Source: The post Facial recognition in Anganwadis affects welfare delivery has been created, based on the article “Welfare at the mercy of the machine” published in “ The Hindu” on 18 September 2025. Facial recognition in Anganwadis affects welfare delivery.
UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 – Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Context: The article critiques mandatory Facial Recognition Software (FRS) in Anganwadis. It argues that welfare delivery is becoming a technocratic “engineer’s paradise,” displacing human judgment.
How is automation reshaping welfare delivery?
- From cautionary fiction to present governance: American novelist Kurt Vonnegut, in his 1952 novel Player Piano, warned of humans subordinated to machines. A similar pattern appears as digital tools govern welfare delivery and constrain human judgment.
- Anganwadi basics: Started in 1975, Anganwadis address child malnutrition under the Integrated Child Development Scheme. About 14.02 lakh centres, staffed by local women as workers and helpers, provide preschool services and legally mandated Take Home Rations (THR) for under-threes, pregnant, and lactating women under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
- Poshan Tracker + FRS: Since 2021, the Poshan Tracker app records nutrition status and demands frequent updates. From July 1, women must pass face authentication to receive THR. e-KYC precedes this, linking Aadhaar and biometrics through OTP verification.
- Safeguards vs justice: Two stated aims are preventing beneficiary impersonation and diversion by staff. This setup assumes wrongdoing, conflicting with the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty.
What breaks down on the ground?
- OTP hurdles: Phone numbers change, phones are often not with the women, and sharing OTPs raises trust concerns. Even after e-KYC, face matches fail for reasons Anganwadi workers cannot diagnose.
- Tech and network limits: Workers’ phones struggle with heavy processing and hang. Patchy connectivity causes delays. Repeated photo attempts frustrate beneficiaries and slow distribution.
- Lost discretion: Workers personally know families and can vouch for identity, yet cannot override failed authentications. Authentic beneficiaries are denied rations, and workers face the backlash.
- No consultation: The system was introduced without engaging Anganwadi staff who must operate it. Implementation burdens rise while decision-making power shrinks.
What are the real THR bottlenecks?
- Quality and supply deficits: Rations are often poor in quality and supply is irregular. These are central obstacles to nutrition outcomes.
- Stagnant child budget: For children, the THR budget is ₹8 per day and has not been revised since 2018. This limits adequacy and undermines program goals.
- Contracting and centralisation issues: Concerns persist about corrupt contracting and supply by large firms. This continues despite Supreme Court directions since 2004 favouring decentralised production through self-help groups and mahila mandals.
- Misdiagnosed problem: Women “faking” pregnancy or children faking identity are not core issues. FRS targets a peripheral risk while major gaps remain unaddressed.
What course-corrections uphold rights and dignity?
- Publish evidence before punitive design: If large-scale fraud exists, release reports for public scrutiny. Policy should be proportionate to verified risks.
- Prefer community monitoring: Community verification within Anganwadis is a practical, context-aware check on identity and delivery.
- Do not criminalise the vulnerable: FRS is largely used in criminal probes and is even banned in San Francisco. Applying it to women and children treats citizens like suspects.
- Keep care above code: Early childhood care should not wait for software to improve. Choose authenticity over mere authentication, dignity over dehumanisation, and fraternity over friction.
Question for practice:
Discuss the impact of mandatory facial recognition in Anganwadis on Take Home Rations delivery and beneficiaries’ dignity.
