Though cognisant of the need to accommodate India’s diversity, the Indian Constitution does give more powers to the Union government. The Union government cannot, therefore, intervene in the domain of State governments. Inspiring initiativesWhile coalition governments provided space for regional voices within the Union government, policy innovations by State governments have inspired several developmental initiatives by the Union government. Ayushman Bharat is based on health insurance programmes launched by State governments such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. M. Vijayabaskar is with the Madras Institute of Development Studies, and a member of the State Development Policy Council, Government of Tamil Nadu.

Source: The Hindu August 14, 2021 22:17 UTC