Digitisation in Social Protection
Opportunities and Risks
India's JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile) was designed to streamline benefit delivery, reduce leakages, and ensure direct transfer to beneficiaries. Under MGNREGA, Aadhaar-based payments and eKYC were progressively mandated. However, the LibTech India report for FY 2025-26 revealed that 45.4% of all workers — and 9.5% of active workers — could not complete eKYC, blocking their access to employment. VB-G RAM G doubles down on digital infrastructure: biometric attendance at worksites, Aadhaar-linked payment via the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS), geospatial tracking, and AI-based fraud detection. It also provides an explicit safeguard: workers may not be denied employment on grounds of pending eKYC verification.
- The Supreme Court in Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) upheld Aadhaar's constitutionality for welfare programmes with conditions: exclusions caused by Aadhaar failure cannot deprive citizens of benefits.
- The "last-mile" connectivity gap: as of 2025, approximately 30% of India's rural population lacks reliable internet access (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India data).
- Face-authentication attendance systems piloted under MGNREGA showed high error rates for elderly women workers, a vulnerable demographic.
- Payment within 3 days is a stated goal of VB-G RAM G — versus chronic delays of weeks or months under MGNREGA.
● Tracked since May 11, 2026 · last seen May 11, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes