There is a wide diversity in the provision of public services in India. In some states one can go miles without seeing a functional school, public health centre, or a well-maintained road. In contrast, a few states provide public services to all in an efficient manner. In this book I discuss how Tamil Nadu, one of the remarkable states, developed its social commitment to delivering services effectively.
When it comes to delivering public services, Tamil Nadu is distinguished from most other states both in terms of the quality of services and in the number of people that these services reach. For example, Tamil Nadu is among the top states when it comes to full immunization of children, availability of primary schools, primary health centres, ante-natal care for pregnant women and many other aspects of public service delivery. Such services are physically and socially accessible to an overwhelming majority of the population as it has been documented in numerous surveys and studies[1].
Along with widespread availability, a lot of thought and effort have gone into ensuring that these services function well. The table below summarizes the key differences in the functioning of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in Tamil Nadu and North Indian states. Similarly, the Public Distribution System (PDS), public health, schools, mid-day meals, public transport and other public services also function better in Tamil Nadu than in most other parts of India. This book examines how such a difference came about by examining the roots of social commitment to public services in Tamil Nadu. A summary of that argument is available in the next piece of this series.
Facilities in ICDS centres of Tamil Nadu and other states
| FACILITIES | TN | NORTH(a) |
| Own building | 88 | 18 |
| Kitchen | 85 | 30 |
| Storage facilities | 88 | 58 |
| Medicine kit | 81 | 22 |
| Toilet | 44 | 17 |
| Average opening hours per day | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| % children who attend regularly (b) | ||
| Age 0-3 | 59 | 20 |
| Age 3-6 | 87 | 56 |
| % mothers who report that: | ||
| Pre-school education takes place | 89 | 47 |
| Motivation of the worker is “high” | 67 | 39 |
| Worker ever visited them at home | 58 | 22 |
| % women who had PNC (d) | 100 | 55 |
| % children who are “fully immunized” (c) | 71 | 41 |
| Avg. months since training | 6 | 30 |
| % workers who have not been paid (e) | 0 | 22 |
(a) Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
(b) Among those enrolled at the local Anganwadi; responses from mothers.
(c) Based on assessment of investigators.
(d) Among those who delivered a baby during the preceding 12 months.
(e) Workers who have not been paid in the last three months before the survey.
Articles in the series
- About Delivering public services effectively: TN & Beyond
- How I became interested in TN’s public services
- The root of TN’s commitment to services
- Decentralized action & Great social movements of Tamil Nadu
- Why decentralized action increased from 70s in Tamil Nadu
- Why public services & not land reforms?
[1] Detailed references are available in the introduction.