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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Higher resource allocation for science and technology.

Maximisation of contribution of science and technology to enhance economic competitiveness and upgrade quality of life of the people.

Industry-Education partnership.

Encouragement lo private research.



ELECTRONIC MEDIA

True autonomy for Prasar Bharati Corporation.

Improvement of the terrestrial network of Doordharshan.

Law for Independent Broadcasting Authority.

Regulation of digital telecasting.

Promotion of domestic software production capability.

Improvements in the quality of cable service.

GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Depoliticisation of administration

Lean administration through convergence of services.



PANCHAYATI RAJ

De facto devolution of powers to Panchayati Raj institutions.



JUDICIAL REFORMS

To ensure speedy dispensation of justice, establishment of manpower norms.

Statutorily mandatory advance action for filling constitutional posts in the judiciary.

Reforms of judicial processes.

Creation of All India judicial service.



HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Population -
National campaign for containment of population within the carrying capacity of national resources through voluntary involvement of the people.


Health -
Review and recasting of the National Health Policy, 1983, with a component of health policy for women.


Nutrition -
1% of GDP for nutrition related programmes.

Co-ordinated implementation of the National Nutrition Policy and provision of food security at the household level; effective public distribution system.


Education -
Realisation of 6% GDP investment for education.

Emphasis on universalisation of elementary education, vocationalisation of secondary education and modernisation of higher education; making education employment relevant; Special Education Action Zones for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities.

Dedicated education channel of Doordharshan.

Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment -

Special emphasis on labour protection for unorganised workers.

Continuous retraining and skill upgradation for the organised sector workers.

Upgrading implementation labour protection for women.

Commitment to elimination of child abuse in all its manifestations including child labour.

Depoliticised industrial relations based on bi-partism and social partnership.

Integrated, approach to achieve full, freely chosen and productive employment.


Poverty Alleviation -
Continuance of massive resource allocations for poverty alleviation programmes.

Redesigning of poverty alleviation programmes—

Avoidance of sub-optimal allocations.

Avoidance of sub-critical funding.

Prioritisation of expenditures.

Decentralised implementation.


Urban Settlements -
Perspective plan for improvement of hundred urban conglomerations.

Satellite town and middle town development.

Co-ordination between urban development agencies.


Social Protection -
Improvement of delivery of services of social security schemes; special attention for senior citizens.

Expansion of insurance related social security to the un-organised sector workers and rural people.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes -

Upgradation of quality of implementation and monitoring of Special Component Plan (SCP) for Scheduled Castes and Tribal Sub-Plans (TSP)

Full flow of earmarked plan outlays.

Prioritised implementation of poverty alleviation programmes amongst SC's and ST's.

Special drive for provision of Basic Minimum Services (BMS) in SC and ST habitations.

Specifically addressing gaps in literacy, education and recruitment of public services.



OBC's -

Enumeration of OBC population as part of Census—Year 2001; and based on that, programmes for educational and economic advancement of the OBC's.


Minorities -

Rationalised and decentralised implementation of 15 point educational and economic development program for minorities;

Amendments to Wakf Act; and conservation and prudent management of Wakf property.

State level rapid action forces for protection of minorities.

Creation of Minorities Commission with constitutional status.


The Disabled -

Mainstreaming of the disabled for their empowerment. Women -

Adoption of a National Policy for Empowerment of Women—

Mainstreaming of Women in public policy and political leadership, especially, one third reservation in legislative bodies.

Provision of access to education especially addressing female literacy gap, relative to male literacy.

Provision of holistic model of health

Upgradaiion of economic status.

Co-ordinated measures to combat violence against women.

Incorporation of women's concerns in developmental processes.

Sensitisation of functionaries in all the three arms of governance to women's concerns.


The Youth -

Involvement of the youth in programmes of nation building, sports and culture.


The Middle Class -

Mobilising the capabilities of the middle class in spearheading further industrialisation, business promotion and economic development.


The NRI's -

Creation of conducive environment for promoting NRI Investments.


Overseas Indians -

Strengthening cultural contact with Indians abroad and utilising their good offices for enhancing the diplomatic profile of the country.


Ex-servicemen -

Improvements in the resettlement of ex-servicemen based on surveys and tracer studies.

One rank, one pension for ex-servicemen, Environment Protection -

Enactment of a National Bio-diversity Law.

Proactive implementation of Agenda 21—Earth Summit Recommnedations on environment protection:


JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Concentration on development processes in J & K, maintaining the integrity of Article 370.


THE NORTH-EAST

Separate manifesto for the North-East; the strategy is peace through development:

The North-East is a vast geographical area of 2.55 lakh Square Kilometres, but a small population of less than 40 million. Cultivable land also is limited. Man to land ratio is low and per capita costs of development loom large. Hills in the region are fragile. Heavy precipitation of rains and sluggish drainage flood the river systems. Agriculture productivity, consequently, is adversely impacted. Transport and communications infrastructure creation of which is rather expensive even in the normal circumstances, gets damaged and disrupted. The configuration of the region is marked by isolation from the rest of India, with an interface of 4500 kilometres of international boundary hemmed in by Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Bangladesh; and only 22 kilometres of boundary with the country itself. The metamorphosis of the region and emergence of six other States from Assam were politically convulsive and brought the States under different headstarts in the process of development. Human development is low and uneven. Quality of education is indifferent, skills and entrepreneurship and capital formation are low. Despite the States being given special category status which makes them eligible for 90% Central grant for development, they are heavily indebted and are in serious resource deficits. Exploitation of the region's natural resource endowments is seriously inhibited. Development norms applied to States in other parts of India have no relevance to those in the region.

THE NORTH-EAST, IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD BE TREATED AS A SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT ZONE, DIFFERENTIAL NORMS OF DEVELOPMENT EVOLVED AND APPLIED AND THE PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT RESTRUCTURED.

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