Bulk of aid went to US health initiatives

UNDER the Joe Biden administration, the US provided $720 million in assistance to India over the past four years, with 64% allocated to health initiatives, mostly managed by the now-defunct USAID, and $20.1 million for democratic participation and civil society - a sector that is currently sparking political controversy in India over spending on voter turnout, according to an analysis of US government data by this newspaper.

- Arshad Khan @New Delhi

Ranked between 4th and 5th among 15 South and Central Asian countries, India's share of US assistance over the past four years was 35% less than Pakistan's $970 million, and significantly higher than China's $49.7 million during the same period. However, in South Asia, Bangladesh received $1.89 billion, nearly 162% more than India. However, in 2022, India received $20 million more than Pakistan, totaling $250 million in aid, primarily due to post-COVID initiatives.

The health sector received a total of $462 million in the past four years for various programmes, including fighting HIV-AIDS administered through USAID.

Elon Musk, involved in the White House's efforts to reduce the size of the federal government, had previously called the USAID "a criminal organization" and claimed that Trump had agreed to shut it down.