Blackstone believes in India blockbuster, to invest over $2 billion in India over the next 5-6 years - The Economic Times
Blackstone believes in India blockbuster, to invest over $2 billion in India over the next 5-6 years
Modi government set to revamp Indira Gandhi's poverty eradication 'Twenty Point Programme'
Modi government set to revamp Indira Gandhi's poverty eradication 'Twenty Point Programme' - The Economic Times
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's signature projects Swachh Bharat Mission and Housing for All will replace Indira Gandhi's Twenty Point Programme - a poverty eradication initiative of successive Congress governments.
Twenty Point Programme, which gauges poverty eradication in different states on certain parameters, is set to get a Modi stamp as older parameters are being replaced by the NDA government's initiatives. The programme, launched by Gandhi in 1975, was restructured in 1982, 1986 and 2006 with addition of newer parameters.
However, this time the government is looking at a complete makeover, officials said. At present, the Twenty Point Programme tracks progress of each state under schemes such as job creation, urban poor families assisted under Seven Point Charter, food security, number of houses constructed for economically weaker sections, electrification of villages, number of seedlings planted, roads constructed under Prime Minister's Gramin Sadak Yojana, food security and number of self-help groups promoted.
The government will now replace parameters like number of seedlings planted and food security with performance of states under Swachh Bharat Mission and Housing for All initiative. Officials said the government would also include Sustainable Development Goals as parameters of Twenty Point Programme. The new parameters will include zero hunger, provision of clean water.
Bringing In New Parameters Makes Sense
This won't be the first revision of the indicators of the 20-point programme. The last one happened in 2006. Including new parameters reflecting new human development-related priorities like sanitation makes sense.
The government must go a step further to ensure that those included in the UN-sponsored sustainable development goals find reflection in the 20-point programme. The revamped programme should include an improved tracking system so that assessments are done both nationally and state-wise to allow for better monitoring.
Cabinet clears $7-billion reform package to boost discoms
Cabinet clears $7-billion reform package to boost discoms - The Economic Times