expert in tribal affairs, we were told that a tribal student struggles for life to learn Hindi (there is no gender differentiation in a tribal language as there is in Hindi).

NREGA doesn’t take local employment needs, other livelihood opportunities available into consideration. Agriculture wages shot up and there was a crunch of labour in the peak harvest period. The scheme was started on a pilot basis and without a proper study of the impact it had, it was extended to the whole country. Similarly, in a country with varied food preferences, 67% of the population, who have varied food preferences, is covered under the Food Security Act. Another  overlapping problem is that of a new born fascination for “entitlements based approach”. Any thing given as a right is expected to not fail, with rest everything unchanged. The same old hierarchal and lethargic bureaucracy enmeshed in rules is supposed to acquire a super hero stature, as soon as the government gives a right to a citizen.

The strengthening of local self governments and the district administration, which is the most important task is side-lined. Even after twenty years of their inception, they suffer from insufficient funds, functions and functionaries. “District” as a unit of administration doesn’t find its place in policy debates. In all the legislations district is given certain duties but they are not consulted before framing a policy. For instance, Parliament recently passed Street Vendors Bill. It is okay to have a broad policy on street vending but the central government has no capability to decide upon how a “street” should be managed.

Often times it is stated that the states do not devolve powers to the local bodies. It is true. But same is the case with the centre; it doesn’t devolve powers to the states. It needs an intricate web of incentives and penalties that push states to do so. Simultaneously capacity building should take place at the lower rungs of administration, especially of those who work at the frontline. There is a stagnation of higher age groups (Eg: Majority of the junior engineers, food inspectors, and extension workers fall in the age group of 40-50); high incentive to be corrupt (Eg: In Bihar, the salary of the implementing officer of NREGA workers per month is less than those of the NREGA workers according to a TISS’ study); and a stark limitation to the capacity of the frontline workers, in terms of skills and resources.

Local problems should find local solutions. Decentralisation should be the way forward. Gathering of data, monitoring, evaluation and thereby taking corrective measures will be easy at a local level. Therefore, it is time we shed our one-size-fits-all approach and realise that we need more tailored policies.