SLOW MOVERS

While several target and technology-driven new schemes have been launched, poor budgetary allocation and absence of major reforms bring no tangible change in these five ministries

It’s quite challenging to evaluate five ministries, which together account for just 0.6 per cent of the budget allocation this fiscal. The funds crunch limits the scope of activities of these ministries, though culture minister Mahesh Sharma believes his budget is good enough to produce results. The ministries’ performance also depends on the states’ priority towards that sector. For instance, sports is a state subject, but despite several well-intended schemes, actual work on the ground is still not tangible because sports is still one of the last priorities in state budgets. However, this does not exonerate the Modi government, as with 18 states under BJP rule, it’s now much easier to push central schemes. Technology has helped the culture and tourism ministries massively improve service delivery—e-ticketing, digitisation of archives—but they have fared poorly when it comes to push for infrastructure. The inflow of tourists is steadily growing, yet most of our monuments still lack basic

amenities. Similarly, the sports ministry has failed to push for any serious, effective reform in the country’s malfunctioning sports bodies, despite a sportsperson at its helm. However, the worst performing of the five ministries has been I&B. The ministry has seen five ministers heading it in four years. Yet controversy has been the ministry’s only contribution; it has failed even in basic reform such as implementing the Mudgal Committee report. What can fetch Modi some brownie points is the fact that the highest allocation among the five has gone to ministry of minority affairs—nearly double that to the culture ministry, which is criticised for unofficially having being given the job of promoting the Hindutva agenda.