Research sites: India

Population size: 1,417,173,170 (World Bank, 2022)

Human Development Index: 131(UNDP,2021)

Research Partners: Our plan is to work with the Institute for Human Development (IHD) which is an Indian, non-profit, independent research institute based in New Delhi that focuses on multidisciplinary research in areas such as economics, sociology, demography, public health, education, and the environment. We will also work with Jan Swasthya Sahyog (JSS) (People’s Health Support Group)  which is an Indian non-profit organization established in 1996 by dedicated healthcare professionals. JSS operates a rural hospital in Ganiyari, Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh, along with a rural health programme in the surrounding villages.

Country’s Digital and Food assistance context and practices:

• Since 1950, India has had a Public Distribution System (PDS) of selected food grains to stabilise food prices and support farmers and consumers. The PDS is one of the largest food subsidy welfare measures in the world.
• From 2010 onwards, the PDS is being digitalised, with cash equivalents of subsidy amounts transferred to bank accounts, linking it to the biometric Aadhaar unique identification system. By August 2020, the PDS had been fully digitalised under the ‘One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) system, covering 650 million citizens in 24 states and Union Territories.
• Farmers are also encouraged to use smart technology to play the market. The plan is to create online platforms to provide both farmers and traders with direct, electronically enabled channels to provide information on local prices and supply. In addition, digital technology is being promoted to advice farmers on ‘precision agriculture’, on inputs, soil health, weather forecasts and recommendation for crops to be sown.

We aim to focus particularly on marginalised populations in New Delhi and Chhattisgarh.