Improving Access to Quality Education 

Education vouchers making waves at the Planning Commission!  

Government schools which are supposed to cater to most of India's poor are notorious for their problems:  62 % drop-out rate, students who can't write their own names, teacher absenteeism and lack of accountability. 

CCS' Education Choice Campaign has long been advocating the concept of 'Fund students, not schools' to increase quality of education and accountability. This is because funding poor students  through education vouchers  enthuses public schools to compete with each other and hence provide quality education, to attract more students. The campaign has achieved a major breakthrough with the Planning Commission of India now considering a voucher system of funding education as an alternative model for ensuring equitable access to quality education. For further details, click here.

Compliance with Right to Information Act unsatisfactory throughout country: CCS Report

Following the enactment of the Right to Information Act 2005 in May 2005, all citizens have the right to access information from the government bodies which spend public money or perform  public services.

A CCS study has found that while not a single state in India showed more that 48% compliance with the 'Duty to Publish' aspect of the RTI Act, over seven states showed absolutely no compliance. The study ranks education departments in 29 states and public service agencies in 6 metros based on the level of voluntary disclosure of information. For highlights of the report, click here.

Following the success of the report, the Central Information Commission has commissioned CCS to prepare its annual report for presentation in parliament.  CCS President, Parth J Shah has been made member of the Steering Committee of the Central Information Commission.

Helping civil society participate in govt's urban renewal mission

CCS is coordinating Delhi-based organisations to evaluate, monitor, and guide the policy reforms entailed in the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for urban reforms.  CCS has been organizing a number of meetings to enable Delhi civil society organizations to participate in the mission. To access JNNURM documents and minutes of all meetings, click here.

At a CCS dialogue on Water Reforms: State and Communities held in collaboration with the India International Centre, 45 representatives from various resident welfare associations of Delhi adopted a charter of demands to manage the city's water supply. This included revival the city's traditional water bodies and display of quarterly accounts on the Delhi Jal Board website.

New program on public policy for youth launched 

CCS launched a unique 11-day residential program aimed at equipping the youth with the knowledge of public policy to bring about social change. The I, Society & Public Policy (ISPP) Seminar held from 8-18 June saw participation from 35 students from India and Nepal.

At the CCS Communicating Freedom Workshop held from 26-30 July in Delhi, 23 graduates from various CCS seminars learnt of innovative ways to communicate freedom and lead powerful campaigns for social change. To know about other CCS student seminars, click here.

CCS president at the Atlas 

CCS President Parth J Shah was invited by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, to present Asia's strategies for escape from poverty at its 25th Anniversary celebrations in the US in June 2006. To see his presentation India: the elephant in the age of liberation, click here. 

Invest in every Indian’s right to prosper

CCS’ efforts to advance opportunity and prosperity in India are supported by the generous contributions of individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations.  For more information about how you can invest in social change through public policy reform, please contact Rene Wildermuth at rene@ccsindia.org

 Forthcoming 

Liberty & Society seminars 2006 in six Indian cities starting 24 August 2006

Public Eye on Public Services: Police reforms  (17 August 2006, Conference Room-II, India International Centre, New Delhi, 6:30 pm -8:30 pm)