It is believed that all publicity, save for an obituary notice, is desirable. Is it possible that an excess of publicity could lead to the filing of an obituary of a political dispensation? The prime minister’s critics may agree. The outcome of the general election would prove, or disprove, their contention. But there is, however, merit in examining their reservations. It has come to light that over 50 per cent of the funds earmarked for the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative, a welfare programme implemented by Narendra Modi to correct the skewed nature of India’s sex ratio and empower women, has been spent on publicity. While responding to a query by parliamentarians, the Union minister of state for women and child development stated that of the total Rs 648 crore that had been allocated for the scheme in five years, a princely sum of Rs 364.66 crore has been blown up on advertising it. Consequently, not much difference has been made on the ground. Reports suggest that an analysis of census data reveals that the sex ratio remains imbalanced not just in rural areas but also in metropolitan India. Greater public investment in education and awareness could have made the difference. But Mr Modi does not covet slow, meaningful transitions: he is a man in a hurry and besotted with the spotlight. It has also been decided that gifts received by the prime minister — sculptures, paintings, turbans, shawls — would be auctioned to raise funds to clean the Ganga. Have the funds dried up, much like the river? Unlikely. A report by the National Green Tribunal stated that not less than Rs 7,000 crore had been spent on the project in two years. Yet, the NGT concluded that the river’s health remains unchanged. Delivering on pledges, be they in social welfare, environment or the economy, does not seem to be Mr Modi’s forte. Does that explain his reliance on the art of spin?

Ideally, publicity should be viewed as a tool to disseminate information. But the ingenuity of politicians in India and around the world has resulted in its transformation into a weapon for obfuscating inconvenient truths. This distortion goes against the tenets of transparency and truth. The Election Commission has imposed limitations on expenditures incurred by individual contestants in polls; can Parliament mull a similar ceiling on the money that governments spend on advertising welfare schemes? The greater good is an entitlement; not a sop for citizens.