CHANGE AGENTS: SHG or women self-help groups
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During the village electrification drive, states discovered uninhabited villages that they thought were populated. Villagers who were not on the census were found living in obscurity and oblivious to Govt schemes and benefits on offers. Obviously, official records on rural people were not dependable. It confirmed not only improper record-keeping but also inadequate outreach, poor scrutiny of monies spent, of assets created and outcomes achieved. For example, no one was sure if assets were even built, gave benefits as expected or were assets properly secured and maintained.

What is being done differently?
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1. Villagers decide on problems they want fixing or work they feel needs to be done.
→ villagers are more likely to give accurate feedback on the work and follow-up.

2. Self-help women groups approach women villagers on a behavioural change, for creating awareness and discussions. Their aim is to create a positive outlook and a desire to fulfil the task.
→ behavioural change is best done if it becomes a mass movement

3. "Barefooted" technicians were used to design & build structures and/or record progress.

4. Geo-tagging of assets was done to accurately map the work, thereby reduce duplication/ fraud
5. Aadhar is used to identify the right beneficiary, weed out fakes and make direct payments
6. Surveys were done to collect SECC census data - this becomes a measure of deprivation

Lessons learnt: More helpers were needed for Govt's intensive social agenda. As a result, SHG numbers shot up to over 30m. Poor feedback was given for assets sanctioned under Govt schemes. As a result, work was shifted to good projects like ponds and wells (done under NREGA) and it elicited good feedback. Faults were found in designs of schemes and quality of asset record keeping. As a result, pictures and GIS have now become the norm for NREGA. Long queues and poor internet connectivity at village banks created difficulties in accessing monies. As a result, post offices were converted into banks and Wifi-ready service centres were set up in all Gram Panchayats.

Analysis of SECC data from surveys found significant deprivation in education, skills, housing, employment, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, social and gender mobilisation and entitlement. Govt is now targeting its efforts towards the most deprived individuals, as identified by SECC data.

Dedicated self-help group women are now recognised as ideal agents for behavioural change. SHG women are getting involved in a big way in many of Govt's social missions (like child girl, toilet use, nutrition).

How Aadhar is helping welfare schemes like NREGA, Swachch Bharat get a new lease of life