Category Center for Human Dignity and Development

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Andhra Pradesh RTGS: Reinventing Governance Through Data

After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the state faced major governance challenges in coordinating departments and delivering timely public services to over 49.5 million citizens (CAG, 2017) Isolated departmental systems and periodic reporting created data silos, delaying critical decisions in disaster response, welfare delivery, and grievance redress. Poor inter-departmental coordination hindered accountability, transparency, and performance tracking. Furthermore, the lack of integrated, real-time data severely limited predictive capacity, preventing proactive disaster management and evidence-based policymaking.

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DISHA 2.0 (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) 

India's commitment to justice is woven into the very fabric of its constitutional identity. The preamble to the Constitution of India embodies this vision by resolving to secure to all its citizens Justice – social, economic and political, affirming that an equitable justice delivery system is indispensable to the constitutional vision. This commitment is further reflected in Article 14. Moreover, judicial interpretation has also strengthened access to justice under Article 21. In Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979), the Supreme Court held that the right to a speedy trial is an essential ingredient of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 recognising that effective legal representation is indispensable for meaningful access to justice. Further Article 22(1) of the constitution requires that any person who is detained be given the right to “consult and to be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice”. To embed access to justice within the State's policy framework, the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 inserted Article 39A into the Directive Principles of State Policy, directing the State to ensure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity and to provide free legal aid so that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.

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Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme: Strengthening India’s Innovation Ecosystem

Innovation has become a major driver of economic growth and global competitiveness. Countries investing heavily in research and development (R&D), such as the United States, China, South Korea, and Germany, have established leadership in advanced technologies. However, India's Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) remains significantly below the global average, with limited private-sector participation.

Building Independent Lives

Building Independent Lives — Assessing the National Trust’s DISHA – Early Intervention and School Readiness Scheme for Cognitive and Developmental Disabilities (2015)

India has one of the largest populations of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in South Asia because of its large child population. Population-based studies estimate that approximately 9.2% of children aged 2–<6 years and 13.6% of children aged 6–9 years have at least one neurodevelopmental disorder.

(Global and regional prevalence of disabilities among children and adolescents)

Given the high prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders among children, the Government of India launched the DISHA scheme under the National Trust to improve access to early intervention and support services for children with developmental disabilities.

Smart city

The Smart City Mission in Srinagar and Jammu 2017: A Comparative Assessment of Urban Transformation.

The Smart City Mission (SCM) was initiated by the Government of India in 2015 as a transformative urban renewal programme to develop 100 cities across the country into inclusive, sustainable, and technologically advanced hubs. The mission’s core objective is to provide citizens with high-quality core infrastructure, a clean environment, and "smart" solutions that optimize urban functions, such as data-driven resource management and enhanced service delivery.

PT

Gender-Inclusive Sanitation: The Role of Pink Toilets in Urban India (2017)

The Pink Toilet Scheme represents a gender-responsive sanitation intervention launched by diverse municipal corporations and state authorities within the framework of the Swachh Bharat Mission to establish secure, hygienic, and dignified restrooms reserved for women, adolescent girls, and young children. These units are distinctively pink-colored to ensure rapid recognition within congested urban landscapes.

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