Context: Recently, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, in partnership with several other stakeholders has launched a behaviour change campaign called ‘Navigating the New Normal’, and its website.
Key Points

• The campaign has been launched in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation(BMGF), Centre for Social and Behavioural Change (CSBC), Ashoka University and the Ministries of Health and Women and child development.
• Aim: To develop an appropriate COVID safe behavior in the country such as by making people adapt to wearing masks as a part of their daily routine.

Features: The campaign has two parts

• The first is a web portal containing resources informed by behavioural science and the use of nudge and social norms theory related to Covid-safe behavioural norms during the ongoing Unlock phase and
• The second is a media campaign focused on the wearing of masks.
• The portal focuses on easy implementation of four key behaviours in the unlock phase: mask-wearing (essential focus), social distancing, Hand hygiene, and not spitting in public.
• Citizens Role: It aims at desired social behaviour in which the enforcement burden shifts from the Government to the citizens.
• Sector Specific: The website will have sector-specific collaterals and guidelines for health, nutrition, and public transport (in metro cities).
• International Examples: Japan and South Korea have made ‘mask-wearing’ a socially accepted norm.

Recent Examples/Initiatives in India

• Recently, Meghalaya has issued a new health protocol which also lays emphasis on the Behaviour Change Model for living with Covid-19.
• The Economic Survey 2019 too lays out an ambitious agenda for behavioural change by applying the principles of behavioural economics to several issues, including gender equality, a healthy and beautiful India, savings, tax compliance and credit quality.

About Behavioural Science

• Behavioural science is a method of analysis that applies psychological insights into human behaviour to explain their decision-making
• In reality, decisions made by people often deviate from the classical principles. Drawing on the psychology of human behaviour, science provides insights to ‘nudge’ people towards desirable behaviour.

Additional Facts

• Nudge and Social Norms Theory: The theory says that people rather than being forced can be encouraged and influenced to pursue or desist from certain actions through nudges(encouragement or intervention).
• The Nudge theory got international spotlight when Richard Thaler bagged the Economics Nobel Prize in 2017 for his work on behavioural economics.