Vinita Chandra[1], Shail Shankar[2] [1] Associate Professor, Department of Humanistic Studies, IIT (BHU), Varanasi vinitachandra.hss@iitbhu.ac.in [2] Assistant Professor, Department of Humanistic Studies, IIT (BHU), Varanasi shailshankar.hss@iitbhu.ac.in Title: COVID-19 and Healthcare in India: Call for Building up System Level Resilience Author(s): Vinita Chandra, Shail Shankar Keywords: COVID-19; Health; Public Health; Healthcare; Resilience Issue Date: October 8, […]
Read More
India’s Prime Minister launched the Aspirational Districts Program (ADP) in January 2018. The program covers 112 districts across the country that have historically lagged on socio-economic parameters. This is the first time that a program of this size and scale has been launched by the government with the objective of accelerating progress through improved data-driven governance, robust monitoring, making development a mass movement, working as Team India (Centre and States), and collaborating with stakeholders outside the government. Instead of a large infusion of funds, the program’s emphasis is on better governance for improving outcomes. Forty-nine Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been identified under the ADP across 5 sectors. The results are for all to see. A comparison between the Aspirational Districts (ADs) and their counterparts by an independent UNDP Study undertaken in 2021 found that ADs have outperformed non-ADs. In January 2023, the Aspirational Blocks Program was launched to replicate the success of the ADP template across 500 relatively underdeveloped blocks in the country.
Read More
This study delved into the realm of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) using technological tools, elucidating its significance and exploring innovative approaches. M&E emerged as a systematic process for assessing program efficacy and impact through data scrutiny, while also emphasizing the importance of documenting global best practices. These practices not only provide a roadmap for better decision-making but also foster transparency, accountability, knowledge sharing, and the creation of a robust knowledge base. While technology has revolutionized M&E, it comes with limitations such as accessibility, data security, technical expertise, cultural barriers, and bias. However, innovations like crowdsourcing, real-time reporting, mobile data collection, and outcome harvesting have reshaped the landscape. This study underscores the transformative potential of technological tools in refining M&E practices on a global scale.
Read More
And you thought that I don’t have to meet that male colleague anymore, I don’t need to travel with my boss anymore, I can stay away from the bus commute – I’m Safe! Are you kidding me?! And you thought it was only the Covid-19 virus that could mutate itself, that could have many variants, and could change with changing times? Think again! Unofficial data reveals that workplace sexism, harassment, discrimination, bullying, and sexual offenses have been the way of life for close to 90% of women in India, only less than a third of them even talk about it and a fraction of them report it (primary research conducted by Durga India). Yet, in India, we have the most powerful, holistic, and well-thought-through feminist laws against workplace harassment (POSH Act of 2013). It all does not add up.
Read More
As news of a strange new viral infection reached it in March 2020, Kunariya village in the Kachchh region of western India swung into action. Even before India’s Prime Minister announced a national lockdown on 24th March, the village had already put into place restrictions on entry and movement, physical distancing, wearing masks, and awareness programmes on staying safe.
Read More The world of work today is witnessing a transformation with the onset of Industrial Revolution 4.0 fuelled by the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Gig work, though not a totally new phenomenon has picked pace over time and India is among the largest gig economies.
Read More