BY THE ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVE
BUDGET FISCAL DEVOLUTION SOCIAL SECTOR SCHEMES

BUREAUCRACY
The Accountability Initiative (AI) at the Centre for Policy Research has come out with its budget brief series for 2015-2016, analysing government allocation and expenditure in key social sector schemes, launched on its brand new website.

This year, AI realigned its budget work to study state rather than union budgets in response to the Fourteenth Finance Commissions (FFC) recommendations to increase the fiscal autonomy of states. Through a study of 19 state budgets, AI analysed how this move toward fiscal devolution impacted the future of social sector investments. The full report, State of Social Sector Expenditure in 2015-2016 can be accessed here.

The research this year analysed union budgets in four schemes combining these with field surveys, and the individual budget briefs can be accessed here: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Integrated Child Development Services, Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and National Health Mission.

Six out of the 19 states studied in the State of Social Sector Expenditure in 2015-2016 report can be accessed through individual state briefs here: Bihar, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

In the video (above) Yamini Aiyar, who leads the work at AI, explains what these briefs are and how they will be used to deepen the public debate, going forward.