Congress poll manifesto has re-heated populist promises

The manifesto of Indian National Congress (INC) is a bag full of goodies making numerous promises for growth and inclusiveness. However, most of them are a repetition across the years and parties.

What is most starkly glaring is the failure to envision a single concrete policy towards improving agriculture production. In fact, in terms of simple word count, the manifesto has mention of the rival party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), four times more than agriculture. In this way, the Congress manifesto ignores the need to build incomes for almost 60% population of the country. This minimal focus on augmenting agricultural production also questions the feasibility of the promise of Food Security Act.

In contrast, non-agriculture rural employment has received considerable focus. As expected the Congress highlighted the achievement of its pioneer scheme, NREGA.

While the mission was appreciable, the implementation guided it into a wall of failure with the utmost precision. The claims of the government apart, the ground reality has exposed NREGA to be filled with gaping flaws, often used as a vehicle to siphon public money at all levels. The manifesto should have tackled this issue.  Moreover, the promise of above market rate wage of Rs100 per day would only distort the labour market thereby crippling the rural development through private initiatives. Moreover, NREGA has to take the poor to the next level — generating semi-skilled and intellectual labour.      

Once again a political party rides the roller coaster of subsidy without safety belts. The existing PDS schemes, as per government’s own admission, is bleeding two of every three rupee allotted. In this context, the focus should be to ensure the last mile delivery of food to the common man using reforms in the existing schemes rather than pulling new rabbits out of the hat.

The Congress has made huge promises regarding implementation of the recommendations of the two coveted bodies — the Administrative Reforms Committee (ARC) and the National Knowledge Commission (NKC). However, the party has very conveniently pushed under the carpet it’s non-implementation of most of the ARC recommendations and exact opposite actions against the recommendations of the NKC.
After all, the dissatisfaction of the chairman of NKC, the respectable Sam Pitroda, and his spats with the union HRD minister, Arjun Singh, is still afresh in our collective memory.

The Congress promises to fund the National Skills Development Mission with Rs30,000 crore, which is a welcome plan. However, there is no mention of possible ways to develop skills. This is even more worrisome given too many loose ends and the previous records of efficiency in implementing such behemoth projects. The decision to create so many IITs, IIMs, AIIMSs, and central universities is very lucrative for populist rhetoric; however, there is little recognition of the amount of resource promise made through these plans. Also, there is no consideration of the dilapidated condition of most of the existing universities and colleges across the country.

Perhaps, a promise to upgrade, update, and reform these institutions would have been more promising. 

The Congress manifesto also promises reservation in different institutions for backward classes, women and minorities. However, this is more akin to using quota as a populist short-cut instead of pointed capability development, as there is no mention of promoting modern education and mainstreaming of marginalised segments of population.

Some new ideas have also come across. The party has shown an understanding of the need to tackle climatic changes, promote SMEs and take the information technology to remote areas. This is a good step towards taking the nation to the future and IT can be a great vehicle to deliver healthcare and education to the last man.

The goods and service tax (GST) is an appreciable initiative. A single flat tax across spectrum of goods and services would be the most efficient tax system, according to economics text books. However, it would be a good move to eliminate disparities of types and rates of taxes and implementing a unified tax regime, with least exceptions possible. 

The initiative of youth corps and reservation for youth into politics is the most refreshing idea and in-line with Congress’ transformed vision.

However, two things need to be ensured regarding its implementation. Firstly, it should not end up being a platform for the older politicians to catapult their children into governance. And secondly, the plan has to be attractive enough, to ‘poach’ the best brains of IITs and IIMs from the corporate into nation building. The manifesto is silent on both.