Articles by Sandhya Venkateswaran
Federal financing of health: Implications for capacity and priority
This article is authored by Avani Kapur, Ritwik Shukla, Sharad Pandey, CPR and Indranil Mukhopadhyay, Janak Raj, Prajakta Shukla, & Sandhya Venkateswaran, CSEP.
![Health Health](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/06/07/148x111/Adayu-Mindfulness-is-a-dedicated-vertical-for-comp_1713965331806_1717748471671.jpg)
Published on Jun 07, 2024 01:53 PM IST
Reimagine the State-citizen social contract
In India’s democracy, as in any other, the social contract between political leaders and the governed determines how long they govern and the focus of their governance
![After 75 years, the question is whether the social contract with our political leaders is based on the issues we see as gaps and what are the mechanisms and platforms to reimagine and reconstruct such a contract between ruling regimes and citizens. (Hindustan Times) After 75 years, the question is whether the social contract with our political leaders is based on the issues we see as gaps and what are the mechanisms and platforms to reimagine and reconstruct such a contract between ruling regimes and citizens. (Hindustan Times)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2022/08/20/150x84/b3d5607c-1d92-11ed-bbe8-9cf972e52f11_1661009025968.jpg)
Updated on Aug 20, 2022 08:58 PM IST
Right to health laws need political support
In the 70 years since Independence, scholars have diagnosed health system problems and suggested possible solutions. The legal guarantees in the bills in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu may set the groundwork to put some of these ideas into motion
![Tamil Nadu performs better than the national average on several health indicators, including the provision of antenatal care, institutional deliveries, and full immunisation of children. The Dravidian movement and philosophy, with which both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam are ideologically aligned, have influenced the state’s focus on health care from the 1920s. (Bloomberg) Tamil Nadu performs better than the national average on several health indicators, including the provision of antenatal care, institutional deliveries, and full immunisation of children. The Dravidian movement and philosophy, with which both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam are ideologically aligned, have influenced the state’s focus on health care from the 1920s. (Bloomberg)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2022/05/23/150x84/d6d3a9ca-da90-11ec-92a9-4be92144d693_1653313023937.jpg)
Updated on May 23, 2022 07:13 PM IST
The good, bad, and sober news that the NFHS data presents
As always, national averages belie inter-state differentials. Of note is the change in such differentials over the 2005-20 period
![Maternal health is one of the factors behind child undernutrition and mortality, and anaemia in pregnant women is linked with a negative impact on foetal growth, child birth weight, and maternal health (AFP/Representative Image) Maternal health is one of the factors behind child undernutrition and mortality, and anaemia in pregnant women is linked with a negative impact on foetal growth, child birth weight, and maternal health (AFP/Representative Image)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2021/12/14/150x84/80f382e8-5ce4-11ec-8185-f17e5918f865_1639491622719.jpg)
Updated on Dec 14, 2021 07:54 PM IST
Recognising the role of health in India’s social and economic growth
Focus on a system that responds to the capacity of the State and other stakeholders in the immediate-term, while building on such capacity in the longer term. Better responsiveness to the needs of citizens can drive trust between citizens and the State.
![When we focus on health, there has been progress, but India remains well below peer countries — and where it needs to be — in terms of the well being of citizens. This stems from multiple reasons. (HTPhoto) When we focus on health, there has been progress, but India remains well below peer countries — and where it needs to be — in terms of the well being of citizens. This stems from multiple reasons. (HTPhoto)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2021/09/29/150x84/1695aeee-210c-11ec-bc30-10e4c85a206c_1632910159881.jpg)
Updated on Sep 29, 2021 03:42 PM IST
Women leaders, and women voters, matter
India’s status on women’s political participation has been underwhelming, highlighted by the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2021, where India ranked 140 among 156 participating countries, faring the worst in terms of political empowerment
![Union minister of finance Nirmala Sitharaman and union minister for women & child development Smriti Irani along with newly appointed women Cabinet ministers in New Delhi. (ANI) Union minister of finance Nirmala Sitharaman and union minister for women & child development Smriti Irani along with newly appointed women Cabinet ministers in New Delhi. (ANI)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2021/07/16/150x84/5ef5f550-e62d-11eb-af03-689fec1a83c4_1626437472373.jpg)
Updated on Jul 19, 2021 06:56 AM IST
Covid-19: Battling the second wave
In the immediate context, focus on surveillance and research, infrastructure, behaviour, vaccines. In the medium term, set up a dedicated institution
![Beneficiaries wait at a health centre to receive the dose of Covid-19 vaccine, in Guwahati on Thursday, April 22. (PTI) Beneficiaries wait at a health centre to receive the dose of Covid-19 vaccine, in Guwahati on Thursday, April 22. (PTI)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2021/04/23/150x84/02fc44ba-a42f-11eb-b821-56be0ead4028_1619181535411.jpg)
Updated on Apr 23, 2021 06:08 PM IST
Why don’t voters value health care?
One illness can wreck a family’s income status. Yet, the issue does not rank as a salient factor in voting behaviour for a range of reasons
![With little citizen-demand, and limited appreciation of the health-economy link, it is not surprising that political and electoral attention to health has been limited. This has resulted in India’s health having one of the lowest public investments (HTPHOTO) With little citizen-demand, and limited appreciation of the health-economy link, it is not surprising that political and electoral attention to health has been limited. This has resulted in India’s health having one of the lowest public investments (HTPHOTO)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2021/04/06/150x84/ccce41e2-96e4-11eb-aa45-8ea8997513f9_1617719599196.jpg)
Published on Apr 06, 2021 08:03 PM IST
How Covid-19 can transform health care
The pandemic disrupted life, livelihoods, education and health like little else in recent history
![The pandemic led to innovations in four areas — leveraging technology, leveraging community platforms, strengthening frontline workers and augmenting supply chains (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO) The pandemic led to innovations in four areas — leveraging technology, leveraging community platforms, strengthening frontline workers and augmenting supply chains (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/img/2021/03/09/150x84/94c1230c-80d5-11eb-8f1f-1d9be8c36a96_1615296081702.jpg)
Updated on Mar 10, 2021 06:54 AM IST
Visible tools to tackle hidden hunger
Malnutrition comes in many forms. One has to do with the quantity of food intake, and another with the quality. The much discussed food security Bill holds the potential to contribute significantly to improving India’s poor report card on hunger. Sandhya Venkateswaran writes.
![HT Image HT Image](https://images.hindustantimes.com/default/150x84.jpg)
Updated on Jul 08, 2013 03:09 AM IST
Hindustan Times |
Sandhya Venkateswaran