Modi Govt using technology to exclude vulnerable groups from welfare schemes: Jairam Ramesh

United News of India

5 days ago

New Delhi, June 23 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday accused the Modi government of systematically using technology to exclude the most vulnerable sections of society from accessing their rightful social welfare entitlements.
In a post on X, the Rajya Sabha MP highlighted a series of technological measures which he claimed, have turned out to exclusionary in nature.
'Aadhaar was weaponised to block crores of workers from MGNREGA. Acid attack survivors had to battle in court just to enroll in Aadhaar. Adivasis across the country still lose rations to tech glitches,' he said.
Ramesh also expressed concerns over the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) for delivering benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), warning that it could further become a hurdle for pregnant women.
'All over the world, evidence has emerged that FRT discriminates against class and colour of the skin,' he said.
He also cited the failures of other technological platforms such as the Aadhaar-based Payment System (ABPS) and the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app.
Ramesh pointed to findings from the 365th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, which noted that the introduction of ABPS in the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) had severely impacted the ability of eligible pregnant and lactating women to receive benefits.
'The number of beneficiaries paid has dipped drastically, from 96 lakh women in FY19-20 to 27 lakh women in FY23-24,' he said.
'Still, the Modi government continues to introduce discriminatory technologies,' he said, adding that "Digital India should empower, not disempower".
'It must not remain a Preach Inclusion Practice Exclusion (PIPE) dream,' he added.
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