Sanjeev Sanyal reveals USAID’s role in shaping India’s medical, social policies, and election processes
Sanjeev Sanyal, Economic Adviser to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has highlighted the covert influence of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on India’s key policy decisions, including its medical and social frameworks, as well as its electoral processes, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
USAID controlled India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS) until 2022, influencing national policies
Taking to X on Monday, Sanyal revealed that USAID “effectively ran” India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS) from the 1990s until it was halted by the Modi government in 2022. He alleged that the agency not only harvested India’s medical data but also designed surveys to shape specific social narratives.
“Those concerned about USAID’s interference in Indian elections should be equally concerned about its tentacles in India’s medical system and social policies. USAID effectively ran India’s NFHS from the 1990s till it was stopped two years ago. This is the most important medical dataset in India and drives a lot of health policy,” Sanyal posted.
Sanyal calls out manipulation in NFHS questionnaires and government action to reclaim control.
Sanyal pointed out discrepancies in the NFHS questionnaire structure, emphasizing that the men’s questionnaire was only 29 pages, while the women’s was 94 pages, seemingly designed to push a narrative of intra-family violence against Indian women.
“A lot of the additional questions are deliberately worded to elicit a narrative of intra-family violence against Indian women. Must say, very slyly done. Readers will recall that late Bibek Debroy and I strongly pushed back against this. Fortunately, the Government of India took up the matter, and the latest NFHS is now being conducted independently by the Health Ministry.”
— Sanjeev Sanyal, Economic Adviser to PM Modi
Acknowledging that it took the NDA government eight years to phase out USAID’s role in NFHS, Sanyal explained that dismantling a long-established system was a gradual process.
“Some people are asking why USAID conducted the 2019-21 NFHS survey and was not removed earlier. Well, it is not so easy to upturn a well-established system that went back decades. It takes time to recognize a problem and build the capability to replace it,” he added.
BJP cites DOGE revelations on USAID’s involvement in India’s elections
The BJP has seized upon revelations from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), established by former US President Donald Trump, which disclosed that the US had canceled several costly programs, including $486 million for the ‘Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.’ This included $21 million allocated for “voter turnout” efforts in India.
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