100-Day Plan](http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090605/jsp/nation/story_11066749.jsp)
Can it be done?
What the Manmohan government has promised to initiate within the next 100 days. The Telegraph weighs the chances of implementation
WOMEN
Proposal: Pass the women’s reservation bill
Can it be done? Chances brighter than ever with so many women calling the shots. But bill’s fate depends on how far the Congress will go to turn around sceptics. Concerns surround demand from smaller parties like the RJD and the Samajwadi Party over sub-reservation for backward classes. These parties want 27 per cent of the total reservation for women (33%) to be set aside for OBCs. The passage of the bill will require political manoeuvring from a confident Congress. The bill requires two-thirds majority. As of now, only 47 MPs are officially opposed to the bill. So, on paper, the UPA, the BJP and the Left can push through the bill. A hidden pitfall: apparently, several men in the Congress and in some other parties that officially support the bill are still nursing some reservations. Over to Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sushma Swaraj and Brinda Karat.
Proposal: Constitutional amendment for 50% women’s reservation in panchayats and municipalities
Can it be done? May be easier to pass than the bill for 33% quota in Parliament and Assemblies as Bihar already has the local body reservations. The Bihar law was piloted by the Janata Dal(United), one of the chief opponents of the current draft of the 33% quota bill.
Proposal: Increase number of women in central government jobs
Can it be done? Yes, among the promises easy to deliver. Will need a circular from the department of personnel and training to launch a special drive. But the result could take time to show up on the rosters.
Proposal: National Mission on Empowerment of Women
Can it be done? The terminology alone is new here. The aim of the mission is to co-ordinate better existing programmes for women’s empowerment. A brainchild of Pratibha Patil, probably the President’s only real stamp on the government’s agenda she spelt out. If successful, these initiatives will grant women greater representation in decision-making than ever before. The mission could end the current overlapping and contradictory efforts by different arms of the government.
EDUCATION
Proposal: Set up the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to function as a single, unified apex regulator of higher education
Can it be done? Tough job that requires tenacity. Will meet bureaucratic opposition from beneficiaries of the status quo, such as existing regulators like the UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education. A legislation will be needed. The NCHE will signal the start of the revamp of India’s higher education system, proposed by both the National Knowledge Commission and the Yash Pal committee. It could simplify and streamline regulations, and allow better cross-stream studies and research.
Proposal: Develop a “brain gain” policy to attract teaching and research talent for 14 new promised international-standard universities
Can it be done? The policy can be developed. The UGC has already set up a committee for the purpose, and given the global economic downturn, a trickle of reverse “brain drain” could start soon. But any sustainable reversal of loss of talent will take years. The “brain gain” policy, if successful, could help fill massive shortages in faculty at Indian universities, IITs, IIMs and other educational institutions.
HEALTH
Proposal: Set up National Council for Human Resources in Health — an overarching regulatory body to reform current regulatory bodies
Can it be done? Likely to face opposition from the existing regulator, the Medical Council of India.
TRANSPARENCY
Proposal: Independent evaluation office in Planning Commission and delivery monitoring unit at the Prime Minister’s Office to track use of funds and implementation of flagship programmes
Can it be done? Should not be hard to implement.
Proposal: Bharat Nirman quarterly reports on flagship programmes where ministers will report on progress through the media
Can it be done? Should not be hard to implement.
Proposal: Public data policy to voluntarily disclose all non-strategic information
Can it be done? Will face silent bureaucratic opposition that will try to weaken efforts to infuse transparency.
Proposal: Enforcing social audit of NREGA and district-level grievance redress mechanism
Can it be done? Should not be too difficult, given the political will and blessings.
Proposal: Strengthen the Right to Information Act
Can it be done? No clarity on how the act will be strengthened. Any true strengthening will face bureaucratic opposition.
Proposal: E-governance for all panchayats in three years
Can it be done? Should not be hard to implement. If implemented, these initiatives could dramatically improve public access to government data and information pertaining to citizens who could then challenge inaccuracies and question poor implementation of projects.
Proposal: Make banks and post offices public outreach units where beneficiaries of social sector schemes can draw earnings (in the case of schemes like the NREGA) or scholarships (education)
Can it be done? Should not be hard to implement. Will allow easy-to-check transfer of funds to direct beneficiaries of social sector schemes.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Proposal: Remove bottlenecks and delays in implementation of infrastructure projects in railways, power, highways, ports, airports and rural telecom
Can it be done? Will meet initial bureaucratic resistance but can be achieved. A 100-day deadline may prove too short, but not for “initiating” some steps.
Proposal: Fast clearance to projects in public private partnership. Regulatory processes will be made investment friendly
Can it be done? Should not be hard to implement. Can be achieved in 100 days.
LAW
Proposal: A model public services law, committing key officials in education, health and rural development to their duties, to be drawn up in consultation with states
Can it be done? Can be achieved, but unlikely that all states will agree within 100 days.
Proposal: Roadmap for judicial reforms
Can it be done? Roadmap can be drawn but some proposals could be contested by judges. A public service law will add another layer of anti-corruption rules. Judicial reforms could make judiciary more transparent.
a few are those which could be easily achieved.
but there are those too, like the women reservation promise, that may never see the daylight.