Can the constitutional mandate of rights-based welfare be effectively realised in the context of non-integrated governance and minimal public investment ? Examine. (Answer in 250 words)

- Can the constitutional mandate of rights-based welfare be effectively realised in the context of non-integrated governance and minimal public investment ? Examine. (Answer in 250 words)
Introduction
India’s Constitution increasingly embodies a rights-based welfare approach, reflected in guarantees relating to food, education, work and dignity. However, such rights require coordinated institutions and adequate public expenditure for meaningful realization.
Body
Challenges of Non-Integrated Governance:
1. Departmental Silos: Health, nutrition, education, sanitation and livelihood programmes often function independently despite being interdependent.
2. Centre-State Coordination Gaps: Overlapping responsibilities and uneven administrative capacities produce variations in welfare delivery.
3. Fragmented Databases: Poor interoperability among welfare platforms can cause duplication, exclusion and difficulties in identifying beneficiaries.
4. Weak Local Governance: Panchayats and urban local bodies often lack adequate finances, staff and decision-making authority for effective last-mile delivery.
Impact of Minimal Public Investment:
1. Health and Education: Inadequate public spending leads to shortages of doctors, teachers, infrastructure and learning facilities.
2. Social Protection: Limited fiscal allocation can reduce the adequacy and coverage of schemes such as pensions, nutrition programmes and employment guarantees.
3. Rights Without Capacity: Legal entitlements become ineffective when grievance redressal systems, monitoring institutions and frontline personnel remain under-resourced.
4. Regional Inequality: Poorer States with weaker fiscal capacity struggle to provide uniform standards of welfare.
Yet, rights-based laws such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Right to Education Act and National Food Security Act have strengthened citizen claims and governmental accountability.
Conclusion
Thus, constitutional welfare rights cannot be fully realised through legislation alone. They require integrated governance, adequate public investment, empowered local institutions and effective accountability mechanisms to transform formal entitlements into substantive social citizenship.