14 October 2024 : Daily Answer Writing

Q1) Societal apathy towards mental health issues has resulted in the marginalization of individuals dealing with mental disorders. Elaborate and suggest measures to bring mental health concerns from the periphery into the mainstream.

(250 Words/15 Marks)

ANS

Welfare schemes are an effective tool in the hands of the government to further its constitutional and popular mandate to lift the citizens out from the shackles of poverty and malnutrition. However, the welfare schemes in the country face several hurdles:

1. Widespread corruption has marred the potential of welfare schemes in the country to achieve their socio-economic objective. E.g., ex-PM of India quoted that only 15 paise of every rupee reaches the intended beneficiary; ghost beneficiaries; inclusion-exclusion errors.
2. Poor participation of the public/citizens in the developmental process also limits the efficacy of these schemes. E.g., poor feedback mechanism; lack of effective grievance redressal; limited involvement of local bodies etc.
3. Federal tensions between the union and the states often lead to diluting the impact of the welfare schemes on the developmental indicators of the country. E.g., PM-JAY Yojna not implemented by many states.
4. Lack of data, information, technology and skilled human resources check the effective formulation and implementation of the welfare schemes. E.g., the limited success of PMFBY.

The principles of accountability and participation are vital to ensure the smooth implementation of welfare schemes, as discussed:

1. Participation:
2. a) Participation of citizens in the formulation of a welfare scheme enhances not only its utility but also its acceptability. E.g., participation of labor unions while framing labor codes.
3. b) Participatory schemes complement the rich traditions of democracy and reduce the element of centralism. E.g., Participation of local bodies will reduce bureaucratic centralism.
4. c) Participatory approach transforms the citizens from mere beneficiaries to equal partners in the larger developmental process.
5. Accountability:
6. a) Enhanced accountability reduces the scope for corruption and pilferage in a scheme. E.g., regular social audits.
7. b) The element of accountability is complimentary to transparency in the formulation and implementation of schemes.
8. c) Accountability also aids in processing feedback, timely grievance redressal, etc., thus increasing the efficacy of the scheme.

Implementation of the welfare schemes in the country can be improved through the following measures:

1. Reducing the bureaucratic red tape associated with welfare schemes. E.g., large number of documents required for PMMVY.
2. Real time tracking of the implementation of schemes through big data, technological interventions. E.g., Pragati portal, dashboard for aspirational districts etc.
3. Increasing the convergence between the government initiatives. E.g., Gatishakti masterplan; Samagra Siksha abhiyan etc.
4. Enhancing the role of local bodies in formulation, implementation as well as appraisal of the scheme.
5. Reducing the number of middlemen between government and the beneficiary. E.g., DBT (PAHAL).

Welfare schemes provide a way for millions of poverty ridden and vulnerable citizens to seek their equal share in the growth process of the country. Participation and accountability are essential in addition to joint efforts between citizens, government and civil societies for the success of these schemes