Between promise and performance : the 2009 Congress manifesto
On Friday, Congress President, Sonia
Gandhi,asked all ministers to get cracking on fulfilling the promises made in
the 2009 manifesto. Its a grandiose document, and it is difficult to pick a
favourite, so fascinating is the prose, but if I had to, my vote for the most
scintillating promise(s) goes to Serial number 12.
Of course, the 2009 Manifesto has been
manifestly marginalised, as befits a document meant to delude, not deliver. Read
the manifesto and decide for yourselves .
"1.We will guarantee the maximum possible
security to each and every citizen.
Our policy is zero-tolerance towards terrorism
from whatever source it originates. We have already initiated the process of
equipping our police and other specialist security forces with the latest
weapons and technology to meet terrorist threats. This process will be taken
forward vigourously. More specialist battalions will be raised and positioned in
key locations across the country.
Citizenship is a right and a matter of pride.
With the huge IT expertise available in our country, it is possible to provide
every Indian with a unique identity card after the publication of the national
population register in the year 2011.
2.We will ensure the highest level of
defence preparedness and also take further steps for the welfare of the defence
forces and their families.
During the BJP-led NDA government, over Rs
24,000 crores of funds meant for defence modernisation were simply not spent. In
the last five years, modernisation of our defence forces has resumed
substantially. This will continue at a rapid pace. The Indian National Congress
also pledges to make India’s defence forces technology-enabled and equipped with
modern weapons, aircraft, ships and delivery systems to repel any threat from
land, sea or air.
Recognizing their special concerns, a new and
separate department of ex-servicemen’s welfare was established in 2004 by the
Congress-led UPA Government. Ex-servicemen constitute a large cadre of dedicated
and trained persons. We will utilize them extensively in crucial nation-building
tasks.
3.We will accelerate the process of police
reforms.
The Indian National Congress recognizes the
imperative of police reforms. A clear distinction between the political
executive and police administration will be made. The police force will be
better provisioned especially in the matter of housing and education facilities;
the police force will be made more representative of the diversity our
population; and police recruitment will be made more effective and training
professionalized to confront new and emerging threats. Accountability of the
police force will be institutionalized.
4.We will build on the success of the NREGA
and take the scheme forward.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,
first promised by the Indian National Congress in its 2004 Lok Sabha elections
manifesto, has been an outstanding success.
While drawing on the lessons of various social
audits, the Indian National Congress now pledges at least 100 days of work at a
real wage of Rs 100 a day for everyone as an entitlement under the NREGA.
5.Along the lines of NREGA, we will enact a
National Food Security Act
The Indian National Congress pledges to enact a
Right to Food law that guarantees access to sufficient food for all people,
particularly the most vulnerable sections of society. The Indian National
Congress pledges that every family living below the poverty line either in rural
or urban areas will be entitled, by law, to 25 kgs of rice or wheat per month at
Rs 3 per kg. Subsidised community kitchens will be set up in all cities for
homeless people and migrants with the support of the Central government.
6.We will guarantee health security for
all
The National Rural Health Mission has already
begun to make a noticeable impact and will be implemented with an even greater
sense of urgency. The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) introduced by the
Congress-led UPA Government offers health insurance for poor families.
Expenditure on health is a major cause of indebtedness, particularly in rural
areas. The Indian National Congress pledges that every family living below the
poverty line will be covered by the RSBY over the next three years. Every
district headquarters hospital will be upgraded to provide quality heath
facilities to all.
7.We will ensure comprehensive social
security to those at special risk
The Indian National Congress will ensure a
comprehensive cover of social security to all persons who are at special risk
including (i) single-woman headed households; (ii) disabled and the elderly;
(iii) urban homeless; (iv) released bonded workers; (v) members of primitive
tribal groups; and (vi) members of designated “most backward” dalit
communities.
8.We will be make quality education
affordable to everyone
India today has one of the largest educational
loan programmes in the world. Over the past five years, over fifteen lakh
students have received loans totaling more than Rs 26,000 crores and are
pursuing various professional courses.
The Indian National Congress now pledges that
all students admitted to any recognized course in any recognized
college/university will be provided, on a need basis, either a scholarship or an
educational loan without collateral repayable over a very long period.
In order to ensure quality school education for
all children, we have already made a beginning by approving the setting up of
one model school in every block of the country. Every year, over the next five
years, we will add one more model school in every block.
The Indian National Congress pledges to focus
more sharply on outcomes and achievement levels in education and not just on
enrolment. It also pledges a major programme for training of teachers and
improving the physical environment in schools.
A massive expansion in higher education has
been undertaken in the past two years—8 new IITs, 7 new IIMs, 5 new Indian
Institutes of Science Education and Research, 30 new Central Universities, 20
new Indian Institutes of Information Technology and 374 new colleges in
educationally-deprived districts. The Indian National Congress pledges to ensure
that these expansion plans are implemented fully with their twin focus on
excellence and affirmative action.
9.We will implement a nation-wide skill
development programme
India is a young country with 70% of the
population below the age of 35. To reap the “demographic dividend”, the Indian
National Congress believes that there is an urgent need to put in place an
extensive skill development programme so that the employability of youth is
enhanced. The Congress-led UPA government has already put in place a National
Skills Development Mission. Rs 30,000 crore will be invested in this mission
which is of crucial importance for the future of our youth. Funds will be
provided to ensure its widest possible coverage. A wider and more comprehensive
spectrum of skills will be imparted.
10.We will expand schemes for improving
well-being of farmers and their families
In addition to continuing the programmes that
were launched over the past five years, the Indian National Congress pledges
that every small and marginal farmer in the country will have access to bank
credit at lower rates of interest. While the massive loan waiver scheme has
already been implemented and 3.68 crore farmer-families have benefited from it,
the Indian National Congress now pledges to extend interest relief to all
farmers who repay bank loans on schedule.
The Indian National Congress is determined to
ensure that farming becomes a profitable occupation. All measures in support of
this objective will be taken. Programmes for agricultural diversification,
agri-processing and rural industrialization will be pursued systematically.
Dairying, aquaculture, fisheries, horticulture and sericulture will receive an
additional boost. The special needs of crops like tea, coffee, rubber, spices,
cashew and coconut will be met. A renewed emphasis will be placed on wasteland
development and afforestation.
The Indian National Congress will implement
comprehensive crop insurance schemes and will also examine the feasibility of
direct income support to farmers in the ecologically vulnerable regions of the
country. Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement will be ensured at the
doorsteps of farmers.
All controls on the free movement of farm
commodities and processing of agricultural products and all regulations that
depress incomes of farmers will be systematically eliminated.
The Indian National Congress is firmly
committed to ensuring that farmers get, at a very minimum, market rates for the
land that is acquired for industrial projects. The Indian National Congress also
believes that farmers should be given an option to become stakeholders in such
industrial ventures. As a matter of priority, the National Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Bill, 2007, that could not be passed because of the obstructionist
tactics of the BJP, will be taken up for passage in the 15th Lok Sabha. The Land
Acquisition Act, 1894 will also be amended to ensure that the interests of
land-owners are more than adequately protected.
11.We will democratize and professionalise
the functioning of cooperatives
The Indian cooperative movement comprising
about 5 lakh cooperatives with more than 22 crore members is the largest such
movement in the world. It plays a crucial role in our development. The Indian
National Congress has always stood for its democratic, autonomous and
professional functioning and this will be ensured by enacting appropriate laws,
including making a Constitutional provision.
12.We will give even greater impetus to the
empowerment of weaker sections of society.
The empowerment of the weaker sections of
society — scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, minorities and women — has
been an article of faith with the Indian National Congress. This will be carried
forward with emphasis on education, particularly skill-based and professional
education.
Education at all stages — primary, secondary
and university — will be free in all respects for boys and girls belonging to
dalit and adivasi communities.
Coaching fees for all entrance exams for at
least one lakh scheduled caste/scheduled tribe students every year will be paid
by the Central Government. National scholarships for boys and girls belonging to
scheduled castes and scheduled tribes will be further increased.
The Indian National Congress will take steps to
ensure that allocations under the Special Component Plan for scheduled castes
and the Tribal Sub-Plan for scheduled tribes (first introduced by Indira Gandhi
over three decades ago) are made in accordance with their proportions in the
population.
An unprecedented special drive was launched by
the Prime Minister and over 53,000 vacancies in government have been filled
through direct recruitment or promotion of members belonging to scheduled castes
and scheduled tribes. This drive will continue.
The Indian National Congress is deeply
committed to pursuing affirmative action for scheduled castes and scheduled
tribes in the private sector. It has already initiated a national debate on this
issue. It also pledges to carve out a reservation for the economically weaker
sections of all communities without prejudice to existing reservations for
scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs.
For the first time, a separate Ministry of
Minority Affairs was created in May 2004 and the Rajinder Sachar Committee was
set up to look into the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim
community in the country. The implementation of the recommendations of the
Sachar Committee is already under way and an Equal Opportunity Commission will
be established by law. Nearly four lakh scholarships have been awarded over the
past two years alone for pre-matric, post-matric and professional courses, with
more than 50% of these being awarded to girl students. The Prime Minister’s
15-point programme was launched in June 2006 with physical and financial targets
for minorities in all welfare programmes of the Central Government. A special
development package for the 90 minority-concentration districts in different
states has been introduced.
The Indian National Congress is irrevocably
committed to ensuring that the Constitutional rights of all minorities are
protected fully, that the representation of minorities in public administration
increases substantially, and that minorities recognize that the government is
working for their welfare at all times. The Indian National Congress has
pioneered reservations for minorities in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in
government employment and education on the basis of their social and economic
backwardness. We are committed to adopt this policy at the national level. A
Wakf Development Corporation will be established to develop wakf properties. A
National Unani University will be set up. The corpus of the Maulana Azad
Educational Foundation will be doubled.
The Indian National Congress introduced
reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas. Today, about 40% of the
elected representatives in panchayats are women, compared to a reservation of
33% mandated for them. This is nothing short of a quiet revolution. The Indian
National Congress will ensure that the Bill for reserving 33% of the seats in
the Lok Sabha and the State legislatures is passed in the 15th Lok Sabha and
that the elections to the 16th Lok Sabha are held on the basis of one-third
reservation for women.
Over the next five years, the Indian National
Congress will endeavour to ensure that at least half of the country’s rural
women population will be enrolled as members of self-help groups linked with
banks and that they will get loans from banks at moderate interest rates. The
Indian National Congress also proposes to reserve one-third of all central
government jobs for women.
The Indian National Congress believes that, in
addition to education, business development programmes are needed on a
larger-scale for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and women. Preferential
policies will be adopted in government contracts to stimulate entrepreneurial
activities amongst these groups.
Social security schemes for occupations like
weavers, fishermen and fisherwomen, toddy tappers, leather workers, plantation
labour, construction labour, mine workers and beedi workers will be
expanded.
The Indian National Congress is deeply
committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and full participation of persons
with disabilities, including the blind, in all sectors of life. To begin with, a
comprehensive review of laws and programmes will be undertaken and the
shortcomings noticed in their implementation will be removed.
13.We will combat communalism of all kinds
and caste atrocities with determination
The Indian National Congress reiterates its
unflinching resolve to combat communalism of all kinds and to deal ruthlessly
with those perpetrating atrocities on weaker sections like dalits and women. The
Indian National Congress believes in ensuring the right to compensation and
rehabilitation for all victims of communal, ethnic and caste violence on
standards and levels that are binding on every government. The Indian National
Congress will propose a law that empowers the National Human Rights Commission
to monitor investigation and trial in all cases of communal and caste
violence.
The Indian National Congress will bring school
curricula of various communal and sectarian organizations — regardless of their
affiliation —under the regulatory purview of an empowered national body.
14.We will bring a sharp focus on the
special needs of children, especially the girl child
For the first time, a National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights was established in 2006. The Commission’s mandate is
to ensure that the welfare of children as guaranteed by various laws is
protected and promoted. New laws have also been passed to prohibit child labour
and child marriage. New schemes to improve the nutritional status of children,
especially girls, and to educate them have been launched in the past five years.
Over 18 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers have benefited from an increase in
their remuneration last year.
The Indian National Congress commits itself to
the universalisation of the ICDS by March 2012 and to provide an anganwadi in
every habitation and full coverage of children up to the age of six for food,
nutrition and pre-school education. The special requirements of children of
migrant workers in towns and cities will be met through new programmes in
association with civil society organizations. A number of programmes have
already been launched to combat the still widely-prevalent phenomenon of child
malnutrition and these will be infused with an even greater sense of
urgency.
The Indian National Congress will introduce
special incentives for the girl child to correct the adverse sex ratio and to
ensure education of girl children. Girl children in districts that have an
adverse sex ratio and/or low enrolment of girls, monetary incentives will be
given to the girl child to be credited to the girl child’s account on her
completing primary school, middle school, secondary school and higher secondary
school.
15.We will make elected panchayat
institutions financially strong
Thanks entirely to the tireless efforts of
Rajiv Gandhi, there are some 2,50,000 elected panchayat bodies all over the
country with almost 32 lakh elected representatives. It is through such
institutions that we will ensure inclusive governance which is essential for
inclusive economic growth. The Indian National Congress is unwavering in its
commitment to full Constitutionally-mandated devolution of funds, functions and
functionaries to the panchayats. The annual allocations to gram panchayats that
can be used for purposes designated as priority by the gram sabha will be
substantially stepped up.
The Indian National Congress will also upgrade
the technical capabilities of panchayat institutions and ensure that information
technology is used extensively to enhance their effectiveness.
16.We will connect all villages to a
broadband network in three years time.
While connectivity across the country has
increased manifold in recent years, the Indian National Congress pledges to
bring the fruits of the IT revolution to more cities and towns. It also pledges
to connect every village to a broadband network within three years. This will
help locate new, non-agricultural jobs in villages and open vast new
opportunities for our rural youth. Thus the vision of Rajiv Gandhi — the use of
IT for rural transformation -- will be realized in even greater measure.
Already, IT is being used in areas like computerization of land records but we
now promise a bolder, time-bound initiative.
17.We will give special focus to the small
entrepreneur and to small and medium enterprises
Small and medium enterprises and the
self-employed are the backbone of our industrial and service economy. They are
the major generators of productive employment for our youth. The Indian National
Congress pledges a “new deal” for SMEs and for first-generation entrepreneurs by
assuring them greater access to collateral-free credit, liberating them from the
multiplicity of laws and forms, and freeing them from the clutches of
inspectors.
The Indian National Congress pledges a targeted
cluster-based approach to the growth of SMEs. There are a very large number of
such clusters already in different areas like textiles, food processing,
handlooms and handicrafts, consumer goods, khadi, coir and other traditional
industries, and engineering. These clusters, mostly in small and medium towns,
will be given access to finance, technology and marketing and will be provided
vastly improved infrastructure.
18.We will maintain the path of high growth
with fiscal prudence and low inflation
As the experience of 2004-09 demonstrates so
vividly, rapid economic growth creates opportunities for increased government
expenditure in vital areas like education, health, agriculture, social security
and infrastructure. Average growth in the first four years of the Congress-led
UPA government was 9% per year for the first time in our history. We will strive
to maintain this momentum with a relentless emphasis on growth that accelerates
the generation of productive jobs for our youth. The Indian National Congress is
also firmly committed to maintaining high growth with low inflation,
particularly in relation to prices of essential agricultural and industrial
commodities.
The Indian National Congress reiterates its
commitment to the path of fiscal responsibility so that the ability of the
Centre to invest in essential social and physical infrastructure is continuously
enhanced. This will require that all subsidies reach only the truly needy and
poor sections of our society. The Indian National Congress will continue its
efforts to create and implement a national consensus on this issue.
Both the public sector and private sector are
essential for India’s continued high growth success story. The Indian National
Congress rejects the policy of blind privatization followed by the BJP-led NDA
government, but believes that the Indian people have every right to own part of
the shares of public sector companies while the government retains majority
shareholding. Public sector enterprises in the manufacturing sector (like
energy, transport and telecom) and in the financial sector (like banks and
insurance companies) will remain in the public sector and will be given all
support to grow and become competitive.
The manufacturing industry in India has seen a
revival in recent years and this will be sustained and deepened, particularly
labour-intensive manufacturing. The emphasis in all foreign investment policies
will be maximization of local value-addition and export potential. The Indian
National Congress will ensure that the policies it has put in place for
attracting private investment for oil exploration will also be followed for
other mineral resources, including coal and iron-ore.
The Indian National Congress remains committed
to ensuring the highest standards of corporate governance in private companies,
especially to protect the interests of small shareholders and small investors.
Regulations will be made to ensure good corporate governance, ethical business
practices and accountability to all stakeholders.
19.We will introduce the goods and services
tax from April 1, 2010.
The Congress-led UPA government successfully
implemented VAT throughout the country. This has brought abundant revenues to
all States. The Indian National Congress now pledges to take the next decisive
step and introduce a moderate goods and services tax (GST). Once GST is
implemented, all other central and state-level indirect taxes such as VAT,
excise duty, service tax, entertainment tax, luxury tax, etc. will stand
abolished and bring substantial relief to the aam admi. GST will create a
seamless national common market for our farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs and
will boost employment. State finances, and more importantly the finances of
panchayats and nagarpalikas, will be put on a sound foundation.
20.We will give a completely new look to
urban governance
While the bulk of our population still lives
and works in villages, India is rapidly urbanizing. But the provision of basic
infrastructure in towns and cities has not kept pace with its requirements. A
massive programme of low-cost social housing and sanitation is needed to make
our urban areas more livable. Recognizing that our towns and cities are engines
of creativity and innovation, the Indian National Congress pledges to create a
new model of urban administration with financially-viable self-government
institutions as the pivot.
21.We will offer a new deal to our youth to
participate in governance
The Indian National Congress has always been
the party that has reposed its confidence in youth. It was Rajiv Gandhi who gave
all 18 year-olds the right to vote and it was he who declared Swami
Vivekananda’s birthday on January 12th as National Youth Day. The IT revolution
that has spread in our country has opened up whole new avenues for our
youth.
The Indian National Congress will design and
launch a voluntary national youth corps which would enable young men and women
in the age group of 18-23 to serve up to two years in constructive
nation-building activities for which they will be suitably compensated.
The Indian National Congress will also make a
beginning to induct youth into organs of government. As a beginning, it will
reserve a proportion of seats in panchayats and nagarpalikas for men and women
below the age of 35 years without detriment to the existing reservations for
scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and women.
The Indian National Congress has periodically
renewed itself by inducting young men and women into the Party and entrusting
them with responsibilities. Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Indian
National Congress has launched a unique exercise to bring youth from all
sections of society and all walks of life into the political mainstream through
the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students Union of India (NSUI).
For the very first time in any political party, there are hundreds of elected
youth leaders in Punjab and Uttarakhand. This exercise is now being conducted in
Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and will soon encompass other parts of the country. This
is a practical demonstration of the deep commitment of the Indian National
Congress to open new political space and opportunities to our youth.
22.We will protect India’s natural
environment and take steps to rejuvenate it
The Indian National Congress has declared the
sacred Ganga as a “national river”. The Ganga River Basin Authority has been
established with the Prime Minister at its head for ensuring that development
needs are met in an ecologically sustainable manner. This Authority will be
accorded the highest priority. Water security is of paramount concern to the
Indian National Congress and steps will be taken to enhance it measurably for
local communities.
India has an enormously rich biodiversity that
is under threat on account of various reasons. The Indian National Congress
commits itself to strengthening people’s movements whose objective will be to
protect and preserve our bio-resources and ensure their sustainable use.
Climate change has now emerged as a serious
challenge for the world community. India too has begun to feel its impact in
different ways. The Congress-led UPA government has already unveiled a National
Action Plan for Climate Change. It is an acknowledgment of our responsibility to
take credible actions within the overall framework of meeting the development
aspirations of our people for higher economic growth and a higher standard of
living. This action plan will be implemented in letter and spirit.
23.We will carry out a massive renewal of
our extensive science and technology infrastructure
One of the most outstanding legacies of
Jawaharlal Nehru is the vast infrastructure for science and technology that
India possesses and which has made so many far-reaching contributions to the
country’s progress — in agriculture, nuclear energy, defence, space, industry,
energy, telecom and IT. The Indian National Congress is firmly commited to
extend full support to the modernization and expansion of our science and
technology institutions and will ensure that they attract and retain the best
talent from India and abroad.
24.We will pursue judicial reforms to cut
delays in courts
Although delays in the Supreme Court have come
down appreciably in recent years, delays in High Courts and district courts are
still unacceptably high. The Indian National Congress has always been of the
view that justice delayed is justice denied and will therefore pursue judicial
reforms to ensure timely completion of the hearing and disposal of cases. As a
reflection of this priority, the Gram Nyayalaya Act, a key promise of our 2004
Manifesto, was passed by Parliament last year. Setting up of Gram Nyayalayas at
the headquarters of the intermediate panchayats and mobile courts in the rural
areas will bring to the aam admi speedy, affordable and substantial
justice.
25.We will continue to be sensitive to
regional aspirations
The Indian National Congress is aware that in
some large states the persistence of intra-regional imbalances in development
has given rise to the demand for separate states. While it has introduced
several programmes to redress these disparities, recognising the legitimacy of
these concerns and acknowledging that the solution may vary from one state to
another, the Indian National Congress will find pragmatic solutions to deal with
these demands.
26.We will ensure energy security for our
country
The last two years have seen a very sharp
turnaround in the addition to power generating capacity. This momentum will be
maintained and it will be ensured that the country adds at least 12,000-15,000
mw of capacity every year through a mix of sources—coal, hydel, nuclear and
renewables. Rural electrification and reduction in distribution losses will be
given the highest priority. The Indian National Congress promises a very
significant increase in the share of nuclear power, both through domestic and
imported technology which has now been made possible by the civil nuclear
agreements. The pace of oil and gas exploration will be intensified. India’s oil
diplomacy will be pursued aggressively. The Indian National Congress will
implement a scheme to supply energy to poor families at affordable
prices.
27.We will take further steps to preserve
and promote our heritage
India has an extraordinarily rich heritage
going back centuries. The Indian National Congress will take further steps to
protect, preserve and promote this heritage and ensure that its value is fully
appreciated, especially by the younger generation particularly. A statutory
National Heritage Sites Commission will be made fully operational. This will be
an important instrument to strengthen the foundations of our pluralistic culture
and inheritances.
We will continue to pursue an independent,
pro-India foreign policy
The Indian National Congress has always upheld
India’s supreme national interests and has often braved criticism and opposition
both at home and abroad in defending the country’s interests. At the same time,
the Indian National Congress has always believed that it is India’s historic
destiny to be engaged and connected with the rest of the world and, in
particular, with the countries of Asia.
The foreign policy followed in the past five
years has yielded handsome results: the foremost example is the agreements on
civil nuclear cooperation signed with the USA, Russia, France and
Kazakhstan.
India’s well-thought out foreign policy and its
patient but forceful diplomacy has obliged Pakistan to admit that its citizens
were responsible for carrying out the dastardly attacks in Mumbai in November
2008. The Indian National Congress has striven for an enduring peace and for
close economic relations with Pakistan. The Indian National Congress has also
encouraged extensive people-to-people contacts between the two countries,
particularly amongst the younger generation. But the Mumbai attacks have cast a
long shadow on the on-going dialogue and engagement process. It is now entirely
upto Pakistan to break the impasse by taking credible action against those
responsible for the carnage in Mumbai. If it does so and dismantles the
terrorist networks that operate from its soil, a Congress-led government will
not be found wanting in its response.
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