Madhya Pradesh News : Chief Secretary Shri Anurag Jain and Nobel Laureate Prof. Michael Robert Kreamer held discussions with senior officials from various departments at the Mantralaya on Friday
Madhya Pradesh News : Chief Secretary Shri Anurag ,focusing on making the development initiatives more effective through evidence-based strategies. The meeting had deliberations on strengthening the state’s development efforts in health, agriculture, education, and water sectors through evidence-backed interventions.
Prof. Michael Kreamer is an American development economist who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2019, jointly with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty. Prof. Kreamer highlighted a key finding from his studies — that providing families with access to safe drinking water can reduce infant mortality by nearly 20%. He noted that newborns are highly vulnerable to waterborne diseases, and surveys conducted during his research concluded that one in four deaths could be prevented by ensuring access to safe drinking water. He emphasized that the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ like program plays a critical role in improving child health.
Prof. Kreamer presented a framework for new experimental methodologies that bring together researchers, Indian government institutions, private firms, and non-profit organizations to identify, test, and refine scalable approaches capable of benefiting millions of people. He stated that rigorous testing is essential before scaling up development programs. He also expressed satisfaction over the Jal Jeevan Mission’s efforts in Madhya Pradesh to provide water to rural households and ensure that the water meets quality .
Prof. Kreamer responded to various questions from officials on drinking water, health, agriculture, education, and climate change, and also offered valuable suggestions.
Mr. Ankur Garg, Country Director of Evidence Action, gave a detailed presentation on the organization’s work in India. He explained how the organization transforms proven research into large-scale impactful programs. Shri. Garg also shared how Evidence Action continues to support the state government, particularly in the areas of health and water.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Dr. Rajesh Rajora, Additional Chief Secretary Higher Education Shri. Anupam Rajan, Additional Chief Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development Sushri Deepali Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies Sushri Rashmi Arun Shami, Principal Secretary, Public Health and Medical Education Shri. Sandeep Yadav, Secretary, School Education Dr. Sanjay Goyal, Secretary, Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare Shri. Nishant Warwade, Secretary, Women and Child Development Sushri. G.V. Rashmi, Director, National Health Mission Dr. Saloni Sidana and other departmental officials.
Delegation from Development Innovation Lab Meets CS Shri Jain
A high-level delegation from the University of Chicago’s Development Innovation Lab and the global non-profit organization Evidence Action met Chief Secretary Shri Anurag Jain. During the meeting, Shri Jain held meaningful discussions on current issues and briefed the delegation about development activities taking place in various sectors across the state.