Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this has been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth?

Compression then entitlements

Spending stayed flat in the 1990s under fiscal stabilisation, then rights-based laws such as MGNREGA, the RTE Act 2009 and the NFSA 2013 expanded it.

States and assets

After 42% devolution in 2015, states gained untied funds while the Centre funded toilets, houses, tap water and LPG and widened DBT.

Composition

Health spending grew at a CAGR of 15.8% between FY18 and FY24 against 9.4% for education.

Deprivation down

NITI Aayog's MPI fell from 55.3% in 2005-06 to 14.96% in 2019-21, and out-of-pocket health spending fell from 62.6% of the total in 2014-15 to 39.4% in 2021-22 (National Health Accounts).

Benchmarks missed

Health and education spending remain below the 2.5% and 6% of GDP goals of the National Health Policy 2017 and NEP 2020, and ASER shows weak foundational reading.

Uneven reach

Per-head spending is lowest in high-poverty states such as Bihar, and MGNREGA wage delays persist.