Presented by
Enakshi Ganguly Thukral,
Co-Director, HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
HAQ: Centre for Child Rights works through:
Children and Governance
Budget Tracking of Government Expenditure &
Executive Decisions (Budget for Children)
Performance Monitoring Status of Indias Children
Reports
Monitoring & Analyzing Parliament Questions (Says a
ChildChild)
Protection
Legal Support to Children
Counselling Support to Children
Monitoring Judicial Process
Training and Capacity Building for
police, judicial officers & NGOs
Monitoring State Accountability
What is Budget for Children
(BfC)?
Budget for children is not a
separate budget.
It is an attempt to disaggregate
from all government allocations,
those made specifically for
children.
WHO IS A CHILD?
ALL PERSONS UPTO THE AGE
OF EIGHTEEN YEARS
BfC At Two Levels:
Union and State
Analysis at both levels is necessary to
comprehensively gauge the Governments
commitment to Child Rights
Policy making, planning and allocation of
funds at both levels
Flow of Funds From Union to State
Tracking the budget flowwhere does it go
and how?
Questions Before Us
What were the resources being invested by the
government for children?
What proportion of the allocation was actually
spent?
How did it match the outcomes in terms of
indicators for children? More importantly, are the
resources being allocated and spent adequate?
What is the Performance of programmes at the
implementation level vis-a-vis allocation?
For HAQ, budget analysis fitted perfectly into the
work of watching over and monitoring state
performance in all matters pertaining to the
realisation of Child Rights.
Challenges before us at that
time
Developing a methodology
Gaining acceptance for the concept
Using the findings
Budget for Children
A Study by HAQ: Centre For Child
Rights
First phase: HAQs work
on the Budget for
Children (BfC)
established the need for
such analysis and set
the initial direction for
developing a
methodology to do this
more effectively
Since 2002
Began BfC in the
States- 6 states
now
Union Budget
through out.
For Our Analysis, We Refer To.
Governments budget documents
(Finance Bill as well as Detailed
Demands for Grants)
Other government documents
Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor
General
Appropriation Accounts (Report of the
Accountant General) AND Performance
Budget of Departments and Ministries
Annual Reports
Economic Survey
Parliamentary Standing Committee Reports
Reports and studies that reflect on the
implementation of programmes and
the situation of children
Share of Children in the
Budget: A Quick Peek
Fig.1 Share for Children in the Union Budget
(Average Allocation for 2004-05 to 2008-09)
4.45
Fig.2 Sectoral Allocation (BE) as Percentage
within Budget for Children Average for 2004-05 to
2008-09
1.08
17.14
16.54
95.55
49.05
BfC in the Union Budget
Union Budget other than BfC
Development
Education
Health
Protection
Of every Rs 100 allocated to the Union Budget, an average
of Rs 4.45 has been allocated to children during 2004-05 to
2008-09. Of every Rs 100 within the budget for children, Rs
49.05 has been provided for education, Rs 17.14 for health,
Rs 16.54 for development and 1.08 paise for protection.
The difference in the
budget estimates
(BE) and revised
estimates RE) shows
how the budget
changes throughout
the financial year
The actual
expenditure (AE) is
the sum that is finally
spenta reflection of
the implementation
of the programmes
On an average, 2.74
per cent of
allocations remained
unutilised
Governments almost
always report only on
allocations
BE, RE & AE in BFC
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
Rs C rore
What is Allocated and What is
Finally Spent on Children?
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
BE
RE
AE
Share of Children in Different
Sectors in Union Budgets
Sector-wise allocation for Children as percentage of Union Budget
4.0
3.5
Per cent
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
2000-012001-022002-032003-042004-052005-062006-072007-082008-092009-10
Health
Development
Education
Protection
Of all sectors,
governments
seem to be
thinking only of
education.
Health and
Protection
always had the
lowest share of
budget and
maximum
under-spending
No stimulus for children in
2009-10
Despite a huge stimulus
Sector-wise BfC shares as
Percentage of Union Budget
200809
2009-10
Development
0.87
0.69
Health
0.24
0.46
Protection,
0.06
0.02
Education
3.84
3.03
Total share for
children
5.31
4.21
Source: Expenditure Budgets, Vol
II, 2008-09 & 2009-10
Despite a huge stimulus
budget in 2009-10,
children44 per cent
of the population--got
only 4.21 per cent, the
least in four years.
There was a decline in
all sector-wise shares,
barring health.
Worse, the fiscal deficit
doubled, leaving a
`generational burden
Some Success:
Government of India has adopted Child Budget as
its mandate
On October 26, 2005 in
a meeting of State
Secretaries organised
by the Ministry of
Women and Child
Development, the
government promised
that it would henceforth
undertake Child
Budgeting
Inclusion in various
other important policy
documents
Advocating for BfC - At the National
Level
Presentation and discussions
with the government since 2001.
(First recognition was MWCDs
chapter in its Annual Report in
2003 (since then almost every
year)
To file a Petition with the
National Commission for Women
to argue for inclusion of 0-6 in
Right to Education Amendment
Developing a Childrens
Manifesto
File legal petitions
Questions in Parliament and
Legislative Assemblies
Strengthening arguments of
various campaigns
Arguing for better allocations for
But final recognition only when
Finance Minister accepts BfC
We will score another 'first' this year. A statement
on child related schemes is included in the budget
documents
-P. Chidambaram, Budget 2008-2009
Recognizing that children under 18 constitute a
significant percentage of the Indian population, the
Government is committed to their welfare and
development. This statement reflects budget
provisions of schemes that are meant substantially
for the welfare of children. These provisions indicate
educational outlays, provisions for the girl child,
health, provisions for Child protection, etc.
Expenditure Budget, Vol II, Budget 2008-2009
-
State Level
Advocacy with local
self governments,
panchayats (linking
BfC with
communities)
Setting up alliances
Starting a campaign
Linking up with
national campaigns
on child labour
Tracking the flow
Advocacy at International Level
For alternate report to the
UNCRC Committee and
recommendations in the
concluding observations
Submission at the
General Day of
Discussion on Right
to Adequate
Resources
HAQ Works On
Financial accountability, which is about allocation,
disbursement and utilisation of funds (through
Budget for Children (BfC) analysis)
Performance accountability, which is about
demonstrating and accounting for performance
through implementation of initiatives in the light of
agreed indicators (through Status of Children
reports and other research)
Political or democratic accountability involves
policy making, political process and elections
(through its Parliament Watch and other policy
advocacy work)
Judicial Accountability involves responsiveness
and performance of the judicial process (Through
direct legal intervention as well as action
research, particularly Juvenile Justice)
It is each of them
separately and also
together
(complimenting each
other) forms the
basis of advocacy
BfC is only one
dish in the menu
and not the whole
meal
Case Example:
Enhanced Budget for Protection
and New Comprehensive
Programme
HAQs BfC analysis, since its very first time, has been pointing out
that child protection was inadequately resourced and received the
least allocation. Every BfC document that HAQ put out pointed to
this
The 2nd status report highlighted the need for a protective
environment and programming and investing on it
The Juvenile Justice work pointed to the urgent need for intervention
in protecting children
Concluding observations have made comments on both need for
more resources and greater protection
HAQs status report and BfC work was picked up by the ministry to
argue for a new and comprehensive programme, The Integrated
Child Protection Scheme approved by the Planning Commission in
2009
Provision of Child Protection will be a key
intervention in the Eleventh Plan. Child
Protection refers to protection from
violence, exploitation, abuse, and
neglect...Thus the Eleventh Plan
intervention for Child Protection takes both
a preventive and a protective approach.
During the Eleventh Plan, the Ministry of
WCD will launch an Integrated Child
Protection Scheme.
Challenges That Remain
Accessing and Unpacking the Data
Selection of programmes and schemes for
children remains a huge challenge, especially
when there are several of them that address
both women and children
Direct transfer of funds from centre to
autonomous bodiesno reflection in state
budget documents
Abdication of state responsibility
Privatisation of services
Good things happen when there are good
people...and then they sometimes stop..
States have adopted the rhetoric...this
makes our task more difficult
The methodology is still evolving.
Hence, even if they draw upon each
other, researchers tend to customise
the methodology to their needs
leading to different results
The most difficult challenge remains
the acknowledgment and acceptance
of citizenship of children and the
relevance of focussing on children in
the larger governance and human
rights discourse
Indias Response to
Crisis
India has 28 states and 604 districts
There is always an emergency or one in the making somewhere in the country.
21 out of 28 states of India face internal armed conflicts in the form of ethnic
conflict, Naxalism, separatist movements etc.
Practically the entire north-eastern region, comprising eight states and part of
one state, have suffered from poor development and ethnic as well as border
conflicts since before independence and fall into a special category.
Twelve of the 17 states studied for the India State Hunger Report fall in the
alarming hunger category, and one--Madhya Pradesh in the extremely
alarming category.
The drought in 2009 was the worst since the 1918 drought and the postindependence one of 1972. Some 259 districts were severely affected.
Extreme cold too killed several in the winter of 2009.
The same year, floods killed 250 people and destroyed over 200,000 homes,
leaving 1.5 million homeless.
Then there are those that make international news
Tsunami in 2004; Gujarat Earthquake in 2001; Supercylone in Orissa; Kargil
war in 1999; Kashmir earthquake in 2004. The 2001 Gujarat earthquake killed
more than 400 children in India, while the Kashmir one killed over 17,000
children in India and Pakistan.
Initiatives by the
government
The expenditure
on restoration of infrastructure and
other capital assets (except immediate relief operations
and restoring connectivity with the affected areas and
people) are required to be met from the Plan funds of the
States.
To ensure ready availability of funds, a Calamity Relief
Fund (CRF) of a pre-determined amount exists in each
State.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 provided for a
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and National
Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) by the Central
Government and for setting up the National Disaster
Institute for Management (NIDM)
To respond to states affected by left-wing extremism,
there is a Special Scheme for Special Infrastructure now
applicable to 8 States And 13 Districts
NONE OF THESE ARE SPECIFIC TO CHILDREN
Then there are Smaller State-level
Disasters
The aerial spraying of Endosulfan
started in 1978 over the cashew
plantations in Kasaragod district
Kerala led to health problems. The
State Government set up the
Victims Relief and Remediation Cell
in 2007 as the outcome of a
consultative workshop in 2005, with
an initial allocation of Rs 50 Lakh
for the R&R measures
Response to global crisis
The highlights of the fiscal
stimulus package
Huge Expenditure highest post-independence budget of
over Rs 10208 billion
4 per cent across-the-board VAT rate cut
Several incentives to increase exports, stimulate property
and construction, protect and help small business and
build infrastructure
Huge jump in budget for rural infrastructure and social
security schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana (Prime Ministers Village Road Construction
Scheme), Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal
Mission, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme,
Indira Awas Yojana (Indira Gandhi Housing Scheme),
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, and National
Social Assistance Programme.
What it meant for
children
None of the stimulus packages made any financial provision
to develop areas that would impact children, through
programmes such as Education for All (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan),
Integrated Child Development Services catering to children of 0-6
years, the National Child Labour Project and the Integrated Child
Protection Scheme, among others.
SO.
These schemes still have huge deficit in terms of
infrastructural facilities such as class rooms, child care
centres, Health sub-centres, teachers and general staff,
homes and courts for children, addressing which could
have helped children affected by contracting family
income.
Thus, the government chose not to use this window of
opportunity of providing additional funds in the interim
budget to create public infrastructure benefiting children.
Clearly.
No separate and targeted
response for children during
crisis by government
This is a lost opportunity
THANK
YOU
