Subject: Structural reforms and Actions

While environmental protection is constitutionally mandated (Article 48A, 51A(g)), it is marked by overlapping sectoral priorities and fragmented institutional mandates.

Policy Contradictions Among Various Competing Sectors

Energy vs. Environment – Expansion of coal-based thermal power leads to deforestation, displacement, and carbon emissions. Eg- Coal block allocations in Hasdeo Arand (Chhattisgarh)

Agriculture – MSP policy promotes water-intensive crops like paddy and sugarcane, leading to water scarcity, salinity, and soil degradation. Eg- Over-extraction of groundwater in Punjab and Haryana.

Industry vs. Environmental Regulation – Ease of Doing Business reforms relax environmental clearances (EIA 2020 draft allows post-facto approvals).

Infrastructure vs. Ecosystem Stability – Eg- Projects like Bharatmala, Char Dham Highway, and river-linking projects lead to habitat fragmentation and increased disaster vulnerability.

Tourism – Unregulated eco-tourism and pilgrimage infrastructure stress fragile ecosystems. Eg- Joshimath Crisis.

Urban Development – Unplanned urbanisation encroaches upon natural drainage systems. Eg- Chennai floods (2015) due to wetland encroachment; Bengaluru lake pollution.

Policy Contradictions Among Various Competing Stakeholders

Central vs. State Governments – Conflict between industrial promotion by states and environmental clearance norms by Centre.

Government vs. Local Communities – Top-down project approvals often ignore Gram Sabha consent under Forest Rights Act (2006). Eg- Niyamgiri Case

Corporate Interests vs. Civil Society – Private sector prioritizes profit, while NGOs and activists demand sustainability. Eg- Industrial pollution in Sterlite Copper Plant (Thoothukudi).

Judiciary vs. Executive – Eg- NGT banned illegal constructions in Aravalli Hills (Gurugram, 2018) and Delhi Ridge

Inter-Ministerial Contradictions – Eg- MoEFCC seeks conservation, while the Ministry of Coal or Power pushes extraction projects.

Way Forward

Integrated Policy – Establish a National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) under NITI Aayog. Model it on the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

Whole-of-Government Approach – Institutionalize inter-ministerial task forces for projects with ecological sensitivity.

Implement committee recommendations like Madhav gadgil Committee on Western Ghats

Green Budgeting – Integrate ecosystem valuation and environmental costs into budgets.

Create National Environmental Information Grid (NEIG) for real-time monitoring of forests, emissions, and water resources.

Community Participation – Ensure FRA and PESA provisions are respected in all forest and mining projects through joint monitoring committees including tribal representatives.

These measures can help align the developmental process with SDG-13 (Climate Action) and India’s Panchamrit targets.

The Indian Constitution envisions a Welfare State under the DPSP (Articles 36-51), mandating the State to ensure social, economic, and political justice through equitable development.

Need for Cooperation Among Service Sectors

Complex Interdependence – Development issues are multi-dimensional.

Integrated Development Approach

Inter-sectoral Coordination

Efficiency and Resource Optimization

Innovation and Knowledge Sharing

Inclusive Governance and development through participation

Accountability and Transparency

India’s Development Process through Collaborative Partnerships

Government-Private Sector Partnership (PPP) – Eg- Smart Cities Mission, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

Inter-Governmental Collaboration – Eg- NITI Aayog’s Governing Council, PM Gati Shakti Master Plan

Government-Civil Society Partnership – Eg- SEWA and PRADAN partner with government programmes for women’s empowerment and livelihoods.

Public-Private-Community Partnerships (PPCP) – Eg- Swachh Bharat Mission combines government funding, corporate CSR, and community action.

Technology and Data Collaborations – Eg- UPI integrate government, fintech, and private service sectors.

Achievements

Economic – Fastest growing Economy

Infrastructure Efficiency through PPPs

PPP projects worth under implementation (DEA, 2024).

NH construction speed increased from 12 km/day (2014) to 37 km/day (2023).

Financial Inclusion via Digital Collaboration

UPI transactions exceeded ; serves 491 million individuals and 65 million merchants.

JAM trinity enabled by eliminating subsidy leakages (BlueKraft, 2024).

Water and Sanitation Progress through Multi-Stakeholder Models

Jal Jeevan Mission: 15 crore households connected to tap water (2025).

Swachh Bharat Mission: Rural open defecation reduced from 55% (2014) to near zero (2020).

Decentralized Development through Cooperative Federalism

15th Finance Commission devolved directly to PRIs and ULBs for local service delivery.

Aspirational Districts Programme: 95% districts show improvement in health & education indicators (NITI Aayog, 2023).

Self-Help Group (SHG) movement: 9.3 crore women linked to banks under DAY-NRLM, with credit linkage of (2024).

Limitations

Institutional Fragmentation – Overlapping jurisdictions and poor coordination between Centre, State, and local bodies. Eg- Delays in PM Awas Yojana (Urban)

Capacity Deficit at Local Levels – lack of 3F’s

Incomplete or outdated local datasets hinder data-driven decision-making.

Weak Accountability – Eg- Inadequate social audit mechanisms

Digital Divide – Eg- NFHS-5 (2021) showed only 43% of rural households have internet access, affecting e-governance uptake.

Trust Deficit between Stakeholders – Eg- CSO perceived as anti-development or foreign influenced.

Funding and Regulatory Constraints: Tightened FCRA norms and compliance burdens for NGOs.

Way Forward for Collaborative Partnerships

Adopt Best Practices

Kerala’s People’s Plan Campaign

Participatory Budgeting in porto alegre brazil

Institutional Convergence and Coordination – Eg- Expand PM Gati Shakti model to social sectors like health and education.

Capacity Building through Digital Governance – Eg- Kerala’s Information Kerala Mission digitized local governance workflows.

Decentralized Governance based on principle of subsidiarity.

Data Integration through NDAP, GIS platforms, and PRAGATI dashboards for evidence-based decisions.

A coordinated, transparent, and participatory relations between various service sectors can truly make development inclusive, sustainable and rapid.

The Indian Constitution envisions a Welfare State under the DPSP (Articles 36-51), mandating the State to ensure social, economic, and political justice through equitable development. Neo-liberal paradigm of development planning has redefined how welfare objectives are pursued.

Characteristics of the Neo-Liberal Paradigm of Development Planning

Market Orientation – Eg- 1991 economic reforms.

Decentralized Governance – Eg- 73rd & 74th Amendments.

Outcome-Based Planning

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) – Eg- Smart Cities Mission.

Ease of Doing Business

Technology-Driven Governance – Eg- DBT.

Fiscal Prudence – Eg- rationalisation of CSS

Multi-Level Planning for Cost-Effectiveness

Integrated Planning removes duplication and overlapping Eg- Aspirational Districts Programme converges 15+ central schemes for health, education, and livelihoods.

Bottom-Up Planning ensures context-specific solutions reflecting local needs and geographies. Eg- Village Development Plans by Gram Sabhas

Participatory Decision-Making empowers Gram Sabhas, SHGs, and local NGOs, leading to community ownership and reduced wastage. Eg- Social Audits under MGNREGA.

Data-Driven planning and resource allocation. Eg- PM Gati Shakti Mission

Fiscal Accountability – Eg- 15th Finance Commission introduced performance-linked local grants for service delivery.

Multi-Level Planning for Removing Implementation Blockages

Inter-Governmental Coordination among Centre, States, and Local Bodies. Eg- PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan links 16 ministries through a single GIS platform for synchronized infrastructure rollout.

Streamlined Administrative Processes reduces bureaucratic red tape and delays.

Real-Time Monitoring allows early identification of bottlenecks and mid-course correction. Eg- PRAGATI platform facilitates top-level review and resolution of project delays.

Capacity Building – Multi-tier structure enables technical support and training from higher levels to local planners. Eg- karmayogi iGot Platform

Crisis Management – Decentralized governance strengthens resilience during natural disasters or pandemics.

Challenges in Multi-Level Planning

Institutional Fragmentation – Overlapping jurisdictions and poor coordination between Centre, State, and local bodies. Eg- Delays in PM Awas Yojana (Urban)

Capacity Deficit at Local Levels – lack of 3F’s

Fiscal Dependence on state and central grants. Eg- Only 10% of ULBs generate sufficient own-source revenue (NITI Aayog).

Incomplete or outdated local datasets hinder data-driven decision-making.

Political Centralization – Eg- District Planning Committees (Article 243ZD) remain underutilized in most states.

Weak Accountability – Eg- Inadequate social audit mechanisms

Way Forward for Strengthening Multi-Level Planning

Adopt Best Practices

Kerala’s People’s Plan Campaign

Participatory Budgeting in porto alegre brazil

Institutional Convergence and Coordination – Eg- Expand PM Gati Shakti model to social sectors like health and education.

Capacity Building through Digital Governance – Eg- Kerala’s Information Kerala Mission digitized local governance workflows.

Decentralized Governance based on principle of subsidiarity.

Data Integration through NDAP, GIS platforms, and PRAGATI dashboards for evidence-based decisions.

A coordinated, transparent, and participatory planning ecosystem can truly make development inclusive, sustainable and rapid.

Contemporary development models

Neoliberal – privatization, and deregulation

Technocratic Model – Data driven governance

Donor-Driven Model

PPP Model

Participatory Development Model

Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Not Close to Ground

Centralized Policy Design, with limited input from grassroots institutions. Eg- Uniform guidelines under PMAY-Gramin

Bureaucratic Hierarchies lead to delayed responses. Eg- delays in fund release under MGNREGA due to multi-tier approvals.

Technocratic and Data-Centric Planning leads to exclusion of indigenous knowledge.

Weak Decentralization – PRIs and ULBs lack fiscal and functional autonomy. Only 40% of states have functional District Planning Committees (NITI Aayog, 2022).

Lack of Coordination – ministries and departments work in silos. Eg- Smart Cities Mission: 60% projects delayed due to poor coordination.

Lack of Participatory democracy – Communities are treated as beneficiaries rather than partners in development.

Political and Fiscal Centralization through centrally sponsored schemes

Regulatory Capture – Eg- Nexus of Bureaucracy-Politicians-Corporate. (Vohra Committee)

Counter-Argument

73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendments empowered PRIs and ULBs for local governance and participatory planning.

Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) institutionalized bottom-up planning in over 2.6 lakh Panchayats.

Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) – Promotes data-driven local governance with district-level flexibility and real-time monitoring.

PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan – Integrates 16 ministries on a GIS-based platform to align planning and execution at ground level.

Mission Karmayogi – Builds capacity of field-level officials for local problem-solving and citizen-centric service delivery.

Cooperative Federalism via NITI Aayog – Governing Council enable state-specific and local feedback-based planning.

Community-Led Models – Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission emphasize village-level implementation and monitoring.

State Level Measures – Kerala’s People’s Plan Campaign

Way Forward

Capability Approach – increase spending on Health (2.5%of GDP) and Education (6% of GDP)

Adopt Best Practices – Participatory Budgeting in porto alegre brazil

Decentralized Governance based on principle of subsidiarity.

“Growth becomes meaningful only when it expands human freedom and capability.” – Amartya Sen

For this, decision-making authority and problem-solving responsibilities should be at the grassroots level.

Social Justice

Government Policies and Interventions for Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections