JAM Trinity

Government schemes are an important part of the UPSC syllabus. Every year, questions are asked based on them in both the UPSC Prelims and the Mains exams. In this article, you can read about the JAM Trinity scheme.

JAM Trinity Details

• JAM stands for Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and Mobile number.
• The government intends to use these three modes of identification to implement one of the biggest reforms in independent India – direct subsidy transfers to the poor.
• Current subsidy schemes take an indirect route to reach the poor of the country. Examples are the PDS, the MGNREGA, etc.
• These kind of subsidies are more costly to the exchequer, and also cause a lot of corruption, as there are a lot of intermediaries before the actual benefit reach the poor.
• With Aadhaar helping in direct biometric identification of disadvantaged citizens and Jan Dhan bank accounts and mobile phones allowing direct transfers of funds into their accounts, it may be possible to cut out all the intermediaries.

Candidates would find this article very helpful for the IAS Exam preparation. 

JAM Trinity Significance

• The government spends about 4.2% of the GDP on subsidies. This is a costly affair.
• Moreover, in the current scheme of providing subsidies, most of the benefits do not reach the intended beneficiaries. The rich end up taking most of the benefits.
• Also, there is a lot of leakages in the process. Over 15% of PDS rice, 54% of wheat, and 48% of the sugar are lost in leakages.
• This leaves no change in the living standards of the poor, which is why subsidies are there in the first place.
• The JAM Trinity is set to circumnavigate all these problems and directly benefit the poor people of this country.

Why is JAM Trinity Powerful?

• Introduced in the first term of this Government, the Jan Dhan scheme is proving to be a boon for millions of Indians seeking financial assistance during the ongoing countrywide COVID-19 lockdown.
• Its strong interlinkage with the mobile linked Aadhaar scheme has facilitated swift transfer of money into bank accounts of beneficiaries without pilferage or corruption.
• In the words of the Prime Minister, “This infrastructure has helped us tremendously in transferring money directly and immediately to the poor and needy, benefiting crores of families, during the COVID-19 situation.”
• With the lockdown placing immense strain on the household budgets of several sections of society, the JAM trinity is acting as a safety net and helping millions who need immediate monetary aid.

Aspirants can check out the following links to prepare for the upcoming exams even better –

Efficacy of the JAM Platform

1. JAM trinity enables the Indian government to make payments more effectively and inclusively.
2. The center has created a JAM Index based on Findex data to rank countries on their use of ID systems, mobile phones, and financial accounts to effectively make government payments. India and Kenya are two top ranking countries in this index.
3. Cash-based social assistance can be delivered most efficiently and timely when the percentage of the population that has access to the three components—IDs, phones, and financial accounts—is high, systems are well-integrated, the existing system of benefits and transfers has wide coverage, and benefits are paid through financial accounts linked to the ID

The above details would help candidates preparing for UPSC 2021.