India, Sept. 15 -- India has set a lofty economic target for itself: becoming a high-income country by 2047. To achieve this goal, it has to grow at an average of 8% at least the next decade. It is a formidable challenge that calls for significant policy re-imagination and leaves practically no room for guesswork. In other words, India must double down on programmes with proven effectiveness and local relevance so they benefit as many people as possible, in as many places as possible.

The practice of rigorously evaluating development programmes to make policy decisions has steadily grown in popularity over the years. The national as well as state governments in India have also warmed up to the idea. The appeal of testing social programme...