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New Delhi, February 18, 2025 – Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), has raised serious concerns regarding the influence of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS). He emphasized that those worried about USAID’s involvement in Indian elections should also scrutinize its role in shaping India’s medical and social policies.
In a post on the social media platform X, Sanyal alleged that USAID “effectively ran India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS) from the 1990s till it was stopped two years ago.” He described NFHS as the most critical medical dataset in India, influencing significant health policy decisions.
“Not only were we allowing a foreign agency to harvest our medical data, but by allowing them to design surveys and direct analysis, we were letting them influence our national health responses,” Sanyal stated.
Concerns Over Bias in NFHS Questionnaire
Sanyal also pointed out that NFHS surveys were allegedly designed to support specific social narratives. He highlighted a stark difference in the questionnaire structure, with the men’s section spanning 29 pages while the women’s questionnaire extended to 94 pages.
“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,” he remarked.
According to Sanyal, both he and the late economist Bibek Debroy strongly opposed this practice, including raising their concerns in newspaper columns. He welcomed the Indian government’s decision to conduct the latest NFHS independently under the Ministry of Health.
Allegations of Foreign Funding in Elections
Sanyal’s remarks also coincided with a statement from the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by billionaire Elon Musk. The agency recently declared the cancellation of several international funding projects, including a $21 million allocation for voter turnout in India.
Sanyal questioned the transparency of such funding, saying, “Would love to find out who received the $21mn spent to improve ‘voter turnout in India’ and the $29mn to ‘strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh’; not to mention the $29mn spent to improve ‘fiscal federalism’ in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history.”
Government’s Stance and the Way Forward
With increasing concerns over external influences on India’s health and electoral systems, the Indian government’s move to independently manage NFHS data is seen as a significant step toward ensuring national control over critical policy decisions. The impact of USAID’s withdrawal from NFHS and other funding initiatives remains to be seen.
Disclaimer: This article is based on statements made by Sanjeev Sanyal and available public information. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not necessarily reflect the stance of this publication. Readers are encouraged to verify facts from multiple sources before forming opinions.
