KOCHI: The recent 2019 election mandate is like none other. An overwhelming outcome, a second consecutive decisive verdict not witnessed in the last 48 years! But what does this mean? We can interpret it from two perspectives which have largely dominated the mainstream discourse. First, that this is a vote for majoritarianism and second this is a vote for strong leadership. While both of these may have contributed towards this mandate, I feel, each factor may be grossly overstated.
This decisive mandate reflects the aspiration of more than half of the country’s population which wants to move up from the ‘low’ and ‘low-mid' income group and lead a better quality of life. A mandate given by a young India with a median age of under 30 impatient for progress. So what will it take to meet these aspirations of achieving higher inclusive growth and better human development? We will need to usher in a set of bold reforms that build on the progress made so far and also chart out new paths in many areas.
There is a broad consensus among experts about the reforms and new policies needed in the economic and social sectors. These include but are not limited to: better safety nets primarily focused in very poor rural pockets and urban ultra-poor, targeted programs like universal basic income (UBI) or investment support aimed at poor and low-income groups, universal health care coverage; improving education outcomes, systematic measures to reducing fiscal deficit, creating a better business environment, agriculture reforms, banking and NBFC reforms, power sector reforms, labour law reforms and holistic development of cities.
But will reforms and policy changes alone be sufficient? Certainly not, it will need to be followed up with sharp strategy, good planning, and effective execution.
Hence what may be needed is to also to explore innovative delivery mechanisms in addition to strengthening state capacity to deliver faster, better.
Finally, do decisive mandates works better than a fractured mandate in helping countries achieve higher inclusive growth and better human development? Countries that have traversed this path cite several other factors that have a bearing, but the odds are much better if you have a decisive mandate. The people of our country have paved the way to go forward, let us now focus on the work at hand!
Shamik Trehan is the CEO of Dr Reddy’s Foundation. He has worked in varied social sectors and on human development issues. (The views expressed by the author are his own)