Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 25 November 2024

Contents:

1. India’s urban infrastructure financing, needs and reality
2. Soak the Rich? Won’t Help the Poor

India’s Urban Infrastructure Financing, Needs and Reality

Relevance : GS 1 (Society ), GS 2 (Social Justice )

Practice question :What are the major financial challenges faced by India’s urban infrastructure development? Suggest key measures to address these challenges. (250 words )

Context: Urban Population Growth

• India’s urban population will double from 400 million to 800 million in three decades.
• This growth presents a chance to transform urban landscapes but also brings significant financial hurdles.

Financial Requirements

• Estimated Need: ₹70 lakh crore by 2036 for urban infrastructure.
• Current Investment: ₹1.3 lakh crore annually (2018), only about 28% of the required ₹4.6 lakh crore per year.
• Allocation: 50% for basic urban services, 50% for urban transport.

Issues at the Local Level

Municipal Finance:

• Stagnant at 1% of GDP since 2002.
  • Municipal bodies contribute 45% of urban investments; the rest managed by parastatal agencies.
  • Increase in central and State transfers (37% to 44%) hasn’t significantly improved financial health.
  • Decline in municipalities’ own revenue sources (51% to 43%).

Collection Inefficiencies:

• ULBs like Bengaluru and Jaipur collect only 5%-20% of potential tax revenue.
  • Property tax collection is very low (₹25,000 crore, 0.15% of GDP).
  • Cost recovery for services is only 20%-50%.

Low Absorptive Capacity:

• 23% of total municipal revenue unspent.
  • Major cities like Hyderabad and Chennai spent only 50% of their capital expenditure budgets (2018-19).
  • Central scheme fund utilization is low (AMRUT at 80%, Smart Cities Mission at 70%).

Decline in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)

• Trend: Significant decline from ₹8,353 crore in 2012 to ₹467 crore by 2018.
• Challenges: Viability depends on project-specific revenues, affecting commercial attractiveness.

Recommendations for Reform

Long-Term Measures

Structural Reform:

• Strengthen State finance commissions.
  • Enhance municipal governments’ financial and administrative autonomy.
  • Attract private capital through debt borrowing and municipal bonds.

Medium-Term Measures

• Project Pipeline Development: Create a pipeline of 600-800 projects to meet the ₹70 lakh crore investment requirement.Potentially 250-300 PPP projects annually.
• Decouple Project Preparation from Financial Assistance:Ensure financial, social, and environmental sustainability of projects.
• Leverage Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI):Modernise urban service delivery, especially in public transport.
• Capture Land Value in Transport Projects:Integrate metro and rail projects with urban development to bring jobs closer to transit hubs and improve city efficiency.

Conclusion:

 Addressing financial and structural challenges is critical for sustainable urban development.

Soak the Rich? Won’t Help the Poor

Relevance :GS 2 (Social Justice ),  GS 3 (Economy )

Practice Question : Discuss the effectiveness of investing in education and healthcare to promote economic growth compared to direct wealth redistribution. Use examples and data to support your argument.

Redistribution of Wealth Won’t Solve Inequality

• Historical Evidence: Redistribution through land reforms or high taxes has not sustainably reduced inequality.
  • Examples: Post-revolutionary France and Soviet Russia saw short-term upheavals without long-term stability or equality.

Economic Participation is Key

• Broadening Participation: Access to education, healthcare, and employment creates sustainable growth.
  • Examples: Post-WWII investments in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan led to rapid economic growth and poverty reduction.
    • South Korea: GDP per capita grew from $100 in 1960 to over $32,000 in 2020.

Private Property and Economic Growth

• Investment and Innovation: Strong property rights drive prosperity.
  • Data: Countries with strong property rights (e.g., Singapore, Switzerland) have higher incomes and lower inequality.

Limited Relevance of Land Reform in Modern Economies

• Feudal Systems: Relevant in agrarian economies, but insufficient for modern economies.
  • India: 1950s-1970s land reforms reduced landlessness but did not solve deeper inequality.
    • 2022 Data: 27% of 170,000 suicides in India were related to debt and land distress.

High Taxes on the Rich

• Discouraging Investment: May lead to capital flight and reduced growth.
  • Example: France’s 75% wealth tax (2013-2017) caused exodus of high-net-worth individuals and reduced investment.

Education, Healthcare, and Inclusive Growth

• Reducing Inequality: Investments in these areas increase productivity.
  • South Korea: Universal education and public healthcare helped transform the economy.
  • Vietnam: Investments since the 1980s reduced poverty from 75% (1988) to 6% (2020).

Inequality and Poverty Statistics

• India (2022): 27% of suicides related to financial distress.
• China: Economic opportunities and education reforms lifted over 850 million people out of poverty since 1981.
• Global Poverty Rates: Declined from 36% (1990) to 9% (2021) due to growth-focused reforms.

Conclusion

• Redistribution: Not a long-term solution to inequality.
• Economic Opportunities: Expanding education and healthcare are key drivers of prosperity and equality.