Performance of major social sector schemes: a sample survey report
The Government of India has been implementing many social sector programmes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)/ Swarnajanyanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) etc. to address the twin issues of unemployment and poverty. The impact of programmes like MGNREGA which provide employment in persondays is reflected in the perceptible fall in unemployment under Current Daily Status (CDS) since the inception of the MGNREGA programme. Similarly impact of poverty alleviation programmes is reflected in the fall in poverty ratios since 2004-05. In this paper based on both desk research and selected sample survey of some districts in two states in India, an attempt has been made to see the efficacy and performance of the various central government social sector programmes.