PMs Opening Remarks at the Full Planning Commission Meeting on 21 st April, 2011 ***** The Prime Minister, Dr.

Manmohan Singh, addressed the Full Planning Commission meeting in New Delhi today. Following is the text of the Prime Ministers opening remarks at the meeting: This meeting of the Planning Commission has been called to discuss the key challenges our economy will have to face in the Twelfth Plan. We have just entered the last year of the Eleventh Plan, and this is an appropriate time to develop an Approach to the Twelfth Plan. To kick off our discussion, I had asked the Planning Commission to prepare a presentation on some of the key issues we need to address. The Planning Commission presentation which has been circulated for this meeting brings out the fact that we will end the Eleventh Plan with about 8.2 percent GDP growth. This is short of the 9% target, but it is a commendable achievement for a Plan period which saw a severe drought as well as a global economic slowdown. We have also made important progress towards our goal of greater inclusiveness. Enrollment rates have increased, drop out rates have fallen, gender gaps are being reduced. Infant mortality rates have fallen. It is true that progress in this area has been less than we had targeted and we must ensure that we do much better in future. One of the problems in judging progress in socio-economic development is that the relevant data become available only after a considerable lag. For example, most of the discussion on poverty reduction is based on data for 2004-05, which is well before the Eleventh Plan began. I am told that the latest data for 2009-10 have just become available and will provide the first authoritative measure of the extent of progress in poverty reduction during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period. I urge the Commission to prepare estimates of poverty based on the latest data and make them available for public discussion as soon as possible. The Twelfth Plan must build on what we have achieved and indeed do better in the next five years. The objective must be faster, more inclusive and also sustainable growth. For this we need to define new targets for the Twelfth Plan. We need to identify the critical areas where existing policies and programmes are not delivering results, and should, therefore, be strengthened or even restructured. We also need to consider what new challenges have emerged which call for altogether new initiatives. I have specially asked the Commission to examine challenges relating to energy, water and urbanisation which are likely to become more severe. A critical issue in any Plan is the availability of resources. The Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry should work to come to an agreed position on the resources that would be available for the 12th Plan, consistent with the objective of ensuring fiscal viability. However, we do

know that resources will be a constraint. This underlines the need to focus more on efficiency of resource use, and also supplement public resources with private investment, wherever feasible. I understand the presentation will take about 30 minutes. Thereafter, I will invite the Minister Members, to share their thoughts on the issues raised in the presentation. PMs Concluding Remarks at the Full Planning Commission Meeting at Yojana Bhavan on 21 st April, 2011 ***** Following are the excerpts of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singhs concluding remarks at the Full Planning Commission meeting in New Delhi today: We have had a very thorough and stimulating discussion of some of the critical issues that the economy will face in the Twelfth Plan period. I would like to thank the Ministers for their comments. I think we can all agree that the presentation on objectives and challenges made by the Planning Commission has been generally endorsed by the Ministers. There was general agreement that the Planning Commission should focus on policy and governance reforms, while working towards a growth target of between 9.0 to 9.5 percent for the Twelfth Five Year Plan. We should also set monitorable targets related to different dimensions of inclusiveness, and then work to achieve these targets by appropriate design of policy and funding of Plan schemes. We have had a preliminary discussion of resource availability during the Twelfth Plan period. The Planning Commission presentation has rightly emphasized the importance of working within the overall target of fiscal consolidation. This is an important constraint that we must recognize. The Planning Commission and Finance Ministry together must come up with a realistic assessment of Plan size for the Centre and the States. Many of the Ministers have made a number of important points, some of which elaborate the ideas in the presentation, while some also add new dimensions. I have particularly noted the suggestions of the Finance Minister to improve the functioning of the legal system and methods of dispute resolution, and on improving the functioning of key infrastructure sectors. Other Ministers have also made a number of suggestions for different sectors. The Planning Commission should take account of all the comments made today and prepare a draft Approach to the Twelfth Plan as quickly as possible. It goes without saying that sustainability and low carbon issues should be kept in mind. This document should be discussed with the States in regional consultations that have been mentioned. Thereafter a revised Approach document could be circulated to Ministries concerned. The Approach paper can then be brought to the Cabinet, after

which it could go to the National Development Council. We should aim at an NDC meeting sometime in July. Issues for Approach to the 12 th Five Year Plan Presentation by Planning Commission 21 April 2011 http://planningcommission.gov.in Full Planning Commission Meeting2 Process of Formulating the 12 th Plan We have commenced a very wide consultative process on the challenges for the 12 th Plan Over 900 CSOs across the country have participated, as well as many industry associations and think tanks Internet being used for first time to reach out to broader community including several hundred sectoral experts Planning Commission has launched a dedicated website http://12thplan.gov.in This site is also linked to Facebook. 32,000 netizens have visited these two sites and have left many insightful comments A series of regional consultations with States are planned in May Dialogue with other stakeholders continues3 Eleventh Plan Experience GDP growth likely to average 8.2% over 11 th Plan: short of the 9% target, but remarkable given the global crisis and drought In the 10 th Plan GDP growth averaged 7.7 % We have also seen progress on inclusiveness: Agricultural growth, Poverty Reduction, Education, Health, Upliftment of SCs/STs, Minorities etc. However progress on inclusiveness less than expected. We are likely to miss Millennium Development Goals (MDG), except perhaps on poverty Inflation has accelerated in the last two years Current international environment is very uncertain Global pressure on food, oil and other commodity prices Financial conditions & exchange rates are likely to be volatile due

to sovereign debt related problems in Europe/US, and readjustment of extra-ordinary monetary/fiscal easing4 Key Messages from Consultations Strong demand from all sectors of society to improve Implementation, Accountability and Service Delivery Citizens Groups broadly support the stated objectives of existing government programmes. However, the design and institutional arrangements are weak. Greater devolution and empowerment needed Government programmes need a new architecture: greater localisation, break-down of silos, feedback from citizens, and mechanisms for learning and sharing of best practices A major contribution to economic growth now comes from the private sector. A policy environment that supports this dynamism is therefore important Create environment for nurturing enterprise, improving markets, supporting innovation, providing access to finance and inculcating respect for common pool resources5 Twelfth Plan Objectives Basic objective : Faster, More Inclusive, and Sustainable Growth Is 10% growth feasible? Realistically, even 9% will need strong policy action. Could aim at 9.0 to 9.5 percent Energy, Water and Environment present major sectoral challenges. Can we address them without sacrificing growth? Can we find resources to create a world class infrastructure? For growth to be more inclusive we need: Better performance in agriculture Faster creation of jobs, especially in manufacturing Stronger efforts at health, education and skill development Improve effectiveness of programmes directly aimed at the poor Special programmes for socially vulnerable groups Special plans for disadvantaged/backward regions6 Agriculture and Rural Development Target at least 4% growth for agriculture. Cereals are on target for 1.5 to 2% growth. We should concentrate more on other foods, and on animal husbandry and fisheries where feasible Land and water are the critical constraints. Technology must focus on land productivity and water use efficiency. Farmers need better functioning markets for both outputs and inputs. Also, better rural infrastructure, including storage and food processing States must act to modify APMC Act/Rules (exclude horticulture), modernize land records and enable properly recorded land lease markets. RKVY has helped convergence and innovation and gives State governments flexibility. Must be expanded in Twelfth Plan MGNREGS should be redesigned to increase contribution to land productivity and rain-fed agriculture. Similarly, FRA has potential to

improve forest economies and tribal societies. But convergence with NRLM required for enduring rural livelihoods7 Water Revisit Indias water balance estimates basin-wise. Must map all aquifers over next five years to facilitate aquifer management plans AIBP is not achieving its objectives. It must be restructured to incentivise irrigation reform and efficiency of resource use. Setting of Water Regulatory Authority must be a precondition Strong case for higher priority to watershed management Separation of electricity feeders for agriculture can improve quality of power availability Proportion of water recycled by urban India and industry to be raised to protect water levels, and improve surface and groundwater quality Rational water use may need : New Groundwater Law reflecting Public Trust Doctrine New Water Framework Law (as in the EU) Need to evolve political consensus. Perhaps discuss in a special NDC Need National Water Commission to monitor compliance with conditionalities imposed in the investment clearance of important projects8 Industry (1) Manufacturing performance is weak. Need to grow at 11-12% per year to create 2 million additional jobs per year. Growth in 11 th Plan is in 8% ballpark Indian industry must develop greater domestic value addition and more technological depth to cater to growing domestic demands and improve trade balance Tune-up FDI and trade policies to attract quality investment in critical areas Improve business regulatory framework: cost of doing business, transparency, incentives for R&D, innovation etc. Land and infrastructure constraints are a major problem. States should develop special industrial zones with good connectivity and infrastructure Clusters need to be supported to enhance productivity of MSMEs Better consultation and co-ordination in industrial policy making9 Industry (2) Some sectors should be given special attention because they contribute most to our objectives eg: Create large employment: textiles and garments, leather and footwear; gems and jewelry; food processing industries Deepen technological capabilities: Machine tools; IT hardware and electronics Provide strategic security: telecom equipment; aerospace;

shipping; defence equipment Capital equipment for infrastructure growth: Heavy electrical equipment; Heavy transport and earth-moving equipment Sectors with global competitive advantage: automotive; pharmaceuticals and medical equipment MSMEs: innovation, employment and enterprise generation Sectoral plans are being prepared for each of the above with involvement of industry associations and the concerned Ministries10 Education and Skill Development Must aim at universalisation of secondary education by 2017 Must aim at raising the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education to 20 percent by 2017 and 25 percent by 2022 Must focus on quality of education (11 th Plan emphasis was on quantity). Must invest in faculty development and teachers training Must aim at significant reduction in social, gender and regional gaps in education. Targets to be set for this purpose Major curriculum reforms in vocational/skill development to ensure employability in response to changing market needs Development and operationalisation of PPP models in School and Higher Education in accordance with the needs of a fast growing economy Research and innovation in higher education must be encouraged with cross-linkages between institutions and industry 11 Health Better health is not only about curative care, but about better prevention Clean drinking water, sanitation and better nutrition, childcare, etc. Convergence of schemes across Ministries is needed Expenditure on health by Centre and States to increase from 1.3% of GDP to at least 2.0%, and perhaps 2.5% of GDP by end of 12 th Plan Desperate shortage of medical personnel. Need targeted approach to increase seats in medical colleges, nursing colleges and other licensed health professionals Improve quality of NRHM services vs. quantity of NRHM infrastructure. Structured involvement of PRIs/CSOs can help Role of PPP in secondary and tertiary healthcare must be expanded Health insurance cover should be expanded to all disadvantaged groups Focus on women and children; ICDS needs to be revamped 12 Energy (1) Commercial energy demand will increase at 7% p.a. if GDP grows at 9%. This will require a major supply side response and also demand

management Energy pricing is a major issue. Petroleum and Coal prices are significantly below world prices and world prices are unlikely to soften. 1. Power Sector Issues We must set a target of 100,000 MW capacity in 12 th Plan (against likely achievement of 50,000 MW in Eleventh Plan) Coal availability will be a major constraint Long term health of power sector seriously undermined (losses `70,000 crore per year). AT&C losses are coming down, but too slowly. State governments must push distribution reform Hydro-power development seriously hindered by forest and environment clearance procedures. Himalayan States complain strongly Electricity tariffs not being revised to reflect rising costs. Regulators are being held back from allowing justified tariff increases Open access is not being operationalised13 Energy (2) 2. Coal Production On optimistic assumption about Coal India production, we will need to import 250 million tonnes in 2017-18 Must plan for corresponding expansion of rail and port capacity Coal India must become a coal supplier and not just a mining company. Should plan to import coal to meet coal demands. This requires blending of imported and domestic coal as supplied by Coal India Environment and forest clearances of coal mining projects, including few private sector captive projects, will be critical. GoM is examining this 3. Petroleum and Natural Gas Need further expansion of new NELP blocks. Stable and clearer production sharing contracts will incentivise exploration and encourage investment Pipeline network for transportation of natural gas and LNG is limited. Need quick expansion14 Energy (3) 4. Other Energy Sources Nuclear power programme must continue with necessary safety review Solar Mission is seriously underfunded. Is bidding sufficiently competitive? Need longer term energy solution for cooking in rural areas. Expand LPG network (with cash subsidy for the deserving, not subsidised prices). Also use off grid solar and bio-mass energy Wind power development, including off shore wind power, needs to be encouraged 5. Demand Side Management Expansion in supply will need to be supported by demand side management

 Rational energy pricing will help Energy standards for high energy consuming industry, electrical appliances, energy efficient buildings or enhanced use of electric/ hybrid vehicles15 Transport Infrastructure Railways Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) must be completed by the end of the Twelfth Plan High Speed Rail link between Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata in the Twelfth Five Year Plan Use more PPP in railways and state highways to complement government investment. Capital intensive transport projects should rely on private investment to release resources for other priorities Complete the linkages between the ports and the existing road and rail network. Need to deepen existing ports. Increase bulk/container capacity Ensure sufficient provision for maintenance of the already-built roads Invest in unified tolling and better safety on highways Improve bus services/public transport in smaller cities, towns and districts. Metros in urban areas through PPPs wherever feasible16 Managing Urbanisation Indias urban population is expected to increase from 400 million in 2011 to about 600 million or more by 2030 Critical challenges are basic urban services especially for the poor: water, sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management, affordable housing, public transport Investment required in urban infrastructure is estimated at `60 lakh crore over the next 20 years We need to develop and propagate innovative ways of municipal financing, through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) Land management strategies key for good urban development as well as financing urban infrastructure development Need training and capacity building for urban planning and urban services management; for corporators and municipal officials Reform of JNNRUM for the next phase, and convergence with RAY for an integrated approach17 12 th Plan Resources for the Centre (as percent of GDP) Resources for the Plan are being worked out in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance A preliminary picture (as % of GDP) is : 11 th Plan Realization

12 th Plan Projections 2011-12 BE 2016-17 1 Tax Revenue (Net) 7.7 8.0 7.2 8.8 2 Non-Tax Revenue incld. Disinvestment 2.4 1.9 2.2 1.6 3 Fiscal Deficit 4.9 3.3 4.6 3.0 4 Total Resources (1+2+3) 15.0 13.3 14.0 13.4 5 Non-Plan Expenditure 10.3 8.0 9.1 7.2 6 Centres GBS (4-5) 4.7 5.4 4.9 6.2 (a) Assistance to States 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.4 (b) GBS for Centre 3.5 4.1 3.7 4.8 7 IEBR of PSUs 2.9 3.3 2.9 3.6 8 Central Plan {6(b)+7} 6.4 7.4 6.6 8.418 Resource Allocation Priorities in 12 th Plan Health and Education received less than projected in Eleventh Plan. Allocations for these sectors will have to be increased in 12 th Plan Health, Education and Skill Development together in the Centres Plan will have to be increased by at least 1.2 percent point of GDP Infrastructure, including irrigation and watershed management and urban infrastructure, will need additional 0.7 percentage point of GDP over the next 5 years Since Centres GBS will rise by only 1.3 percentage points over 5 years, all other sectors will have a slower growth in allocations Must reduce the number of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) to a few major schemes. For the rest, create new flexi-fund which allow Ministries to experiment in other CSS areas Use of PPP must be encouraged, including in the social sector, i.e. health and education. Efforts on this front need to be intensified Distinction between plan and non-plan being reviewed by Rangarajan Committee19 Issues for Special Category States Large number of Government employees means very limited scope for States own resources for the Plan Private Sector investment relatively subdued implies greater role for public investment Infrastructure gaps lead to higher cost of goods and services:

Accelerated efforts are required to develop infrastructure High proportion of forest cover and mountain eco-systems become constraints on rapid development. Forest clearances are difficult to get and States have to pay NAV. They demand monetary compensation for providing eco services to the nation States share for Centrally Sponsored Schemes is not uniform North Eastern States contribute only 10% share for most CSS States such as J&K, HP and Uttarakhand have to contribute normal state share under many CSS20 Governance and Empowerment Citizen feedback reveals general dissatisfaction with state of public service delivery. Total Quality Management needs to be introduced at all levels. Delivery and policy functions need to be separated in Government Ministries Social Mobilisation: People should be active agents of change. Flagship programmes need to provide human and financial resources for social mobilisation, capacity building and information sharing Professionally managed delivery organisations are needed with clear mandates and accountability. We need much better mechanisms for convergence of government departments on systemic issues Devolution can be effective only if the autonomy of PRIs/ULBs is increased and their human resource capabilities improved. How can the Centre help? Mechanisms need to be created at all levels to understand the needs of vulnerable sections of the society and inform policy-makers Diagnostics of Failure and Mainstreaming of Success: horizontal linkages need to be created for exchange of information and best practices Institutional mechanisms for conflict resolution, particularly for land and water22 Resource Allocation among Major Sectors in the Central Plan during Eleventh Plan (` Crore in 2006-07 Prices ) No. Sectors/ Ministries Projection Realisation % Realisation 1. Health 123,901 75,533 61 2. Education 238,608 142,659 60 3. Women & Child Development 48,420 34,981 72 4. Agriculture 54,801 43,583 80 5. Roads Transport & Highways 73,530 63,332 86 6. Power 26,924 28,164 105 7. Urban Development 14,261 23,312 163 8. Rural Development 231,380 281,199 122 9. Railways 40,513 58,042 143 10. Others 244,522 205,635 84 11. Grand Total 1,096,860 956,440 8723

Assumptions behind Non-Plan Expenditure Pay and Allowances: 8 percent annual growth Pension: 12 percent annual growth Defence: 10 percent annual growth Non-plan grants: 14 percent Subsidies: 5 percent annual growth Others: 8 percent annual growth Page 1 of 11 Planning Commission Issues for the Approach to the Twelfth Plan The meeting of the Planning Commission on 21 st April considered a presentation on Issues for the Approach to the 12 th Plan. Based on the discussion, the Commission will prepare a Draft Approach Document which will be discussed with the States in May and will be finalised by June. The following are the main points in the presentation and the subsequent discussions. Eleventh Plan Performance GDP growth for the 11 th Plan is likely to be 8.2%, which is less than the target of 9%, but is a remarkable achievement given the worst drought in 30 years and the global recession. We have also seen progress on various aspects of inclusiveness, though the progress has been less than what was targeted. Agricultural growth has improved from 2% in the Tenth Plan to 3%, but this is below the 4% target. There has also been progress in poverty reduction and in the areas of health, education and in upliftment of SC/STs. However, trends reveal that we are likely to miss the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in several of the targets, especially those relating to health. Inflation has accelerated in the past two years and is now an area of concern. The global environment is also highly uncertain, both in terms of the strength of recovery in the developed countries and also the volatility in commodity prices, especially oil. International financial markets are yet to stabilize, and the extraordinary easing of global money supply has yet to play itself out. Planning Commission has undertaken extensive consultations with a wide range of organizations and individuals, which reveals that citizen groups support the broad objectives of existing government programmes, but they have little faith in the design of these programmes and the manner of execution. There is a perception that government programmes, especially Centrally Sponsored Schemes, are not sensitive enough to local needs. Also, Government works in silos with little effort to achieve convergence and co-ordination across Ministries and between

Centre and States, even though most problems require inter-Governmental and inter-Ministerial co-ordination. Page 2 of 11 Twelfth Plan Objectives The basic objective for the Twelfth Plan must be faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth. A key issue is what the Growth target should be. The target of 10% is being mentioned, but our internal assessment is that even 9% will be difficult given the constraints we face. In the short to medium run, the main constraints relate to insufficient agricultural growth leading to inflation, growing skill shortages, and the unsettled global economy. In the longer run, the environment and natural resources, particularly energy and water, pose serious challenges. We are therefore proposing a target range of GDP growth of 9 to 9.5%. It is our conviction that an inclusive growth strategy is essential to address some of the main growth constraints outlined above, and to make the target growth rate feasible. The following are the key instruments for making growth more inclusive: (i) Better performance in agriculture (at least 4% growth). (ii) Faster creation of jobs in manufacturing. We should specify a target for extra jobs to be created in this sector in next 5 years. This will be worked out in greater detail, but at its heart lies our ability to spread industrial growth more widely. (iii) Both agricultural and manufacturing growth will depend upon the creation of appropriate infrastructural facilities in a widely dispersed manner. Rural connectivity is particularly important in this regard, especially in the backward areas and the north-east. (iv) There must be a much stronger effort at health, education and skill development (v) Reforming the implementation of flagship programmes to increase their effectiveness in achieving the objective of greater inclusion. (vi) Special challenges focused by vulnerable groups and backward regions. The need for a special focus on backward regions has particularly become urgent. Agriculture and Rural Development We must aim for a target of 4% agricultural growth. Cereals will grow only at 1.5 to 2.0% and we need not set higher targets for this. However, other food (horticulture, dairying, fisheries etc.) need to grow at more than 5%. This calls for a change in agricultural strategy as these are all perishable products, and therefore subject to much higher degree of market risk than food-grains, oil seeds or natural fibres. In the case of these products, which are all relatively high value, Page 3 of 11 investments and institutional development are more important than subsidies or price support systems. Nevertheless, we must focus on raising land productivity and water use efficiency. State specific strategies are needed. Dry areas need to focus on livestock. Most importantly, markets must be reformed. An important beginning has been made by granting statutory status to warehouse receipts. However, the real benefits from this measure can accrue only when the appropriate warehouse

infrastructure and supporting backward linkages have been created and a nationwide trading platform has been put in place. Consideration should be given to extending infrastructure status to a wider range of agricultural market facilities in the same manner as for warehouses. States must modify the Essential Commodities Act (ECA) and the APMC Act (perhaps exclude horticulture and perishables entirely from the ambit of APMC), rebuild the extension system, increase the involvement of private sector in marketing, and also facilitate leasing in/out of land by farmers. State agricultural universities and extension networks are in a bad shape and need strengthening. MGNREGS has helped generate employment and income in rural areas but it can do much more to increase land productivity, particularly in rainfed areas. This calls for redesign of the programme in the Twelfth Plan. In addition, MGNREGA has transformed rural labour relations, which is bound to affect the production decisions of farmers, both in terms of crops as well as technologies. The Agricultural support systems must facilitate this transition, which requires greater flexibility and responsiveness. Forest economies and tribal societies need greater protection and promotion. Steps need to be taken to make PESA and FRA more effective. This can be in conjunction with schemes for increasing resources directed to the backward regions. Water Water is emerging as a major problem, both for drinking as well as for irrigation. Urban and industrial demand for water is going up rapidly, without commensurate augmentation of supply. To address this critical problem, we need to put an integrated strategy in place immediately. The elements of this strategy could be: (i) Re-estimate Indias water balance basin-wise. All aquifers must be mapped over the next five years and aquifer management plans put in place. (ii) AIBP must be restructured to incentivize irrigation reform and efficiency of water use. Setting up Water Regulatory Authority should Page 4 of 11 be made a precondition for AIBP approvals. Some States are already doing this. (iii) Watershed management must be given higher priority, with convergence of programmes and better technical support. (iv) Separation of electrical feeders for agriculture with high-quality assured, even if rationed, power supply can potentially reduce ground water use. (v) Water recycling in urban areas and by industries should be enforced to protect water levels and water quality in both surface and ground water sources. (vi) The legal and policy framework needs to be improved. We may consider promulgating a new Groundwater Law reflecting the principles of Public Trust Doctrine, and a new Water Framework Law along the lines of the one that exists in the European Union. (vii) A National Water Commission may be put in place to monitor compliance with conditionalities imposed in clearance of important

projects. Since water is primarily a State subject, we will need to evolve a political consensus along the lines of what was done in the case of power. Perhaps a special National Development Council meeting could be convened for this purpose. Industry Manufacturing performance is weak. Growth of manufacturing in the 11 th Plan is likely to be only 8%. We need to raise this to 11-12% per year in the 12 th Plan to create the jobs for our growing labour force. This has become a particularly urgent need since it is now clear that agriculture will no longer absorb more workers, and may indeed release some of the existing work-force. In our estimation, the manufacturing sector will have to create around 3 to 4 million jobs over and above the pace of job creation in the recent past. We are fortunate to have an abundance of entrepreneurial talent in the country, which needs to be harnessed effectively if we are to achieve the desired growth in manufacturing. The corporate sector has largely been unfettered, and has demonstrated its dynamism. There are, however, limits to which it can grow. A large part of the additional growth will have to come from the MSME sector, which continues to face a plethora of hurdles in realizing its true potential. The Twelfth Plan will need to focus on this. Page 5 of 11 For accelerating manufacturing growth, therefore, we need a strategy to: (i) Achieve greater domestic value addition and technological depth in Indian industry to cater to growing domestic demand and to improve our trade position. (ii) Attract investment, including FDI, in critical areas where manufacturing capacity should modernised and developed. (iii) Improve the business environment and reduce the cost of doing business. This is largely an agenda item for state governments. (Procedural wrangles and corruption affect small business the most.) (iv) Land and infrastructure constraints must be addressed effectively. Again, this is largely in the domain of the State, but the Centre can incentivise. (v) Promoting clusters is a very effective way of helping manufacturing and promoting MSMEs. State Governments should be incentivized to support clusters. Education Education has received less funds in the Eleventh Plan than was envisaged. This is partly because the sector made a slow start, but also because of resource constraints. The Twelfth Plan has to correct this. Eleventh Plan focused on quantity in school expansion. We have recorded significant success in this regard, with enrolment rates going up rapidly, especially in primary education. However, scholastic achievement tests show that learning achievements of the students are well below desired levels. Twelfth Plan must focus on quality. This includes teacher training and

evaluation, and also measures to enforce accountability. We now need to rapidly build capacity in secondary schools to absorb the graduates from expanded primary enrolments. States must facilitate PPP in secondary education. States are keen to do this, and we are collaborating with them on this. The drop-out rates between primary and secondary education continue to be extremely high, which raises questions regarding the perceptions of the utility of secondary education among the people. This will need to be changed through introducing higher skill content at the secondary schools level. Vocational education will need to be given greater emphasis and made more attractive. The gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education must be targeted to increase from nearly 18% today to say 25% by 2016-17 and perhaps 30% by 2020. Private universities and colleges have played a major role in increasing enrolment in higher education in recent years, but there are concerns regarding both equity and quality. Measures will need to be taken to further promote Page 6 of 11 private initiatives in higher education while addressing the concerns that have arisen. Skill Development needs a major focus at all levels. We must involve PPP to ensure that the skills developed also lead to employability. Health The quality of health services needs to be improved through NRHM. We must also focus on preventive aspects of health care, particularly drinking water, sanitation, nutrition, better maternal and child services and immunisation. Shortage of qualified medical personnel at all levels is a major hurdle in improving the outreach of the healthcare system, especially the public health facilities. This needs to be corrected expeditiously. Efforts are already underway to increase the out-turn of doctors. This will have to be accelerated, and similar efforts have to be put in place for nurses and medical technicians. However, such efforts will take time to have sufficient impact. In the meanwhile, systems will need to be put in place for more effective PPP models in primary health care. Role of PPP in secondary and tertiary health care must be explored with greater vigour. Planning Commission needs to evolve appropriate concession models to facilitate this. We are in touch with states to study their experiments, and best practices will need to be propagated in the country. Expenditure on health by the Centre and States needs to be increased from 1.3 percent of GDP at present to 2.0 percent (and perhaps even 2.5 percent) by the end of 12 th Plan. Energy GDP growth of 9% requires commercial energy growth of 7%. The likely achievement in 11 th

Plan is 5.5%. Unless we can ensure adequate growth in commercial energy availability, the GDP growth target cannot be achieved. The following policy issues have to be addressed. (i) We need to create 100,000 MW of new power capacity in the Twelfth Plan. The ability to do so is seriously undermined by persisting large losses in the discoms, estimated at Rs.70,000 crore per year. These losses are being sustained only because banks continue to lend to what are effectively bankrupt discoms. State Governments have to be incentivised to implement distribution reforms which reduce ATC Page 7 of 11 losses. Some states are succeeding but in general the progress is too slow. Better performing states should be rewarded. (ii) Forest and environment clearance procedures are hindering both coal availability and hydro-power development. State governments with coal and hydro resources have been complaining strongly about the costs being borne by them. (iii) The implementation of past policy initiatives is incomplete. Prices of electricity are not sufficiently flexible and regulators are being restrained from allowing periodic price increases. Open access is still not a reality, and needs to be incentivized. (iv) At present, petroleum, gas and coal prices all three are out of line with world prices and world energy prices are unlikely to soften. Domestic prices need to be better aligned to give the right signals to both consumers and investors. We need to adopt a time-bound programme to achieve this alignment over three years. (v) Coal production will be a major constraint partly due to weak performance of Coal India and partly environmental constraints. Because coal production cannot be increased sufficiently, we must plan now for coal imports to rise from 80 million tonnes to 250 million tonnes by the end of the 12 th Plan. This will require corresponding expansion of rail and port capacity. (vi) Coal India must become a coal supplier and not just a mining company. It should plan to import coal and carry out price pooling and blending to meet the needs of the users. (vii) In the petroleum and natural gas sector, we need further expansion of new NELP blocks and a clear policy for exploration of shale gas, integrated development of oil and gas blocks. Bidding in various oil exploration rounds in the past has not attracted oil majors. Term of PSCs should perhaps be clear to attract investment. This is an area where foreign participation in exploration also brings in up-to-date technology. (viii) Nuclear power programme must continue, with necessary safety review. Active efforts need to be made to allay the apprehensions of people regarding the safety of nuclear power plants. (ix) Solar mission is seriously underfunded and requires more support. It

is also not clear whether the current bidding process is sufficiently competitive and provides appropriate incentives for improving efficiency. Wind power too requires greater support, especially for off-shore locations which have not been sufficiently explored. (x) Demand side management of energy is as important as action on the supply side. Realistic pricing will help. However, we also need more pro-active standard setting for appliances, vehicles and buildings. Page 8 of 11 Transport GDP growth at 9% or more will need to be supported by much faster expansion in transport infrastructure than we have seen in the past. The requirements of energy efficiency also require a shift from road to rail in freight. The following are some of the important issues that arise: (i) The Dedicated Freight Corridor project is a major capacity enhancing investment for the Railways. It must be put on a monitoring system such that both corridors are completed before the end of the Twelfth Plan. For this purpose, milestone must be clearly fixed, and responsibility assigned. (ii) The Railways have to undertake an ambitious programme of modernisation and technical upgradation which increases their freight carrying capacity. Unless this is done they will not be capable of facilitating the shift from road to rail transport which is crucial for energy efficiency. This can only be achieved if (a) the Railways desist from diverting resources to gauge conversion and uneconomic passenger lines and (b) Railways financing is improved to be able to support medium term expansion. (iii) Improved Railway financing requires rationalisation of freight: passenger fares in the Railways. If this is not done, the Railways will simply not achieve financial viability. (iv) The Railways must move speedily to implement the PPP projects that are pending in diesel and electric locomotives. (v) Rail and road linkages to ports must have top priority. (vi) The NHAI programme needs to be put on a track where monitorable milestones targets are set for the 12 th Plan with maximum emphasis on viable BOT projects to reduce the demand for Government resources. (vii) The port expansion programme has been seriously delayed. PPP in ports should be exploited. Much more needs to be done to deepen ports. Page 9 of 11 Plan Size and Resources The feasible size of the Twelfth Plan will be worked out in consultation with the Finance Ministry. As in the past, a Working Group has been set up under the Chairmanship of the Chief Economic Adviser. The size will depend upon: (a) the buoyancy in revenues

(b) the tolerable level of the fiscal deficit (c) the extent to which we can control non-Plan expenditure including subsidies. A tentative picture available at present suggests that the Centres GBS could increase from 4.9% of GDP in 2011-12 to 6.2% of GDP in 2016-17. Most of this increase will be in the last two years of the Plan since in the first three years the fiscal deficit will have to be compressed from 4.6% in 2011-12 (the base year) to 4.1%, 3.5% and finally 3.0% in 2014-15. A key assumption affecting the resource projection is that non-Plan expenditure growth can be contained below GDP growth. The absence of a Pay Commission in this period will help. However, critical to this projection is the assumption that subsidies will grow by only 5% per year. It may be difficult to contain food subsidy within that limit, depending on the outcome of the Food Security Act. However, strong action will be needed in containing fertiliser subsidy and petroleum subsidies. Allocation Priorities in the 12 th Plan The increase in the GBS as a percentage of GDP between 2011-12 and 201718 is therefore only 1.3 percentage point. However, we have to provide a significant increase for health, education, and infrastructure as a percentage of GDP. Health and Education received only about 60% of the planned allocation in the 11 th Plan as against an over-all realization of 87%. This was partly on account of major new schemes being launched during the Plan, and partly due to limitations in the absorptive capacity in these sectors. The preparatory work done during the 11 th Plan has led to significant improvement in absorptive capacities, and these sectors both require and are ready for significant increases in allocations. It is estimated that the GBS allocated to these two sectors, including skill development initiatives, will need to be increased by at least 1.2 percentage point of GDP. Infrastructure investments have seen significant improvement during the 11 th Plan, but the pace of infrastructure development needs further acceleration if the glaring infrastructure gaps are to be bridged within a reasonable time-frame. Although PPPs have been successful in a number of infrastructure sectors, and efforts will need to be continued in further encouraging private sector involvement, it is felt that public investment in infrastructure, particularly irrigation, watershed development and urban infrastructure, will need an additional 0.7 percentage points of GDP increase over the next five years. Page 10 of 11 These sectors will therefore need an increase of 1.9 percentage points of GDP as GBS during the 12

th Plan. The GBS for the other sectors as a percentage of GDP must therefore go down. The allocation of these sectors will increase in absolute terms, but more slowly than real GDP. This reprioritisation must be accepted. The above situation emphasises the importance of resorting to PPP as much as possible. This is particularly important in the social sectors, where only tentative beginnings have been made. Several states have initiated interesting models of PPP in social service delivery. These experiments need to be evaluated and best practices up-scaled to the national level. The innovations made at the state level in a range of sectors make a compelling reason for reconsideration of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). The States have consistently argued that the CSS are structured too rigidly to permit innovations and to meet local specificities. There is merit in this argument. It is, therefore, proposed to reduce the number of CSS to only a few major schemes which are of a national character and dictated by the rights and entitlements of citizens. For all the rest, it is proposed to create flexi-funds in the concerned Ministries which can be used to support state-level innovations and/or up-scaling of successful experiments. The success of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), which is in effect a flexi-fund scheme, as compared to the other CSS lends further credibility to this approach. A compelling argument has also been made regarding the lack of ownership of the CSS by the States, and its consequent effect in terms of poor implementation. It has been proposed therefore that the model used in the new APDRP should be extended to all other CSS as well. In this model, central funds are initially provided as loans to the state governments, which are subsequently converted to grants on achievement of pre-specified outcome or output targets. Governance and Empowerment Citizen feedback reveals general unhappiness with governance and public service delivery. Four important dimensions have been pointed out: (i) programmes and schemes are often designed without adequate understanding of the desires and limitations of the beneficiaries, especially the most disadvantaged; (ii) systems for informing the people of their rights and entitlements are very poor and often exclusionary; (iii) the service delivery personnel, apart from issues of corruption, are inadequately informed of their duties and responsibilities and take little pride in their work; and (iv) complaint redressal systems are not independent of the delivery mechanism resulting in non-responsive behavior. People should be active agents of change and this can be achieved only if flagship programmes provide human and financial resources for social mobilization, capacity building and an information strategy. The involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in programme design through wide consultations should become a norm. Delivery and policy functions, the latter Page 11 of 11 including concurrent evaluation, need to be separated in Government Ministries in order to introduce objectivity in programme design and redesign. Consideration needs to be given to setting up professionally managed delivery organizations with clear mandates and accountability.

Information dissemination methodologies need to be entirely recast. The poorest and most disadvantaged need to be targeted specifically. It is also felt that women and the youth are the most effective agents of change, and advantage should be taken of organizations which work closely with them to spread relevant programme information through formal and informal channels. Total Quality Management needs to be introduced at all levels in service delivery organisations. Training of service delivery personnel and periodic review of performance are essential. Complaint recording and redressal systems have to be created at an arms length from the delivery system, and these should be empowered to enforce and monitor compliance. Advantage can be taken of IT systems to increase transparency and responsiveness. Government departments engaged in related areas tend to work in silos. We need much better mechanism for converging the activity of these departments. In many areas there is need for effective mechanisms for resolution of interMinisterial and inter-departmental differences. This is particularly true in the field where the Collector is potentially the only possible focus of convergence but is actually far too overburdened.