All of us lack something in our lives like certain skills, knowledge, discipline, time management, ability to manage our finances. Or it could be one’s behaviour, which needs improvement for it to be acceptable for others. This is applicable for students, professionals, public servants, politicians and businessmen. In corporates, they have something called PIP (performance improvement plan) and they use theories like six Sigma. In short, Six Sigma is a theory meant to earn customer loyalty, while avoiding unnecessary wastage. It is meant to improve the effectiveness of process and employees. It is to meet expectations through timely delivery and so on. And they work on data to find scope for improvement. We cannot think of ways to improve, unless we understand that there is scope for improvement.
We have come across political leaders talking about numbers, while addressing the public, media and during political rallies. Nowadays, it is often done through social media websites than ever. In 2014, our prime minister Narendra Modi said in his swearing in ceremony speech that he will show a report card, after five years of his rule.
For common man, these numbers are too complicated. Or they just cannot comprehend. Terms like GDP, unemployment rate, poverty rate, per capita income are often confusing. Even those who understand these terms will find it difficult to relate it with the real world. It is because these numbers are often figures achieved through manipulation.
I am not blaming our prime minister, the present government, a political party or a leader. It is a common practice across the globe that the figures should look good and those figures are achieved through manipulation. It is there in USA, in UK as well as in India. Although, in India this adjustment to get the desired number is little more than what is there in developed countries.
A major administrative reform is required in India to make it more transparent. A true democracy, where voters are better informed. The figures should be more realistic, easy to understand and people should be able
to relate it to their lives.
News matters for middle class in India. It influences elections very much. The government should make attempts to balance the numbers to make it more realistic, which shows the actual scope for improvement. There should be a correlation between poverty rate, the national hunger Index (Starvation rate) and the employment rate. Unless, the government wishes to say things like; we have 80% employment rate and one third of them are below poverty line, are prone to hunger and malnutrition.
Since February last year, I been after High Court of Kerala to file a writ petition against two murder attempts on me, which made me live with an injured liver. The petition filed as ‘party in person’ was not acceptable for those in filing section of high court of Kerala. They were trying to save the culprits. They kept rejecting my petition, stating defects.
They gave me a filing number over the phone and said that the petition details will appear on the court’s website by same-day evening. Three days later, I called them to inform that my petition details are not there on court’s website. And their answer was that they rejected it due to defects.
So I applied for an income certificate to get free legal aid. Neither the court accepted my writ-petition, nor I got legal aid from Kerala Legal services Authority. I couldn’t file a writ petition through Kerala Legal Services Authority. My request to law ministry of Kerala to get free legal aid didn’t help. It will be explained in detail in the next issue of ‘letters to the government’. But the income certificate I got, helps me to present this topic better.
I was bedridden with my lacerated liver. I was unemployed and had no income. They made me fill the application form for income certificate twice. I visited Village office, after they rejected my first application to clarify doubts, if they had any about my income. I clearly mentioned that my income is nil and I am unemployed. They issued me an income certificate which certifies that I have annual family income of 56000. This certificate states that it was issued after local enquiry, facts and records produced and is valid for an year. This certificate is valid even in courts in India.
They issued this certificate, when I stated that I am unemployed. They didn’t check any records like my bank accounts and statements. Banks will ask for your payslips or bank statements to know your actual income, when you apply for a loan. Instead, they issued this certificate in a cryptic way, where the certificate states that I have annual family income of ₹56000. The certificate issued is just for me and not for the family. So this certificate states that I am employed and have income. Or it denies the fact that I am unemployed and do not have income. I was fine with this certificate, because the income mentioned in it was good enough for me to get free legal aid. Such baseless and misleading records are created by different government agencies, which can be used against an individual. These records can also be used to favour someone, if necessary. It helps government and our political leaders to talk about numbers. These figures are proof
for their achievements. The government agencies should work on improving the way they create data.
Let’s take Kerala as an example, the state which ranked number one in governance performance as per public affairs index 2021(PAI2021). A study conducted by ‘Public Affairs Centre’, a Bangalore based non profit think-tank. The study was based on scores secured by states on parameters like equity, growth and sustainability. The study is an annual assessment of the adequacy and quality of governance in states and implementation of the centrally sponsored schemes like rural employment guarantee scheme, national health mission, integrated child development service, Samagra siksha abhiyan and mid-day meal scheme. The PAC said that the study is purely evidence based assessment using central government data sources.
Kerala ranked number one in PAI 2020 as well. Kerala been in the top rank in Niti Aayog’s SDG India Index 2019-20 and retained it 2020-21. The SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) evaluates progress of states and union territories on Social, economic and environmental parameters.
This means, Kerala is doing far better than other states. But the figures that we see are often an exaggerated one, because it is based on false data and records created by various government agencies. For example: Kerala with hundred percent literacy rate do not have 50% population, who can fill an application on their own for a service from any government agency. We will see two different pictures, if we were to compare the poverty rate in Kerala as per data and what we see around. This article is not meant to defame Kerala or the ruling LDF government. One can only imagine what the reality is in states, which are worst in surveys like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Why don’t we have realistic literary rate for Kerala, which could be just seventy or eighty percent? Similarly, actual poverty rate could be little more than what is on data. Will it be a shame for Kerala , if we were to have actual unemployment rate? Kerala is just an example. Every other state with good or bad ranking are going with same false and misleading data, which shows exaggerated figures.
The above picture is of a tweet from Kerala chief minister’s official Twitter handle. As per the tweet 95% of the issues were settled. The 5% margin is maintained to convince those who challenge it. In other words, all those who claim that their issue was not resolved will come under this 5%. This is a game of achieving numbers, where the people designated to address the grievances sent to CMO-Kerala will go through the standard procedure. They will forward complaints to the concerned department like police, revenue, etc. The petition will reach the local police station or the office of the concerned department in a months time. Those in local police station or the government office will check, what the issue is and against whom it is? They would also assess, how serious the consequences will be, if the issue is not resolved amicably? Then they will see who is more influential, whether it is offender or the complainant? Accordingly, they will resolve the issue. This means, a petition to police through CMO-Kerala can be dismissed even without an FIR, charge sheet or any inquiry. Complainants contacting CMO again for the same issue, will not be taken seriously and those emails will be deleted immediately without any action. So a petition through CMO will be treated like a normal petition given in the local police station, unless there is some political group to pressurise. Or it should be a sensitive issue and should be able to grab media attention. Deleting few complaint emails a day, without any resolution will of course help them to achieve this numbers.
Assigning a complaint to the concerned department to get a document stating that the issue is resolved without appropriate follow up, makes approaching CMO meaningless.
GDP cannot define inclusive economic growth. For example; Thousands of small scale weavers lost their livelihood due to inadequate support from government and the finished goods dumped from other countries. Then policy changes made by the union government helped few big factories (with their machines running all day and night with few employees) to increased silk production in India. It resulted in GDP growth. And government talks about GDP growth all the time.
Niti Aayog published it’s annual report 2021-22 in February this year. A glossy and colourful document of 198 pages. The report talks about ‘Aspirational districts programme'(ADP) from page number 22-25. ADP is a programme meant to bridge the uneven growth among the districts. ADP completed four years in January 2020, with 112 districts in the programme. The programme focused on five key performance indicators such as health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, skill development and basic infrastructure. This programme was appraised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The appraisal was positive, states the Niti Aayog’s annual report. The appraisal by UNDP was positive, because it was based on misleading data.
Similarly, the Niti Aayog’s annual report talks about ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index’ (MPI) from page number 164 till 166. They say it is non-monetary
poverty. Niti Aayog claims that the National Multidimensional Poverty Index is globally comparable. It further states, Niti Aayog developed this in consultation with 12 line ministries and in partnership with state governments and the index publishing agencies-Oxford poverty and human development initiatives (OPH) and
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is based on deprivation faced by household in three dimensions, which are health, education and standard of living across 12 indicators and they are as follows:
(1) Nutrition
As per Niti Aayog’s annual report, this indicator has specific age limit for household members, the nutritional information should be available and will be considered deprived, if undernourished.
(2) Child and Adolescent mortality
(3) Antenatal care
(4) Years of schooling:
Not even a member of household aged 10 or above has completed six years of schooling, to consider the household as deprived.
(5) School attendance:
Any school-aged child is not attending school up to the age of class 8 is considered deprived.
(6) Cooking Fuel:
Only those household who use cow dung, wood, charcoal, coal or shrubs used to cook are considered deprived.
(7) Sanitation:
The household with unimproved, or no sanitation facility, or it is improved but shared with other household is considered deprived.
(8) Drinking water:
The household with safe drinking water, which is within 30 minutes walk (to and from) is not
considered deprived.
(9) Electricity:
Household without electricity is considered deprived.
(10) Housing:
Houses made of natural materials, inadequate housing, the roof or wall are made of rudimentary materials is considered deprived.
(11) Assets:
The household who owns more than one of the following assets are not deprived. Radio, TV, Telephone, Motorbike, refrigerator, animal cart, bicycle.
(12)Bank Account:
A household member with Zero balance saving bank account or a post office account is not
considered deprived.
or household income or hunger in determining poverty. In United States people spend at least around 500 dollars (₹35000) to purchase a television set. In India, old televisions with bulged screen, which are in working condition are available for as low as rupees five hundred to one thousand. So the global comparison of television is not appropriate. The public transportation in rural India is too bad. Hence, the villagers and those living in tribal hamlets may own a two wheeler worth four to ten thousand rupees. Niti Aayog’s ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index’ will not consider them as poor regardless of how much they earn a day. A hungry child attending school for assured mid day meal cannot be a reason to say that the household is not poor. Someone in the household having had six years of schooling doesn’t mean the household is rich. Sanitation, drinking water and electricity should be considered as basic necessities.
These indicators may help identify tribal population and nomads, who are deprived. But that cannot be the way to calculate poverty rate. Many of those who are deprived as per above 12 indicators may have own house or thatched hut, for which they do not have to pay rent. In India we have large section of population living below poverty line, who are daily wage workers. They are not deprived as per this multidimensional poverty index. They stay in rented house wherethey enjoy safe drinking water and the sanitation is not shared. They probably have had schooling for six years or they have school going kids. For them, a month without job could make them borrow money to pay house rent and electricity bill.
Not being able to work due to sickness can make their life miserable. And they are not the lower middle class, who work to pay bike, car and home loan and investments.
Nutrition specified in the MPI, Antenatal care, Child and Adolescent mortality is not even 5% of health care that is available for poor in most of the places in India. Education specified in the MPI will not help next generation to acquire any sort of skills to earn a livelihood. Standard of living specified in MPI is absurd. It is as good as saying that the one who can breathe fresh air is not deprived. MPI is good, only if it were to be a plan exclusively for nomads and tribals.
We have better classification of society through public distribution system (PDS). As per PDS, those living below poverty line are eligible for various government welfare schemes. Then why do we have such complicated poverty index? It talks volumes about the gazetted officers engaged in making false data and reports to help their political masters.
The Niti Aayog’s annual report also talks about National Data Analytics Platform (NDAP), a portal aimed at increasing the access and usability of Government data. A user-friendly web platform that will provide easy access to public datasets in clean, machine-readable formats. The platform will enable evidence-based policymaking, cross-sectoral research, data-driven discourse and innovation. The beta version of the platform was launched on 15 August 2021.
Apart from this, NITI Aayog has also developed several indices and dashboards by focusing on effective management and better outcomes backed by data analysis, says the annual report.
The following lines are from the Niti Aayog’s annual report 2021-22. Readers can find them in
page number 37, with it’s heading; Monitoring and Evaluation:
INTRODUCTION:
Evidence-based
policymaking is integral to the overall governance structure of New India. To achieve this, it is important to be able to track performance, determine outcomes to understand how well a scheme is performing, help diagnose reasons for poor performance, and generate recommendations for course corrections. This requires not only the collection of data but also putting in place proper frameworks with measurable parameters to strengthen the effective management of limited public resources and achieve a deeper and broader impact of schemes. The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), an attached unit of NITI, is driving accountability in governance through proper monitoring and evaluation, along with the other Verticals.
If there is so much to do with data, then a major administrative change is required in the way the data is collected, processed and used for making reports. The government should work on an effective mechanism to make sure that the data is collected accurately and is updated on a regular interval. There is a lot of investment and man power involved in data collection and processing. But it just cannot produce the desired result, unless the data is accurate. Accurate data helps the government and the citizens to know where we stand.
Readers can click on the link below to read an article published recently in New Indian Express.
Drop in unemployment registration in Kerala
Readers can view and download Niti Aayog’s annual report (pdf file) by clicking the link below. Please take your time to go through it. You will get an idea about what is going on in our country.
