Social safety net and the need for public consultation

In Bihar's Jamui district, women beedi workers lack official cards, limiting wages and medical benefits. Elderly citizens struggle with complex pension processes, risking exclusion.

Women in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, key cultivators, are often unaware of land rights and schemes, revealing systemic gender bias. India's worsening environmental crisis worsens livelihood and social justice issues, highlighting the need for more effective social welfare policies based on community consultation and inclusive feedback. 

Imagine a lifeline meant to save lives, yet many still drown because they can't reach it. In India, despite progress, a strong social safety net fails to reach those in dire need. The gap isn’t just logistical but rooted in the ignored voices of those it aims to serve.

India's social protection has grown from 19% in 2015 to an estimated 64.3% by 2025, with nearly 940 million people covered. Yet, many still face barriers to accessing schemes, and issues like leakage, social security gaps and policy flaws persist.

Concerns include - benefits focused on the formal sector, awareness gaps, administrative hurdles, payment delays, and a digital divide. These flaws stem from poor policy formulation and overlook grassroots voices.

Despite continued efforts, socio-economic disparities remain, leaving marginalised groups unaware and struggling. This stems from a lack of understanding of community information flow and eligibility dynamics. Administrative hurdles, infrastructural issues and delays worsen gaps. Top-down policies and lack of inclusive feedback create biases that hinder access for intended populations.

Democracy relies on dialogue to maintain the social contract. The Constitution established a representative democracy, giving law-making power to elected members, which can make citizens feel excluded from real decisions.

Improving democracy requires public participation and open discussions to create better laws and policies. As visibility and technology improve, people want a stronger voice and more feedback channels, which are often lacking or not inclusive today.

Public participation in law-making, rooted in democracy and the Constitution, was supported by India's Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy (PLCP) of 2014, which aimed for public consultation for at least 30 days. It is widely believed that the inadequate implementation of this consultation policy also played a crucial role in perpetuating gaps in social protection.

A robust, genuinely participatory PLCP is an essential requirement for creating social welfare schemes that are truly responsive, equitable, and effective.

While the PLCP can contribute effectively at the policy formulation stage, efforts, like the 73rd and 74th amendments, can be applied and strengthened at the subsequent phases of the policy implementation and claim-making process.

Legally backed schemes like rural employment generation (MGNREGA), building and construction workers welfare (BOCW) and others require social audits at the monitoring and evaluation stage. These are some of the existing mechanisms available at various stages of the policy cycle.

Implementation of PLCP remains weak and non-mandatory. The policy emphasises consultation, a one-way process, over deliberation involving active dialogue. Although it empowered government departments, it lacks enforceability as an executive policy without legal backing. Data shows many bills lacked consultations and missed deadlines. Public feedback is non-binding, undermining trust and limiting practical effectiveness.

To maximize India’s social protection, the government must enforce and strengthen its PLCP by promoting meaningful, widespread public participation at all stages of policy development and implementation.

Some argue extensive pre-legislative consultation is time-consuming, costly, and risks slowing processes or empowering interest groups. They believe elected officials already reflect public will.

However, this overlooks long-term costs of poorly drafted laws and benefits of data-driven insights that prevent issues and improve policy impact.

Representatives can't capture all lived experiences needed for social welfare. The challenge is creating an inclusive, pragmatic consultation that balances efficiency and democratic input.

Digital platforms can enhance transparency, feedback and policy adjustments. Initiatives like PayDash in MGNREGA show technology’s potential to boost efficiency, but digital tools aren’t standalone; bandwidth and literacy barriers exist. Technology's strength is supporting better human interaction and outreach.

Digital governance should be human-centred, augmenting community engagement and local capacity with accessible, user-friendly solutions supporting marginalised populations.

The solution is to make the PLCP a binding co-creation commitment through legal measures, ensuring ministry involvement and public input. This involves inclusive consultation processes, such as multi-lingual campaigns, accessible feedback channels, simplified legal language and a centralised digital database.

Organisations such as Gram Vaani, Civis, Haqdarshak, and Reap Benefit use technology and community models to promote citizen engagement in governance, policy, and feedback.

We must empower local governance and community organisations with trained representatives. Strengthen panchayat institutions (PRI) and gram sabhas as primary facilitators for local input and social audits, as they provide a reliable framework for consultation.

Using legal models (PRIs, SHGs), promoting diversity, awareness and accountability through social audits and digital platforms can prevent elite capture.

Deliberative processes involving community reps, NGOs, and user groups can amplify impact, avoiding delays. Technology enhances voices through forums, vernacular outreach and civil society involvement in excluded areas. Transparent feedback loops, showing how public input influences policies, build trust and boost engagement among reluctant stakeholders.

India's social protection needs a participatory policy approach, moving away from a top-down method that overlooks community input. Making the PLCP a legal requirement, ensuring transparent consultation, and empowering local institutions can help develop social welfare schemes that meet diverse needs.

An updated PLCP with regular consultations is vital, as early deliberation helps implementation by bridging divides, empowering marginalised groups and strengthening social safety nets. This boosts democratic legitimacy and promotes an equitable, resilient society.

(The writer is co-founder and CEO of Gram Vaani)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.