You are the officer-in-charge responsible for monitoring allotment of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System to BPL families in a given district. A group of BPL families in the district claim that they have been denied ration from fair price shops due to non-linking of Aadhar card with their BPL cards. They remark that the government and officers concerned are not empathising with their situation and stage a silent protest. Further, the incident is also being linked to similar instances in other areas of the country where people were denied access to PDS benefits due to similar reasons. The government receives a lot of criticism for this incident on social media networks. You are now in a conundrum, as you are aware that the BPL families need to get foodgrains on time. However, as a government officer, you also need to follow the prescribed rules. Media scrutiny has further aggravated the situation and you realize you need to tread carefully. 20 Based on the information above, answer the following: (a) List the issues in the given situation that the parties involved are facing. (b) What step(s) will you take in the situation to ensure that the demands of the aggrieved persons are met without violating the rules? (c) In this context, briefly discuss how the poor in the country currently face digital exclusion and its consequence(s).

1. BPL families
2. You as a Supervisor
3. Government
4. PDS shops

Issues -

1. Law vs. Conscience - Rules disallow distribution of grains without Aadhar card but it is moral duty to provide food to hungry and also a policy of welfare state.

2. Duty vs. consequence - Dilemma of means vs. end. Goal is to feed the hungry & giving legal entitlement to BPL families but only legal route is denying the same.

3. State vs. Humanity -> Whether to violate law of state or violate the essence of humanity.

If BPL families are provided grains without Aadhar card, then PDS shops will be encouraged to exploit this loopholes to divert grains as previously done and hence larger purpose of reducing leakage and efficient distribution of system will not be served. Hence in longer run, social interest & economic interest of nation will be hurt.

1. BPL families are facing digital exclusion & their denial of legal entitlement and danger of life due to hunger & malnutrition.

2. State as provider of basic welfare services and also with responsibility to improve efficiency & reduce leakages.

3. PDS shops having to turn away poor needy people -> Attack on conscience of shopkeepers.

4. Intense media scrutiny -> Image of state vis a vis nation in danger.

Best Course of Action

• Rules specify that without Aadhar card PDS benefits shall not be provided.

-> First step would be to set up teams at various PDS shops to facilitate linking of Aadhar card on immediate basis & ensure that BPL families can easily access the facility.

If accessibility is issue, then Common Service Center at every Panchayat level will be equipped with necessary facility to enable linkages & provide grain distribution.

-> If still families are left behind due to unavailablity of Aadhar Card, Anganwadi & Asha will be strengthened to ensure that food needs are met for short term of identified BPL families until Aadhar cards are available.

-> National social Assistance program will be extended to other needy families.

-> If all such measures leave behind a certain section of people, it will be ensured that fingerprints as proof of their identity & Ration card are collected at the time of PDS distribution and later recorded into PDS system to crosscheck and avoid leakages.

-> Also to ensure that PDS shops are equipped with best internet connection & equipment to avoid further issues.

With advent of digital era, the exclusion of illiterate & poor has increased from their legal entitlements, be it scholarships, pensions or PDS benefits or even the achievement of efficiency has led to this digital divide where at one side people connected to internet are fed with plethora of information & on other people are facing more hardships.

Illiteracy & (digital) & high cost of mobile phones & internet has led to this situation.

But better technology & more competition is lowering the cost down.

And government program such as PMDISHA etc. & CSC are positive steps to eliminate this exclusion.