Table of Contents
- Question
Recently the Govt of India has launched a new scheme called as I-MESA. What is I-MESA related to?
- a) Strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions
- b) Developing AI base in governance
- c) Improving social audits of government schemes
- d) Increasing competency of school assessment
Question
- What do you understand by the term social audit? Discuss through illustrations, the role of Social Audit in bridging gap between policy objectives & policy outcomes.
The News
- The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a scheme, namely Information-Monitoring, Evaluation and Social Audit (I-MESA) in FY 2021-22.
- Under this scheme, Social Audits will be conducted for all the schemes of their Departments starting FY 2021-22.
- The social audits will be carried out by Social Audit Units (SAU) of the States and National Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
The News
Which schemes will be audited?
- The ministry of social justice & empowerment implements the below schemes:
- Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana
- Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for the SCs
- Special Central Assistance to SC Caste Sub Plan
- Scheme of Assistance to SC Development Corporations
- Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers
- Venture Capital Fund For SCs
- Centrally Sponsored Scheme for implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955
- Centrally sponsored scheme for the implementation of SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
What is this Social Audit?
- A social audit is a way of measuring & understanding the performance of a social organization or initiative.
- Social audit ultimately helps in improving social and ethical performance of an organisation.
- In Social Audit of a scheme, the audit of is jointly done by the Government and the people who are directly affected by the scheme. (Beneficiaries of the scheme).
- Social audit is a very powerful tool to promote transparency, accountability and people’s participation in the schemes meant for them. It eventually helps to narrow the gaps between stated objectives and reality.
Is Social audit really conducted?
- Mahatma Gandhi National National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005 was the first Act to make Social Audit mandatory by the Gram Sabha for all the projects taken up in the Gram Panchayat. GoI had also issued the Social Audit Rules in 2011 under the MGNREGA Act.
Is Social audit really conducted?
- As many as 26 State/UT governments have set up an independent Social Audit Units (SAU) to facilitate Social Audits of many schmes like PM Awas Yojana, Midday Meal Scheme, PDS scheme etc.
- In 2018, the Supreme Court in its judgment on the National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labour (NCC-CL) petition on the implementation of the Building and Other Constructions Workers Act had directed the Ministry of Labour and Employment, State governments and the UTs to “conduct a social audit on the implementation of the BOCW Act so that in future there is better and more effective and meaningful implementation of the Act”.
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