Overview

Azim Premji University announced the launch of Realising Rights: A Handbook of Welfare in India, a new volume that analyses the achievements, gaps, and future of India’s welfare architecture. The handbook was developed by the Centre for the Study of the Indian Economy (CSIE) and brings together 27 authors contributing to 18 chapters, offering a rights‑based analysis of major welfare policies and public systems.

Core Findings

  • State governments now account for nearly 90 % of India’s social sector spending, while the Union government’s share has declined from 23.6 % in FY 2008‑09 to 8.5 % in FY 2024‑25.
  • Collectively, governments spend about 7 % of GDP and 21 % of total public expenditure on the welfare sectors and schemes covered in the volume.
  • Public spending on education remains around 4 % of GDP, and health spending stays below 2 % of GDP, both short of policy targets.
  • Rights‑based interventions have markedly expanded coverage:
  • Anganwadi centres increased from 6 lakh to 14 lakh following Supreme Court orders.
  • The National Food Security Act expanded subsidised food‑grain coverage from 36.3 crore to over 81 crore people.
  • MGNREGA generates 200–300 crore person‑days of employment annually, with women constituting over 55 % of the employment generated.
  • The rapid expansion of cash‑transfer programmes is reshaping welfare delivery, while greater digitisation introduces new challenges around exclusion and accountability.
  • Persistent gaps remain in several programmes, including maternity benefits, nutrition schemes, pensions, and healthcare.

Statements from Leadership

Indu Prasad, President of Azim Premji University, said: “India’s Constitution embodies a commitment to dignity, opportunity, and justice for every citizen. We hope this Handbook contributes to informed public dialogue and strengthens collective efforts to build a more equitable and inclusive India, advancing the aspiration of a Viksit Bharat that leaves no one behind.”

Dipa Sinha of CSIE added: “The Handbook provides a comprehensive view of India’s welfare landscape through an analysis of major rights‑based interventions of the Union government. We hope it serves as a valuable resource for academics, journalists, practitioners, and students, while helping translate research into action.”

Availability and Institutional Background

The handbook is available online at azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/publications/2026/book/realising-rights. Azim Premji University was established under the Azim Premji University Act 2010 (Karnataka) and subsequent state acts in Madhya Pradesh (2022) and Jharkhand (2022). The university operates as a fully philanthropic entity under the Azim Premji Foundation, with a social purpose of contributing to a just, equitable, humane, and sustainable society.

Implications

By collating evidence across sectors, the handbook aims to inform debates on welfare policy, governance, and social justice, emphasizing the need to strengthen universal and accountable public services.