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The Gated Republic: India's Public Policy Failures and Private Solution
Seventy years since it became a republic, India has come a long way. But it is still failing on some key fronts: the provision of water, health, education, power, and law and order. Piped drinking water for all continues to be a pipe dream; homes and businesses are haunted by power outages; the lack of proper primary health care renders the poorest more vulnerable; millions of children coming out of schools lack rudimentary skills; and the security of lives and enterprises, a source of great anxiety, depends on private contractors. Indians are seceding from dependence on the government for these most basic of services and are investing in the pay-and-plug economy. They have internalized the incapacity of the state to deliver these and are opting for private providers despite the costs. That this is happening even as the state spends more and more tax-payer money every year is the reflection of a harsh reality: there is too much government and too little governance. But can India sustain private republics amidst public failures in a landscape scarred by social and economic fault lines? What are the possible solutions? Can government reinvent itself? The Gated Republic presents an interrogative view of the history and future of private India.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published April 13, 2020
23 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Shankkar Aiyar
10 books8 followersSHANKKAR AIYAR is a prominent India-based political economy analyst, columnist and author.
His path-breaking book Accidental India fetched him acclaim as a public intellectual. A journalist for over three decades, Aiyar has covered every parliamentary election since 1984. His 1991 scoop on India pledging its gold reserves drew international attention to the crisis in the economy which consequently compelled liberalization. Aiyar has analyzed every Budget since 1991.
As a columnist Aiyar specialises in the interface between politics and economics. He has authored a study on India’s socio-economic fault lines and its hundred worst districts. His investigation on twenty-five years of political corruption is part of an anthology. He has been a Wolfson Chevening Fellow at Cambridge University where he studied the life cycles of emerging economies.
Columns:
New Indian Express, Bloomberg Quint
His path-breaking book Accidental India fetched him acclaim as a public intellectual. A journalist for over three decades, Aiyar has covered every parliamentary election since 1984. His 1991 scoop on India pledging its gold reserves drew international attention to the crisis in the economy which consequently compelled liberalization. Aiyar has analyzed every Budget since 1991.
As a columnist Aiyar specialises in the interface between politics and economics. He has authored a study on India’s socio-economic fault lines and its hundred worst districts. His investigation on twenty-five years of political corruption is part of an anthology. He has been a Wolfson Chevening Fellow at Cambridge University where he studied the life cycles of emerging economies.
Columns:
New Indian Express, Bloomberg Quint
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 14, 2020
A must read for those interested in India's glaring public policy failures in power, water, security & law, education & health.
In each & every sector, the author takes us throught the history of how public policy has evolved in each of these sectors, from The British-era to modern day policies.
Insightful read, makes you question where the bulk of Indian taxpayer money goes and is there any benefit to the people for whom these policies are framed.
In each & every sector, the author takes us throught the history of how public policy has evolved in each of these sectors, from The British-era to modern day policies.
Insightful read, makes you question where the bulk of Indian taxpayer money goes and is there any benefit to the people for whom these policies are framed.
July 3, 2024
An informative and gripping read on how the governance apparatus has failed its citizens in core areas ranging from water to power.
A particularly revealing aspect of the dysfunctional state is how 'The political class consistently sells allocations as outcomes'. For instance, under Jal Jivan Mission and Saubhagya, installing a household water tap and connecting to the grid respectively doesn’t equate to having water and receiving electricity. Therefore, any grand claims by the government should be taken with a lots of salt and greater scrutinization of how these outcomes are defined.
Equally compelling is the author's take on how any incumbent government's calculations based on political input and electoral output has debilitated the viability of the power sector. Besides, the first-principles approach of elucidating how the yet-to-be dismantled colonial import of Police Act, 1861 and yet-to-be implemented National Police Commission Reports on 1977 gives a comprehensive framework to understand the functioning (or the lack) of the security sector.
Overall, a fabulous read recommended for anyone disinterested in the academic fluff & jargon and who instead seeks an engaging and often enlightening coverage of the public sector failings and the private sector entry in five key service delivery areas, all conveyed in an acerbic, witty tone.
A particularly revealing aspect of the dysfunctional state is how 'The political class consistently sells allocations as outcomes'. For instance, under Jal Jivan Mission and Saubhagya, installing a household water tap and connecting to the grid respectively doesn’t equate to having water and receiving electricity. Therefore, any grand claims by the government should be taken with a lots of salt and greater scrutinization of how these outcomes are defined.
Equally compelling is the author's take on how any incumbent government's calculations based on political input and electoral output has debilitated the viability of the power sector. Besides, the first-principles approach of elucidating how the yet-to-be dismantled colonial import of Police Act, 1861 and yet-to-be implemented National Police Commission Reports on 1977 gives a comprehensive framework to understand the functioning (or the lack) of the security sector.
Overall, a fabulous read recommended for anyone disinterested in the academic fluff & jargon and who instead seeks an engaging and often enlightening coverage of the public sector failings and the private sector entry in five key service delivery areas, all conveyed in an acerbic, witty tone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2020
The latest book by Shankar Aiyyar is a searing indictment on the failures of the Indian state in providing the following essential services to its citizens:-
Piped drinking water
Power supply
Health care
Education
Internal Security
Heavy on data , Aiyyar paints a stark picture on the failures by the Central governments in succession. He dwells on the repeated tall and grand promises made, terming it 'announcement approach', the failures in implementation, and the States dismal record in ensuring last mile connectivity.
Aiyyar does not touch upon the even more appalling failures of the government in eradicating grinding poverty from the nation, with 250 million of its citizenry still mired in abject poverty, or providing meaningful employment opportunities to its teeming unemployed millions, crumbling infrastructure state of cities etc. That is another depressing story.
The book is a statement of facts and at times brings about comparisons with other countries to underline how innovative solutions have been found in places where the baseline was similar to India a few years/decades ago.
Piped water
As of 2019, only one in five Indian households have piped water in their homes. Over 78.6 per cent do not have access to piped water in their homes. Every second home depends on water from wells, tube wells, unprotected water bodies, hand pumps or tanker water. Over 42 per cent must trek between 0.5 and 1.5 km to fetch water.
No major Indian city has a 24-hour supply of water, with four to five hours of supply per day being the norm, as against the nineteen hours per day supply across the Asian-Pacific region.
Healthcare
In 2018, the Global Burden of Disease and Healthcare Access Quality Index report published by Lancet ranked India 145th out of 195 countries.
A few instances cited by the author, captures the malaise that afflicts the Indian Health care system. In August 2017, in just twenty-four hours, twenty-three infants died in Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital. In a five-day period, over seventy infants admitted to the hospital's neo-natal ward for treatment of Japanese encephalitis died due to lack of oxygen supply. The hospital did not have the required number of oxygen cylinders because the oxygen supplier had not been paid his dues.
Unsurprisingly, across India, in rural and urban areas, over 42 per cent of Indians are opting for private doctors for outpatient treatment and 55 per cent are going to private hospitals for hospitalization even though the costs are as much of a killer as the disease for both poor and middle-class people.
Meanwhile, government expenditure on health is barely 1.8 per cent of GDP, which is worse even in comparison to India's neighbours and even low-income countries.
Education
n 2018, of the 750 million persons in the world who are not literate, 37 per cent or over 287 million resided in India.
On the quality of education provided, the following instance cited by the author gives an indication of the state of affairs. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development evaluates global education systems through the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. In 2012,. over half a million students participated for reading and understanding of science and mathematical abilities. Chinese students from Shanghai topped the tests in reading, science and mathematics. India came second from the bottom, just above Kyrgyzstan. India pulled out of PISA tests the following year.
Electricity
In 2019, nearly 40 per cent of the schools in the country in India do not have electricity. Similar story for the heath care centres also with one in four sub-centres, functioning without electricity.
As of 15 September 2018, only 1,425 villages across the country could boast of 100 per cent electrified households. And we have 5.7 Lakh villages.
Only six states and one union territory - Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Goa and Puducherry - could claim 100 per cent household electrification.
Security
In early 2019, Delhi Police released some statistics - every day, five women are raped and eight are molested in Delhi. In 2016, nationwide cases of theft, dacoity and burglary recorded were 4.94 lakh. The maximum cases were from Delhi, followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
On average, around ninety banks are looted every month across the country. Shockingly, rape of foreign women is high enough to be a data classification category for the NCRB. NCRB records show that on average, nearly 100 women are raped every day, with four rapes every hour.
The title chosen by the author ‘The Gated Republic’, reflects the phenomenon of mass exit, of millions of Indians disinvesting from faith in government delivery of services. There is a mass exit towards and into gated solutions, each a republic of its own. Millions of Indians are disinvesting from hope in the government's promises and adopting alternatives in the wake of such glaring public policy failures.
The earlier book by Aiyyar, Accidental India, had somewhat stuck an optimistic and upbeat note about India. For all its sluggishness and policy ambiguities, the Indian state seemed to find a way to stumble onto the correct path somehow, and the road to prosperity and progress seemed to be a possibility in the not too far future.
Not this book however. The book presents a bleak and dark outlook. There seems to be no solutions to the mess India seems to be in for the foreseeable future.
Well. At least we are on target in making temples and statues.
Piped drinking water
Power supply
Health care
Education
Internal Security
Heavy on data , Aiyyar paints a stark picture on the failures by the Central governments in succession. He dwells on the repeated tall and grand promises made, terming it 'announcement approach', the failures in implementation, and the States dismal record in ensuring last mile connectivity.
Aiyyar does not touch upon the even more appalling failures of the government in eradicating grinding poverty from the nation, with 250 million of its citizenry still mired in abject poverty, or providing meaningful employment opportunities to its teeming unemployed millions, crumbling infrastructure state of cities etc. That is another depressing story.
The book is a statement of facts and at times brings about comparisons with other countries to underline how innovative solutions have been found in places where the baseline was similar to India a few years/decades ago.
Piped water
As of 2019, only one in five Indian households have piped water in their homes. Over 78.6 per cent do not have access to piped water in their homes. Every second home depends on water from wells, tube wells, unprotected water bodies, hand pumps or tanker water. Over 42 per cent must trek between 0.5 and 1.5 km to fetch water.
No major Indian city has a 24-hour supply of water, with four to five hours of supply per day being the norm, as against the nineteen hours per day supply across the Asian-Pacific region.
Healthcare
In 2018, the Global Burden of Disease and Healthcare Access Quality Index report published by Lancet ranked India 145th out of 195 countries.
A few instances cited by the author, captures the malaise that afflicts the Indian Health care system. In August 2017, in just twenty-four hours, twenty-three infants died in Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital. In a five-day period, over seventy infants admitted to the hospital's neo-natal ward for treatment of Japanese encephalitis died due to lack of oxygen supply. The hospital did not have the required number of oxygen cylinders because the oxygen supplier had not been paid his dues.
Unsurprisingly, across India, in rural and urban areas, over 42 per cent of Indians are opting for private doctors for outpatient treatment and 55 per cent are going to private hospitals for hospitalization even though the costs are as much of a killer as the disease for both poor and middle-class people.
Meanwhile, government expenditure on health is barely 1.8 per cent of GDP, which is worse even in comparison to India's neighbours and even low-income countries.
Education
n 2018, of the 750 million persons in the world who are not literate, 37 per cent or over 287 million resided in India.
On the quality of education provided, the following instance cited by the author gives an indication of the state of affairs. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development evaluates global education systems through the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. In 2012,. over half a million students participated for reading and understanding of science and mathematical abilities. Chinese students from Shanghai topped the tests in reading, science and mathematics. India came second from the bottom, just above Kyrgyzstan. India pulled out of PISA tests the following year.
Electricity
In 2019, nearly 40 per cent of the schools in the country in India do not have electricity. Similar story for the heath care centres also with one in four sub-centres, functioning without electricity.
As of 15 September 2018, only 1,425 villages across the country could boast of 100 per cent electrified households. And we have 5.7 Lakh villages.
Only six states and one union territory - Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Goa and Puducherry - could claim 100 per cent household electrification.
Security
In early 2019, Delhi Police released some statistics - every day, five women are raped and eight are molested in Delhi. In 2016, nationwide cases of theft, dacoity and burglary recorded were 4.94 lakh. The maximum cases were from Delhi, followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
On average, around ninety banks are looted every month across the country. Shockingly, rape of foreign women is high enough to be a data classification category for the NCRB. NCRB records show that on average, nearly 100 women are raped every day, with four rapes every hour.
The title chosen by the author ‘The Gated Republic’, reflects the phenomenon of mass exit, of millions of Indians disinvesting from faith in government delivery of services. There is a mass exit towards and into gated solutions, each a republic of its own. Millions of Indians are disinvesting from hope in the government's promises and adopting alternatives in the wake of such glaring public policy failures.
The earlier book by Aiyyar, Accidental India, had somewhat stuck an optimistic and upbeat note about India. For all its sluggishness and policy ambiguities, the Indian state seemed to find a way to stumble onto the correct path somehow, and the road to prosperity and progress seemed to be a possibility in the not too far future.
Not this book however. The book presents a bleak and dark outlook. There seems to be no solutions to the mess India seems to be in for the foreseeable future.
Well. At least we are on target in making temples and statues.
July 13, 2020
Despite 70+ years since India became independent and progress on many fronts, the country continues to fail on water, health, education, power and law & order. The author details how such statism like conjuring one Govt scheme after another has repeatedly failed without first addressing the basic issues of accountability and proper linkages between authority and accountability. He explains how the Govt does not have the capacity to deliver and why the private sector has been able to offer more effective, but not always adequate, solutions. With the author’s knowledge of the political economy, he highlights how we are paying much more than should be the case for delivery of basic services through taxes and fees. Also insightful was the historical background behind the provisioning of Govt services in this sector from historical (especially colonial times). I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in understanding the basic issues in Indian administration and challenges facing our economy.
May 25, 2021
Have finished reading this book by Shankkar Aiyar, an analyst whose take on political economy is always revealing. His book continues that trend, by providing a disturbing account of public policy failures in the country in areas from health to education to police reforms. Says, in the absence of public solutions (which the Constitution mandates the governments at all levels to provide), citizens are increasingly turning towards private solutions. E.g - prevalence of RO purifier/underground boring well/ packaged drinking water systems. Such markets exist because governance mechanism has failed to provide clean drinking water to the people. No wonder there's a strong and thriving tanker mafia in various cities. Many more examples abound in other policy areas.
On the whole, a book that must be read by all who're interested in understanding the vast challenges we face and those who're motivated to find solutions to them. I'd also say that every relevant government functionary should be reading this book in order to get a much needed reality check.
On the whole, a book that must be read by all who're interested in understanding the vast challenges we face and those who're motivated to find solutions to them. I'd also say that every relevant government functionary should be reading this book in order to get a much needed reality check.
September 16, 2020
To be fair to Shankkar, he does preface his stories with the two or three examples of perfect execution by the Government or government agencies in India – whether it is the Mars Orbiter or the conduct of elections or building the world’s highest bridge. But, they are soon eclipsed by the powerful stories of failures.
The book features many things that one has to come to associate with Shankkar Aiyar. There is the amazing depth and breadth of amazing research. Shankkar-isms are plenty to find. There is wry humour. The attention to detail. There are the delightful turns of phrases. Then, there are delightful stories.
Over all a its good to be read with “accidental India” though.
The book features many things that one has to come to associate with Shankkar Aiyar. There is the amazing depth and breadth of amazing research. Shankkar-isms are plenty to find. There is wry humour. The attention to detail. There are the delightful turns of phrases. Then, there are delightful stories.
Over all a its good to be read with “accidental India” though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2023
The Gated Republic offers a thought-provoking examination of the consequences of public policy failures on social and economic inequality in India. It serves as a call to action for prioritizing effective governance and equitable access to basic needs for all citizens.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews