Saturday, July 6, 2024

PM Modi pushes to link more welfare schemes with Aadhaar, use data for better planning

Date:

In a meeting, PM Modi also asked departmental secretaries to look into creating a task force for better data governance, citing an example of GIS mapping.

GIS MAPPING

22 September, 2021: Pushing for the universal use of Aadhaar in the delivery of welfare schemes in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked secretaries of central government departments to use it more, as it is legally permissible.

PM Modi also asked the secretaries to look into creating a task force for better data governance, in the meeting that lasted several hours.

Launched in 2009, Aadhaar was touted as a solution for better delivery of social welfare schemes and subsidy programmes. But it was first challenged in the Supreme Court in 2012. In 2013, the SC issued an interim order that said nobody shall be denied any benefit for want of Aadhaar. However, in 2015 the court partially modified ( https://indiankanoon.org/doc/39898414/ ) its order to allow the Centre to use Aadhaar for the public distribution system (PDS scheme), particularly for the distribution of foodgrains and cooking fuel such as kerosene.

A 2018 SC judgment also upheld Section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, which made Aadhaar mandatory for availing of state subsidies, benefits and services, while striking down a few other provisions. For example, it stated that Aadhaar could not be made mandatory for children under the Sarva Shiksha Scheme, as elementary education is not a state benefit but an entitlement.

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SC judgment: https://theprint.in/judiciary/review-pleas-pending-7-judge-bench-not-formed-aadhaar-act-validity-case-languishes-in-sc/578834/

“The PM emphasized on the fact that Unique Identification Numbers (UID) should be used more efficiently and for more schemes, for better delivery of services. The bureaucrats end up reading the 2013 order of the Supreme Court, and as a result, the full potential of Aadhaar is yet not felt,” said a senior official.

He added: “The PM cited the example of GIS mapping and pointed out how if we can actually link all our schemes and programmes then we can map all the schemes and do better planning,” added the official.

The importance of data governance was also stressed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba in a letter he wrote to the departmental secretaries Monday, following the meeting chaired by the PM.

Additional Information:

What Is A GIS?

Want to know the best location to set up your business? Where has the local wildfire ignited? Or information about COVID-19 infections in your county? All these questions can be answered with a Geographic Information System (GIS). A GIS mapping system is used widely to show what is happening where. Since all of the data is digital, you have probably used GIS without realizing it within the websites and apps that you visit. An example is checking the location of your Uber driver via the real time map. Scientists, businesses, and the government use GIS widely, so it’s a great skill to have. GIS is a growing industry and if you have experience utilizing it, you could quickly become a valuable GIS analyst. You can read the GIS Jobs Report, 2023 to see analysis on over 22,600 GIS jobs available on Indeed, making it an area worth considering as a career. 

What Is GIS Mapping?

Most people know GIS as the software you use when you want to make a map. GIS mapping is a system that not only maps data, but it collects, stores, displays and analyzes all types of data as well. The data could come from a satellite, a drone, a smartphone, or an underground sensor.  A GIS combines where things are (known as location data) and what things are like (known as descriptive attributes).  For instance, at this college (point location), the tuition is $18,000 (cost is an attribute).  You can then make a map of all the colleges in your state to see the variability in costs.  If you have data, it can be mapped.

What is GIS used for?

A GIS is usually the central data repository that visualizes complex problems around the world. Scientists and data analysts use it to identify problems, monitor changes, and forecast events that might happen.  Every decision made by an organization is based on priorities that are affected by their landscape, territory, or region.  In order to make decisions it helps to understand trends and spatial patterns that might be a problem.  An example is that a city has $1M to address wildfire fuel removal.  Where do they apply this money?  A GIS helps identify and prioritize high risk areas. 

Many different types of information can be compared and contrasted using GIS. The system can include data about people, such as population, income, or education level. It can include information about the landscape, such as the location of streams, different kinds of vegetation, and different kinds of soil. It has also been used by the health industry to determine the expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic.  GIS can help determine how and where a disease has spread, as well as the percentage of the population it has affected. 

Who uses GIS?

Anyone can use GIS. It doesn’t matter which field you belong to. GIS is used, according to some estimates, by 1.5 million people each day, and by over 400,000 organizations. GIS can be applied by any discipline such as biological, business, health, environmental, and social industries.  As a set of tools, GIS is learned by scientists to analyze their data.  Or you could become the central GIS analyst with deeper experience in knowing data creation and data analysis workflows.  

Additional Information:

On Monday, March 27, 2023, the Supreme Court declared that obtaining an Aadhaar (UID) number is not necessary to use government essential services, as per the sources. The Supreme Court’s list of precedents are as follows: Admission to schools will no longer require an Aadhaar Card.

Source: The Print, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC-Image

Also Read:

Bill Gates says he is a fan of Aadhaar, claims it doesn’t harm privacy

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