Spending has been increased again, but there’s still no effort in the Budget to improve outcomes

In this Budget, the government has raised the outlay for social sector schemes — from drinking water and sanitation to education and health. This is clearly important. But the question is: how will this money be spent so that it can make the difference in people’s welfare? At this moment, there is little understanding about how to ensure that the social service schemes are more effective and reach the people they are meant to service.