Suvojit Chattopadhyay works on public policy and development, and is currently based in Nairobi, Kenya. Suvojit blogs 
The government wants to make India open-defecation free. Building toilets is not enough.
Suvojit Chattopadhyay
India is a federal republic, and states matter. The recent state elections were important in their own right, and not for what lessons they might hold for the next general election.
Formulating government programs is just one part of the puzzle. Implementation matters. This government has the wrong approach.
Decentralisation has gotten the short end of the rope because of political battles over federalism and what it means for everyone.
This government has broken most of its promises from past budgets. This budget is a tool of political expediency. 2019 is coming. What matters now is rhetoric, not governance.
The Congress party seems to be getting its act together. Here are three areas they need to focus on to pose a challenge in 2019.
The 'Left' and the 'Right' have one thing in common: the lust for power. And there are three ways in which this power is exercised.