GS2 – Governance
Context
Over 26 lakh ineligible individuals, including 14,000 men, received funds under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, exposing serious governance flaws and ethical issues.
Key Governance Challenges:
- Ethical Violations:
- Misappropriation of funds meant for disadvantaged women undermines the scheme’s core objective.
- Reflects both beneficiary-level fraud and administrative negligence.
- Digital Governance Failures:
- Inadequate Aadhaar-seeding and poor inter-departmental coordination allowed leakages.
- Highlights the need for stronger data integration and verification protocols.
- Weak Accountability Mechanisms:
- Absence of effective cross-verification before disbursing funds.
- Indicates lack of administrative diligence and oversight.
- Political Influence:
- Timing of the scheme’s launch close to elections suggests populist motives and fiscal irresponsibility.
- Targeting Errors:
- Inclusion of lakhs of ineligible individuals suggests flawed beneficiary identification, potentially leaving out genuine recipients.
Recommendations – The Way Forward:
- Enhanced Digital Targeting:
- Integrate Aadhaar, income tax records, and welfare databases.
- Employ AI/ML tools for dynamic and accurate eligibility verification.
- Gender-Based Authentication:
- Deploy gender-verification filters at the registration stage to prevent male inclusion in women-focused schemes.
- Participatory Audits:
- Set up quarterly oversight panels involving officials, civil society members, and data specialists to promote local transparency.
- Policy Rationalisation:
- Conduct audits to streamline overlapping schemes, ensuring efficient fund utilization and better targeting of entitlements.