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Sarthak Agrawal
Sarthak Agrawal is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. Previously, he has worked as a researcher with the World Bank, DC and as an economist with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, London. He has an MPhil in Economics from Oxford University and a bachelor's degree is in economics and from Shri Ram College of Commerce.
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Budget 2021-22: Does it address structural issues?
Highlighting some of the key features of the 2021-22 Union Budget, Sarthak Agarwal contends that although this Budget was presented in an exceptionally difficult period for the Indian economy, policymakers have remained cognisant of the structural challenges facing the country.
How Prayagraj is addressing learning poverty in its Anganwadis
Despite increasing school enrolment rates, learning levels in India remain low. In this note, Agrawal and Kheria describe the efforts being made by the district administration in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to incorporate early childhood education into the care provided by Anganwadis. They highlight efforts to train Anganwadi workers and leverage technology to engage parents in their children's learning, as well as administrative endeavours to upgrade the infrastructure at Anganwadi centres to ensure greater chances of success from accessing education.
इल्लम थेडी कलवी: कोविड के बाद की शिक्षा के लिए एक बूस्टर शॉट
कोविड -19 महामारी के दौरान स्कूल बंद होने के कारण हुए शिक्षण के नुकसान की चिंताओं के बीच, तमिलनाडु के एक स्वयंसेवक-आधारित शिक्षा कार्यक्रम - इल्लम थेडी कलवी (आईटीके) – ने सीखने की खाई को पाटने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई है। इस लेख में, सार्थक अग्रवाल ने ग्रामीण आईटीके कक्षा में किये अपने दौरे को याद किया है, और कार्यक्रम की सफलता में योगदान देने वाले कारकों की और इस मॉडल से अन्य राज्य क्या सीख ले सकते हैं, इसकी रूपरेखा प्रस्तुत की है।
Illam Thedi Kalvi: A booster shot for post-Covid education
Amidst worries about learning loss caused by school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, Tamil Nadu's Illam Thedi Kalvi (ITK) – a volunteer-based education programme – has played a vital role in bridging the learning gap. In this note, Sarthak Agrawal recounts his visit to a rural ITK classroom, outlines the factors which have contributed to the success of the programme, and the lessons that other states can learn from this model.
How Prayagraj is leveraging wastewater surveillance to prevent another pandemic
This note by Agrawal and Siva outlines efforts taken by the Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh to collect samples from sewage treatment plants and test them for the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. They found a correlation between surveillance results and test results two weeks later, suggesting that wastewater surveillance can be used for early detection of the disease. They also highlight the potential to use wastewater surveillance to understand antimicrobial resistance, and to monitor diseases during large events.
आरसीईपी व्यापार समझौता – मौका छोड़ दिया गया?
हाल ही में प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने घोषणा की है कि भारत दक्षिण पूर्व एशियाई देशों और इसके मुक्त-व्यापार भागीदारों के बीच क्षेत्रीय व्यापक आर्थिक भागीदारी (रीजनल कोंप्रिहेंसिव इकनॉमिक पार्टनर्शिप - आरसीईपी) समझौते में शामिल नहीं होगा। ऐसा इसलिए किया गया क्योंकि सरकार को चिंता थी कि कुछ आरसीईपी देशों से आयात में वृद्धि का प्रभाव भारतीय कृषि और उद्योग पर पड़ सकता है। पुख्ता शैक्षणिक साक्ष्यों का उपयोग करते हुए अग्रवाल और मल्होत्रा यह चर्चा कर रहे हैं कि अगर इस रुख पर पुनर्विचार करना हो तो सरकार का किन बातों पर ध्यान देना जरूरी होगा।
RCEP trade agreement: The road not taken?
Prime Minister Modi recently announced that India would not be joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement between Southeast Asian Nations and its free-trading partners. It is mainly due to concerns on the impact that it would have on Indian agriculture and industry because of increased imports from some RCEP countries. Using rigorous academic evidence, Agrawal and Malhotra discuss what the government should reflect on, if it were to reconsider its stance.
Insights from the rollout of LAKSHYAM – an integrated performance management system
In rural parts of India, Lekhpals or patwaris play an important role in upholding property rights by maintaining land records – however, there is no effective system to track their performance. In this note, Sarthak Agrawal describes the implementation of LAKSHYAM, a system for holistic assessment and management of Lekhpals, in his tehsil, Soraon, in Uttar Pradesh. He describes the system design, and the effect providing incentives had on worker outcomes, revenue board performance, and accountability.