3rd-party evaluation must for Central schemes to go on beyond March 2026
As the government prepares to prioritise its schemes for the 16th Finance Cycle starting on April 1st next year, the Ministry of Finance has told all ministries and departments that no Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) or Central Sector Scheme (CS) will be considered for continuation beyond March 31st, 2026, unless a third-party evaluation of the scheme is carried out.
This was conveyed to all Secretaries of the Government of India and Financial Advisors (FAs) during a meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan on Thursday. The meeting, which was attended by Secretaries of Government of India and Financial Advisors, discussed the appraisal and approval process of CSS and CS for the 16th Finance Commission cycle (2026-31).
Before the meeting, the Department of Expenditure had circulated to the ministries 'a note on the points to be discussed in the meeting and context'.
'No Scheme (CSS and CSs) which is to continue over the next FC cycle will be taken up for appraisal unless a Third Party evaluation of the scheme is conducted. The Evaluation Report must demonstrate positive 'outcomes' as well as the need for continuing the scheme in view of its mandate and performance,' reads the note.
According to sources, NITI Aayog, the government's top think tank, is currently conducting evaluation of the CSSs. This exercise is to be completed shortly and the draft reports will be shared with the respective ministries and departments, the sources said.
NITI Aayog officials present in the meeting, made a PowerPoint presentation on the ongoing evaluation studies.
The sources say that ministries and departments have been asked to conduct evaluation studies of their schemes by the end of July this year and get approval for continuation of schemes beyond March 31, 2026 from the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) before the start of the budget making process.
The Ministries and Departments have been informed that in the 16th Finance Commission cycle (2026-31), they will receive allocation 5.5 times their average actual annual expenditure during the last five fiscal years (2021-22-2025-26).
During the meeting, several ministries are learnt to have sought higher allocation for their programs. For instance, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sought additional funding for vaccinations, it is learnt. When officials from several ministries made demands for higher allocation in the next Finance Commission cycle, the Cabinet Secretary is learnt to have made a remark that they should propose realistic outlays and not 'inflated' figures while seeking outlay for the next five years.
In November 2023, the government approved the constitution of the 16th Finance Commission. It is expected to make its report available by October 31, 2025. The recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission will be for a period of five years commencing on the 1st day of April, 2026.
Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
From Opinions Editor: Schools, colleges, universities and waterlogging
Last week, the NITI Aayog's CEO announced that India has become the world's fourth-largest economy. Though subsequent analysis showed that the head of the country's premier economic think tank had jumped the gun somewhat, there is very little doubt that India is on the cusp of notching a step up in the global GDP ladder. The challenge, however, was framed by developments in the country's financial capital barely a day after the NITI Aayog CEO's congratulatory announcement. An early onset of monsoon brought life to a standstill in Mumbai. Large parts of Maharashtra's capital, including a newly-built Metro station, went under water reminding policymakers that India's economy remains extremely vulnerable to climate risks. Reports show that the country has significantly decoupled economic growth from its carbon footprint – emissions have risen by about 4 percent compared to a compounded growth rate of about 7 percent from 2005 onwards. However, given the enormity of climate change, incremental changes aren't enough. Studies warn that the flooding problem is likely to get worse. What do Indian cities do to become hydrologically smart? What must be done to ensure that monsoon vagaries do not cause economic damage and loss of lives? Can construction in the mountains be sensitive to local ecologies? Is there a way to ensure development while also obviating landslides? The answers are not always easy. Very often they are framed in the ecology versus development binary. But does that fit in the aspirations of a young nation that's seeking to reap its demographic advantage? The go-slow-on-development alternative, for instance, might not fit in with the aspirations of a large section of India, who see prospects of upward mobility in the country's economic advancement. It would be terribly unfair to push such people to make difficult choices. And, yet the growing severity of the climate crisis underlines that we have no time to lose. About two weeks ago, the Supreme Court seemed to hold that there is no inherent conflict between sustainability and development. The trouble, however, is that the resolution to the environment-development predicament does not come in templates. They call for respecting the topographies of individual cities, factoring in the gradients of mountains, recognising the floodplains and courses of rivers, and acknowledging the catchment areas of lakes, streams and other aquifers. Can economic prosperity go hand-in-hand with respect for such environmental peculiarities? The answer must necessarily come from the country's educational institutes, from schools to universities to engineering institutes. This is not to say that the green imperative has been completely sidelined in the country's education system. In fact, in the past 20 years, considerable effort seems to have gone into introducing the problems of the environment in school and university curricula. However, while sectors such as technology, medicine, finance, engineering, law and even the arts are often seen as the primary career paths, sustainability is still seen as a niche field that's still evolving. Education about the environment has become another box to be ticked in a child's academic career, rather than being one of the ways by which she engages with the world. At the higher education level, environmental education is too often associated with green technologies – renewable energy, waste management, green vehicles. Though an important part of climate-ready curricula, the technology-centred approach isn't enough if a student in Delhi, for instance, remains oblivious to the links between pollution and the destruction of the Aravali range. Schooling in green building techniques would remain incomplete if the same Delhi student doesn't learn why the ITO area is amongst the first to be waterlogged after an intense downpour. And, any education in waste management has to make connections between daily use items in households – plastic bottles for example – and the burgeoning landfills outside several Indian cities, including the country's capital. For education to make a difference in increasing the resilience of our cities, towns and rural areas to climate vagaries, the first thing to do would be to increase the engagement of the learner with problems associated with the current crises. Why shouldn't the constant water logging problems of Indian cities be a part of the educational experience in schools, colleges and universities? Why should pollution be a matter of rote learning and not something that students have to encounter almost every few months? In other words, the country needs a generation – and not just a few people in niche professions — with sensitivity to air, water, land and forests to steward an alternative version of economic prosperity — one that does not come at the cost of ecology. It's time for the country's education system to step up. Till next time Kaushik
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Finance Commission delegation to discuss key issues with U.P. CM Yogi Adityanath
A 13-member delegation of the 16th Finance Commission will have a meeting with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and officials of various departments in Lucknow on June 4 to discuss state-specific financial issues, projects and development priorities. The delegation will reach Ayodhya on June 3 and visit the Ram temple. The team will also take stock of development projects in the district. In the evening, the delegation will reach the state capital to attend a dinner hosted at the chief minister's official residence. On June 4, the delegation, headed by Prof Arvind Panagariya, will hold a meeting with CM Yogi, followed by a press briefing at around 12:30 pm. The recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission will be for a period of five years commencing on April 1, 2026. The delegation will also meet officials from urban development, panchayati raj, and industry departments besides representatives of political parties. The delegation will then proceed to Varanasi to visit project sites. The finance panel delegation is likely to review developmental efforts under the state's flagship One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme. They will also visit the silk cluster in Varanasi. The itinerary also includes a visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The visit holds significance as it will contribute to the commission's broader recommendations on the distribution of financial resources between the centre and the states, including grants for local development and infrastructure.
India.com
5 hours ago
- India.com
Who is the owner of Delhi's Connaught Place? The iconic place is named after..., rent at CP begins at Rs...
Who is the owner of Delhi's Connaught Place? The iconic place is named after..., rent at CP begins at Rs... Connaught Place, an iconic spot for the Delhiites, truly captures the heart of Delhi with its blend of historic charm and lively atmosphere. Whether it's shopping at Janpath, grabbing a bite at one of the many eateries, or just soaking in the buzz, Connaught Place has something for everyone. It is a perfect and favorite hangout. It is one of the largest business, financial, and commercial centres in Delhi. But who owns Connaught Place? Notably, Connaught Place is also commonly known as CP. Who is the owner of Delhi's Connaught Place? The iconic place is named after… In 1929, Connaught Place was constructed by the British. It was designed by architect Robert Tor Russell. The iconic place got its name from Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, a member of the British royal family. He was Queen Victoria's third son and the uncle of King George VI. In 1921, Prince Arthur visited India, and the market was subsequently named in his honor during the colonial era. Its distinctive circular layout with radiating roads draws inspiration from Georgian architectural styles in Britain. Connaught Place, a high-demand commercial real estate area, is divided into several blocks, each owned by different individuals or families. While the land and overall administration of Connaught Place are managed by the Government of India, the buildings within CP are privately owned. The ownership of individual shops and buildings varies, making the property landscape quite diverse. In the early days, many shops were established by traders who initially operated around the Kashmere Gate area. Notable names among them include Harnarain Gopinath (commonly known as Harnarains), Kanter's, Galgotia, and Snowhite. Some families even managed to lease numerous shops, with a few holding as many as 50 outlets. At present, the rent in Connaught Place ranges between Rs. 300 to Rs. 700 per square foot per month. But the scenario was different before independence. At that time, most of these properties were leased at very low rents—often just a few hundred rupees per month. Owing to the Old Delhi Rent Control Act, the rent for many of these properties could only be raised by a small margin—around 10 percent of the original amount. As a result, even today, some shop owners continue to pay very low rent, despite the fact that the actual market value of the properties has soared. As per media reports, the land and most of the buildings in the iconic CP are owned by the Government of India. The day-to-day maintenance and management responsibilities lie with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). As a result, many buildings in Connaught Place remain in the hands of private families, passed down through generations. While the architecture reflects a colonial past and the rents echo a long-gone era, the energy and vibe of the place are distinctly modern.
