As a Member of the Empowered Committee on "Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Implementing priority program" I recently had an opportunity to review some excellent work done by district administrations on four main areas of incremental development, namely - Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, Swachh Vidyalaya and Swachh Bharat Gramin. I was very pleased to note that enormous progress has been achieved under these program in the country.
Under Soil Health Card scheme has provided an opportunity for the rural communities to get expert assistance on assessing soil productivity and effectively enhance its quality. This would gradually support the budget announcement that within the next five years, the income of farmers would be doubled. Like the 'white revolution' that occurred decades ago through enhanced milk production, the soil health card scheme has ushered a 'brown revolution' that would enhance India's soil productivity and food security in the coming years.
Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, financial literacy, women's emancipation, insurance coverage and a broad general monetary accountability have been established. This has not only empowered the rural communities, but also has made it possible for the Governmental schemes to reach out the last mile in terms of distributing the monetary benefits. This has initiated a strong 'monetary revolution' in the country.
The Swachh Vidyalaya scheme has established clean toilets in the school and ushered a 'sanitary revolution' by way of inculcating the spirit of cleanliness among the children. Particularly for the girl students, this has been an endeavour of guarding their honour. This has been a silent revolution, firmly having foothold in the most important sector of our young generation.
Under Swachh Bharat Gramin, cost effective toilets have been constructed in rural areas with adequate water supply and complete waste management, thereby subduing the open defecation habits. This is a scheme of fundamental importance to our national life and is a part of the steadily strengthening 'sanitary revolution'.
I have seen substantive supporting data on all these schemes and am convinced that India is changing from the foundation level of our social cultural life. These schemes and their enthusiastic implementation have begun to change India from within. I am particularly encouraged by the fact that women administrators have excelled in implementation and deserve recognition and professional rewards. What is far more important is that the achievements of these processes are to be adequately publicized. People's representatives, social change agents, media, publicity machinery, political workers and relevant governmental entities are to be effectively engaged in spreading the message of this success in order to motivate all stakeholders in the country.
The media and the people are normally engaged in simply sensational news, rather than with the information of positive development. This situation needs to change. A campaign needs to be sustained for this purpose, regardless of political considerations. Bringing national and international visibility to this foundational change in the country will come a long way in transforming India into a clean, productive and socio-economically vibrant country. And a proper broadcast of this kind of positive information will also enthuse those who are lagging behind on these schemes.
The Government of India should initiate a well structured campaign to publicize this 'silent revolution of soil, sanitation and social security' among the masses as these programmes have taken India strongly on the path of Millennium Development Goals and the post 2015 MDG agenda, thereby heralding a new era of Indian rural resurgence. The national and international campaigns should highlight these aspects, as well as the role the women administrators have played in this direction.
V.K.Saxena
Chairman
Khadi & Village Industries Commission
New Delhi
Phone no- 011-23724690
Fax No-011-23724693
Email ID- chairmankvic2015@gmail.com
