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https://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/2074/7547
2024-03-29T07:44:16ZPerformance assessment of health policies from a social marketing perspective: a case study of communication diseases control programmes of government of India
https://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/123456789/9230
Title: Performance assessment of health policies from a social marketing perspective: a case study of communication diseases control programmes of government of India
Authors: Choudhary, Jyoti Shankar
Abstract: In developing nations, the governments are still grappling with the prevention and control of deadly communicable diseases. In India health is a state subject but due to the importance of the subject, the Central Government along with the states, is trying relentlessly to control and eliminate these fatal diseases. Two such programmes that have been getting immense focus are the Revised National Tuberculosis Programme(RNTCP) and National AIDS Control Programme (NACP). Despite sincere efforts, it has been found that these programmes have not been able to reach the targeted customers. Moreover, the level of impact of these programmes varies from state to state. This research assesses the performance of health policies from a social marketing perspective. Chapter I gives a general background of the health scenario in India and the efforts made by the Government of India to fight tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Chapter II highlights the available literature on public health and social marketing as well as the response to the two diseases in India. Chapter III discusses the research methodology used for the study. A secondary data analysis helped to identify the areas of enquiry for primary data collection. The research conducted in the two states of Delhi and Bihar was done using both qualitative and quantitative tools. The data was collected among the policy formulators at the center and the implementers at the state. NGOs, doctors and patients too were interviewed. For the data collection, a set of indices were devised, adapted from the ones used by the international agencies. Chapter IV presents the secondary data analysis. Chapter V presents findings from field. These are Both programmes suffer from lack of countrywide prevalence surveys indicating the extent of the problem. Another important aspect is the absence of monitoring on a regular basis to evaluate the impact of programmes on the socio-economic status of beneficiaries. The performance of NGOs involved with the programmes are not properly monitored. The human rights aspects have also been not given much significance. Discrimination against the patients of tuberculosis, especially women, does not seem to be the concern of the government. In Chapter VI, the following major policy recommendations, along with some other general recommendations, have been made: Greater use of social marketing techniques Introduction of Result Based Management (RBM)Change of mind set of stakeholders Apart from these the general recommendations include Conduct Incisive Research Provide Flexibility in the Programme Develop effective Communication Strategies with Innovations in Media Address Stigma Increase Involvement of Stakeholders Include Human Rights Issues into the Programme2007-01-01T00:00:00ZAn analysis of sustainability of states debt
https://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/123456789/9228
Title: An analysis of sustainability of states debt
Authors: Biswas, Rajat Subhra
Abstract: There is growing awareness today in India of the urgent need to contain public debt at sustainable levels at the level of both the Centre and states. In recent years, the debt problem at state level has become the priority area of concern. In addition to budgetary debt, States have also increasingly resorted to off-budget borrowings through guarantees. In the months to come, some states may well find financial markets unwilling to absorb their securities. The repercussions could extend by contagion to all states. Studies on debt sustainability in the Indian context have tended to be confined to the Central Government, or to state finances only at a consolidated level. State-wise analysis is conspicuous by its absence. While the issue of debt sustainability is a concern across all the states, their heterogeneity in terms of size, level of income, and their financial position measured by various fiscal indicators and ability to raise resources on their own, calls for varied policy initiatives. This paper attempts to provide exactly such a state-specific assessment of sustainability status, and the kind of corrective action called for in each. Conventional wisdom offers three distinct approaches to assess the sustainability of fiscal policy, viz., Domar Stability Condition, Sustainability Indicators and Present Value Budget Constraint. According to the received wisdom, fiscal sustainability rule requires real growth rate to exceed real interest rate and primary balance to be non-negative for the debt/GD Pratio to be stable. The necessary condition is that real interest rate (r) is lower than real GDP growth (y) and the sufficient condition is that adequate primary surplus is maintained to finance debt services. An attempt has been made to evaluate the Domar Stability Condition for each of the State governments. The time period for this analysis is from 1990-91 to 2003-04. At the start, the growth rates of debt and GDP have been shown in Graph 3. One of the conditions for debt sustainability requires that the growth of income should be greater than that of debt. It is evident from the Graph that growth of consolidated debt of States was higher than that of growth of income during 1997-98 and 2003-04 showing the sustainability of their debt. Further analysis of each individual States (Special and non-Special) debt position is given in Table 5. It is clearly evident that each of the individual States confirm to the Domar conditionality indicating their sustainability except for one State. It is also evident that for most of the States the condition has weakened during the period 1996-2001, though recovery in the condition has been noticed during the period 2001-2004.On the basis of the findings, broad public policy initiatives aimed at restoring and consolidating debt sustainability have been listed in the last two chapters.2007-01-01T00:00:00ZRole of central policies in the development of north-east India
https://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/123456789/9229
Title: Role of central policies in the development of north-east India
Authors: Chakrabarti, Debkumar
Abstract: North East India is endowed with a rich biodiversity and a unique blend of people, culture and traditions. Though rich with strong natural and human resources, it has remained economically backward and politically turbulent, even after fifty eight years of Independence. When we look back over the last five decades of government policies towards the NE region, we find almost all policies have failed measurably. The central policy of Government of India towards NE region had undergone five paradigms: a) In 1950 s: Cultural Paradigm. b) In 1960 s: Security Paradigm. c) In 1970 s: Politics Paradigm. d) In 1980 s: Development Paradigm. e) In 1990 s: Package Paradigm. But nothing changed significantly in NE region. Here arises an obvious question to ask why, after 40 or 50 years of playing around with different paradigms the region is still in a crisis? The present policy framework for the Northeast region is based on its political economy and a cultural approach, adjusted with a regional planning model. It is implemented mainly through the Planning Commission and the Northeast Council. Despite huge financial investments, this has failed to produce desired results. North-east region is far more strategic in comparison to the commonly believed status of a sensitive region. In addition to its potential natural endowments, both in terms of natural resources and an attractive tourist destination, the area is being seen as the country s veritable gateway to the Southeast Asia which can play a significantly important role in the globalised economy. If the correct policies are pursued, the region will be able to improve its own economy and can equally contribute to the national economy. A new policy framework for the region, possibly, will have to be based on the market approach(duly incorporating certain political and cultural factors, which are crucial and unique to the region).The research work aims to establish the main reasons for the failure of the Central Government s existing policy framework and develop a workable model/solution to bolster a faster pace of development.2007-01-01T00:00:00ZManagement of occupational safety and health (OSH) regulation with particular reference to Indian mining sector
https://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/123456789/9225
Title: Management of occupational safety and health (OSH) regulation with particular reference to Indian mining sector
Authors: Banerjee, Partha Sarathi
Abstract: Regulation is one of the defining features of modern society. The aim of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)/ Safety and Health Regulation, in particular, is to keep the genie of technology in the bottle whilst still exploiting its power for creation of wealth and change. It is a difficult compromise and Regulators often have a thankless task. If all goes well, regulators are painted as repressive and anti technological. However, if disaster strikes, the media immediately focuses on them for lax enforcement and cosy relations with the regulated. From the earliest written records on human occupation, mining has been characterized as a dangerous trade with a high probability of injury, illness, or worse (Agricola 1556). This characterization developed over thousands of years during which life was fragile for those who removed and processed ore. Regrettably, mining accidents were often viewed as one of the tragic costs of extracting the materials necessary for the development of modern life. In such work environment the role of safety and health at workplace hardly needs any emphasis .Over the last century, engineering and technological developments together with improved safety and health regulation and management practices have contributed a great deal to the improvements in mine safety and health across the globe. In India too, there have been noticeable improvement in injury performance in this sector; yet, the statistics show an asymptotic trend particularly over the last two decades. Another perturbing fact in this connection is the mine disasters which continue to haunt us even today, killing and maiming a large number of work persons and creating social distress. Noticeably, such trend has been observed even after growing regulatory efforts from government side and even nationalizing the Coal Sector in the country(1973), with one of the major aim being improvement of safety and health conditions at work in this sector. All such symptoms logically point towards a need to review the existing government centric and compliance oriented regulatory policy (mainly focused on the technical and operational aspects) in the country in order to make it more effective in the management of safety and health at workplace. The regulatory policy, in place, is likely to face further challenge in the near future due to growing size, spread and complexity of the operations in this sector, liberalization and thus bringing in heterogeneous work culture in this sector and shrinking government resources for effective OSH surveillance and regulatory enforcement. Pertinently, these makes the issue interesting to a policy researcher for probing into the underlying relationship between the policy and its effect so far and design a suitable strategic framework for effective regulation in this important public policy area. Generally, regulation as a policy tool is often in disfavour in the industry because the regulation cost is viewed as borne by regulated industries while most benefits go to others (an equity issue). Economists often criticize regulation as an inefficient substitution of centralized decision making for the alleged rationality of the market (an efficiency issue). However, the harshest critics of regulation apparently recognize that relying on market and devising better incentives cannot solve every public problem and sometime government has a valid reason to use stick rather than carrot. This has been particularly apparent after every major failure/ disaster. In this research based study, an effort has been made to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing regulatory strategy vis-a-vis the challenges before it followed by exploration of other policy options designed and experimented elsewhere and finally formulate a strategic framework for management of occupational safety and health regulation with a view to make it more acceptable and effective in both organized and unorganized industries in this important sector of the national economy. In view of the issue being directly connected with public safety at large, it would be an ethical responsibility on the part of the system of governance to proactively become the change-agent for implementing the new strategic framework. However, management of such change is very important in this context. The impact on OSH of internal changes (viz; new working procedures, competence development, organizational structures etc. within the industry) and of external changes (viz; amendment of national law, development of new OSH management knowledge and OSH surveillance systems etc. within the regulators) arising out of the new framework need to be evaluated and appropriate preventive steps taken prior to introduction of the new regulatory framework. While formulating the framework, although, focus has been made on the experiences in the Indian mining/ mineral sector, yet, the concepts developed can be equally applicable in a generic sense to management of OSH regulation in other sectors, as well2007-01-01T00:00:00Z