Technology Based Cash Transfers in Pakistan

Pakistan is - surprisingly - one step ahead of us in cash transfers. Their Benazir Import Support Program (BISP) for women (especially mothers) uses direct debit for monthly transfers now instead of usual postal money orders. The new system has completely eliminated the "baksheesh" that postmen used to claim before. More interestingly, the system didn't need an "Aadhar" to work successfully - raising the question of whether Aadhar is really required for such schemes in India also. Read more here. 

Planning Commission Report: Aadhar will reduce leakages considerably

A recent report by Planning Commission says that if Aadhar is integrated with pds, mnregs, fertiliser and lpg subsidies, housing, education and health programmes, it can reduce leakages substantially. It is expected to give a return of 52% in real terms. Read more here.

Prerana : Integration of ICT education into rural supply chains

The paper below presents the case of Prerana, a community-driven content platform created by SEWA in collaboration with RUDI in Western India, with learning material designed to address the educational and business challenges of self-employed women. Through Prerana platform on Moodle, the women have access to e-learning modules that can be of immediate use to them, and then can create their own module on all topics they think can be of use to the other women of SEWA. There are many opportunities for social innovation with ICT education contributing to improve rural supply chains and local . The paper proves that many opportunities exist for social business creating a double bottom line in developing rural businesses and ICT skills at the same time.

"Opportunities for Social Innovation at the Intersection of ICT Education and Rural Supply Chains", 2012 - Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program

Is Cash transfer the right way to provide subsidies?
Aadhaar based cash transfers has been criticized on many fronts. Primal criticisms are fungibility of cash and self selection. Cash can be used for any purpose and might not necessarily translate into availing government subsidies. People will also have lesser incentive to opt themselves out of the subsidy system. Will it work effectively for a country like India is a matter of debate. Cash transfers have been highly successful in places like Mexico (Oportunidades) and Brazil. Can India replicate their successes?   Meanwhile, without proper debate, the cash transfer through Aadhaar are about to kick start as soon as the coming New year. Something to reflect upon.
Cash transfers from January 1
Cash transfers in Brazil
Oportunidades- Conditional cash transfers in Mexico 

Mobilizing the agricultural value chain

A nice report on how services on mobile phones and other similar devices have started affecting important decisions regarding inputs, production, marketing, processing and distribution for stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. It also sheds light on some key challenges faced by mobile service providers in scaling up the operations and ensuring sustainability for the whole ecosystem development.

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTINFORMATIONANDCOMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGIES/Resources/IC4D-2012-Chapter-2.pdf


A whole lot of other uses of mobile as a tool for ICT4D can be found on the below link.

http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.1179.html

Closing the Gap: Bridging the Digital Divide

An interesting NGO involved in refurbishing laptops and distributing them to BOP

http://www.close-the-gap.org/donors/

New Aakash Tablet

Reading this,
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-11-12/news/35049622_1_datawind-ceo-aakash-2-aakash-2

I realize:


Well I think the argument about usability and applications keep coming up across the course and it is a lesson well learnt, but if we look from the technology side. Investments and efforts being made to develop cost effective devices is very futuristic and should be encouraged. It might have been so foolish to expect a price point of Rs. 2000 on a Akash Tablet 10 years ago but today it is possible.

I believe the excitement and happiness of small children as I saw in my field visit and visits last year on given opportunity to use laptops and computers can't be measured in cost-benefit sheets in conventional manner.

It shows them our attempt to accept them as one from us and treating in a similar fashion.

I totally agree that food and health remain crucial needs among people on the other end of divide I believe we should encourage development of such tools and technology.

And I am happy to be a part of society which has not thrown its arms up in air on cost issues but is making an attempt to tackle issues from lab in MIT to entreprenuer in India.

Kudos to humanity and kudos to creative and innovative minds among us and kudos to their never accept defeat attitude.

I believe one-day these gadgets will sell themselves like mobiles have done, and sell themselves easily once it hits the right usability and service among the target group just like mobile did.
 :)