♌Former India director for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Veena Reddy's name has been on the news amid the row over the alleged US funding of 21 USD million to increase “voter turnout in India”.
𒅌Reddy's name came to the limelight following BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani's demand for an investigation into the funding. Jethmalani also questioned Reddy's role in the fund allocation. The whole controversy stemmed from US President Donald Trump’s recent comments indicating that the fund could have been used to influence the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results.
DOGE Cancels Funds, Trump Defends Move
ꦗThe Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) established under the Trump administration recently said it decided to slash USD 723 million in foreign aid funding as part of its broader budget overhaul plans.
♐Alongside the India voter turnout funds of USD 21 million, the list of scrapped funding included a USD 29 million grant for "strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh" and USD 39 million for "fiscal federalism" and "biodiversity conservation" in Nepal, among other international fundings.
𝔉Defending Tesla CEO Elon Musk-led DOGE's decision to cancel the fund for India, US President Donald Trump raised questions on the need for such financial aid considering the country's economic growth and high tariffs.
☂"Why are we giving USD 21 million to India? They have a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving USD 21 million for voter turnout?" Trump said.
Who Is Veena Reddy?
Veena Reddy is an Andhra Pradesh-born American diplomat who joined USAID’s India office on August 5, 2021. A month after the announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha ജElection results, she announced her return to the US on July 17, 2024.
🦩According to the US Embassy, Reddy pursued law studies and holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from Columbia University School of Law and an MA and BA from the University of Chicago.
꧋Ahead of joining the US government as a foreign services officer, Reddy pursued a career in law as a corporate attorney in New York, London, and Los Angeles.
🐭As per the US Embassy, Reddy was the first Indian American to lead USAID in India and Bhutan. Besides, she also spearheaded USAID’s mission in Cambodia and served as the deputy mission head in Haiti. She also served in USAID missions in Pakistan, the Central Asian Republics, and Central America.
🌌She was also associated with the agency as its assistant general counsel, covering legal matters for USAID’s programs in Asia, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Reddy has also been a member of bar councils of New York and California.
💞According to the US Department of State, Reddy also oversaw various projects in the fields of health, economic development, education and social services, democracy, human rights, and governance etc,
🥃Several prominent government bodies including India Railways, Ministry of Power, NITI Aayog, National Power Training Institute (NPTI) and Power Sector Skill Council, NTPC Green National Skills Development Corporation, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Atal Innovation Mission either signed fresh agreements or implemented USAID-funded programmes during Reddy’s stint in New Delhi.
USAID Fund Growth During Her Tenure As Chief
According to an India Today♏ report, during her tenure as the India chief of USAID, net funds disbursements for Indian projects by USAID saw a remarkable increase jumping multifold to over 228 million USD or Rs 1,982 crore in 2022, the highest since 2001.
🏅As per the US government data, in 2020, Indian projects received 83.2 million USD from the USAID which jumped to 94.3 million USD in 2021 and continued to skyrocket to 228 million USD in 2022 before falling slightly to 175.7 million USD in 2023 and 151.8 million USD in 2024,
꧂Out of a total $228 million fund for 2022, USAID India spent $140.7 million (or nearly 50%) on Basic Health, $25.09 million on Maternal and Child Health, $10.57 million on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness programmes, $7.186 million on General Environmental Protection and $5.6 million on Energy, as per official data.
