The Government has been actively promoting the use of digital technology and establishing nationwide online platforms to boost policy implementation, essential operations and transparency during COVID- 19 crisis.
Aarogya Setu has proved to be an invaluable tool in the fight against the pandemic and the JAM trinity is acting as a safety net and helping millions who need immediate monetary aid.
Jam Trinity, an abbreviation for Jan Dhan Yojna, Aadhaar and Mobile is concerned with direct subsidy transfers.
The three modes of identification would help deliver direct benefits to India’s poor.
Following are the key benefits that highlight JAM as an imperative in the current times:
The JAM trinity has given a boost to the DBT programme and expanded its coverage from partial to ubiquitous. Aadhaar has facilitated legitimate databases while Jan -Dhan has offered bank accounts for all.
By eliminating the need for middlemen or conduits, JAM has helped minimise avenues of corruption, irregularities, wrong-doings and pilferages. It has also therefore, promoted the ease of doing business.
Given the need for physical distancing to curtail the spread of COVID- 19, JAM is promoting online transactions among the beneficiaries, use of ATMs and payment cards instead of physical visits to the banks.
In the longer run, DBT schemes like JAM will make the rural population get acquainted with the concept of ‘saving’ thus contributing to the GDP of the country as a whole.
Resilient Health Systems
India has exhibited consistent progress in ensuring strengthened health systems and infrastructure over the years.
It is committed to building effective and efficient health delivery systems and attaining the highest possible level of health and well-being for all, at all ages, through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies, and universal access to good quality health care sendees without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence.
In the recent years, one national initiative that has been globally lauded as one of the largest public health programmes is Mission Indradhanush. Aiming for Full Immunisation Coverage (FIC), this programme was introduced to accelerate the annual immunisation coverage from an average of 1% in geometric progression.
While the Government of India led the initiative, international agencies such as WHO, UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary International etc., were roped in to augment the efforts in robust planning, capacity building of the frontline workers, accelerated behaviour change communications, and monitoring, and evaluation of the programme.
In the recent years, another major flagship program of the Central Government that has gained massive traction —- is Ayushman Bharat (AB), with its twin pillars of Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs) which provide primary and secondary health care, and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) for provisioning of health assurance to the most vulnerable and needy population (approximately 10.74 cr poor and deprived rural families covering almost 50 cr people that form the bottom 40%of the population pyramid).
A major policy breakthrough for maternal health care services came about in June 2016 w ith the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA). Under this programme, all pregnant women in our country are provided fixed and free Antenatal Care (ANC) services on the 9th of every month with the participation of the private sector. This not only helps in improving the quality of antenatal care, but also helps majorly in identification of high- risk pregnancies at the very outset.
To enhance the quality of vaccines and supply chain, the Government of India effectively introduced the indigenously developed eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) which seeks to ensure supply of vaccines and cold chain maintenance through technological solutions.