Total Questions : 1
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Case Study
Ananya Singh, a dedicated and empathetic IAS officer, is currently serving as the District Collector in a predominantly tribal and underdeveloped district of Jharkhand. The government has recently rolled out a revised Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to ensure timely financial support for pregnant women and lactating mothers, aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition. A key feature of this new system is mandatory biometric authentication through Aadhaar at the time of benefit disbursal. The move is intended to reduce pilferage, eliminate ghost beneficiaries, and enhance accountability in welfare delivery.
However, within a few weeks of implementation, several ground-level issues begin to emerge. Many elderly caregivers, especially grandmothers caring for children in the absence of parents, struggle with fingerprint mismatch due to worn-out biometric impressions. In remote tribal hamlets, poor internet connectivity and lack of functional biometric devices cause frequent transaction failures. Local Anganwadi workers and ASHAs report that over 30% of eligible beneficiaries have not received funds, causing significant distress, especially among marginalized families who rely on this support for basic nutrition.
Concerned about the impact on vulnerable groups, Ananya considers allowing alternative forms of verification, such as physical ID checks, mobile OTP, or manual register maintenance, as a temporary stop-gap measure. However, she is advised against it by the State Department, citing strict central guidelines that prohibit deviation from the biometric-based process. Meanwhile, a reputed local NGO organizes protests and contacts the media, accusing the administration of systemic exclusion and violation of Article 21 (Right to Life with Dignity).
Questions:
(a) Identify the core ethical dilemma involved in the case.
(b) What are the options available to Ananya? Critically evaluate each of them and suggest the most appropriate course of action.
(c) What steps can be taken by public institutions to ensure that the use of technology in governance does not exclude the vulnerable?
GS Paper 4 Case Studies
