<b>Neelkanth Mishra:</b> Dealing with deprivation

The much discussed JAM (Jan-Dhan + Aadhaar + Mobile) trinity holds great promise for India, in our view. When everyone has bank accounts, can be uniquely identified, and can access their money without any intermediary, subsidies can be delivered leakage free and at low cost of administration.

However, these are necessary but not sufficient for a robust subsidy delivery system, for how would you select your beneficiaries? Announce beforehand that a card would be the basis of some subsidy, and the better-off find ways to get it despite being ineligible, and to restrict the needy from accessing it. Field workers know