Urban residents take advantage of government programmes, but shy away from praising it
Urban residents in India take advantage of several government programmes, but may not always credit the government for these programmes, according to the findings of a nationwide study conducted by Lok Foundation-Oxford University. The report published in Mint newspaper stated that it covered more than 100,000 urban households in the summer of 2016, and asked them about their experiences in accessing government services. The key findings are:
According to survey, nearly as many urban children go to private schools as those who attend government schools, but half of the households stated that they send their children to a government school because it was more affordable, a third did so because it was having better quality. Image source: PTI
More people chose government schools in better administered states including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Delhi because of their quality rather than affordability, while in the states like Bihar and Jharkhand, they chose government schools because of economic reasons. Image source: PTI
In case of health, the story was almost similar. Majority of urban respondents reportedly stated that they would go to a government hospital for both a minor and a major illness. The majority, however, again said that they would prefer a government hospital because of affordable healthcare. Image source: PTI
In the case of higher middle income and rich respondents, a majority went to private hospitals or doctors. When asked whether the government should improve state health facilities or give citizens a fixed amount of money to go to the hospital of their choosing, majority wanted better government hospitals. Image source: PTI
In the survey, three out of every four urban respondents stated that they had a ration card. Nearly 70% reportedly said that they used it to purchase subsidized rice. Despite criticising the PDS as creaky and failing, over two in three said they were satisfied with its functioning. Image source: Reuters
In urban areas, over 60% respondents felt that the responsibility to create more employment was with the government, and not private companies. Image source: PTI
Despite a majority across states stated that they use government schools and hospitals and services like PDS, 45% said that no government programme had benefitted their family. Image source: PTI
In rural areas, 20% of respondents stated that they had benefitted from the United Progressive Alliance’s Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Image source: PTI