UPSC Mains 2022 GS2 Q8 — Governance and Welfare
Reforming the government delivery system through the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme is a progressive step, but it has its limitations too. Comment. (Answer in 150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Comment
- Scope keywords
- Reforming the government delivery systemDirect Benefit Transfer Schemeprogressive steplimitations
- Implicit sub-parts
- How DBT transforms the 'government delivery system' from the previous leakage-prone model.
- Specific progressive outcomes including fiscal efficiency, targeting (JAM trinity), and inclusion.
- Structural, technical, and socio-economic bottlenecks that hinder DBT's effectiveness.
- Proposed refinements to move beyond current limitations.
- Common pitfalls
- Writing a generic essay on 'What is DBT' without linking it to 'delivery system reforms'.
- Focusing only on JAM/Aadhar and ignoring the 'limitations' aspect requested by the prompt.
- Failing to mention specific issues like 'last-mile connectivity' or 'exclusion errors' (Type I and Type II errors).
- Neglecting the distinction between cash transfers and in-kind transfers in certain contexts like nutrition.
- Dimensions required
- Economic (Fiscal savings and leakages)Technological (Digital infrastructure and connectivity)Social (Inclusion and exclusion errors)Administrative (Governance transparency and accountability)
- Marks allocation hint
Dedicate 30 words to the shift in delivery paradigm (Introduction). Allocate 50 words to the 'progressive' merits (merging JAM and transparency). Reserve 50 words for the 'limitations' focusing on digital divide and exclusion. Use the final 20 words for a forward-looking conclusion on hybrid models.
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