India leads the Inclusion bandwagon

By Anushka Singh

No country can grow without ensuring the growth of all sections of the society. India. The inclusion has to be on several fronts including social and financial inclusion. Social inclusion is a process where the terms on which individuals and groups partake in society and decision-making are strengthened and improved. This is done in order to improve and uplift the status of these individuals and groups - improve their ability to partake, ensure they have the opportunity to exercise their rights, ensure the dignity they are guaranteed by the Constitution. 

Financial inclusion, on the other hand, is the process where steps are taken to ensure access of financial services to those who are vulnerable and in need. Not just access, but ensure credit is given in a timely fashion and adequately when needed by the vulnerable groups and individuals. And, that this is to be offered to the weaker sections and the low income groups of the society at an affordable cost with easy access.

Government emphasises on inclusion

The current government has made it clear that ‘inclusive growth is inherent to the rise of New India’. At at event, the Plenary Session of the International Conference of ‘Inclusive Tribal Congregation’, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh reiterated the government’s dream of a ‘New India’ that is inspired by ‘equitable growth of each section of society, regardless of the socio-economic background’. 

The Modi government has continuously worked towards attaining the objective of empowering the poor to enable them to eradicate their own poverty. In a hyper-connect global world today, there are no obstacles of distance and time, and ‘inclusiveness’ is the one and only way to march ahead.

Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, an Indian politician and proponent of Integral humanism ideology, had defined the concept of ‘antyoday’ i.e., the ideology of inclusiveness many decades ago and it forms the guiding light for the decisions and initiatives taken by the government to promote inclusion.

Humans at center stage

Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay drafted a political programme what were a set of concepts forming integral humanism and that got incorporated in the official doctrine of the Jan Sangh. He believed it was of utmost importance  for the country to develop an economic model of her own that will focus on the humans and keep them at center stage and not materialistic variables.

Integral Humanism was adopted as Jan Sangh's political doctrine and its new openness to other opposition forces made it possible for the Hindu nationalist movement to have an alliance in the early 1970s with the prominent Gandhian Sarvodaya movement going on under the leadership of J P Narayan. 

The present government has initiated a series of new programmes that have been inspired by the idea of making every section of society a part of India's growth story and the most striking example of this are schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Krishi Vikas Yojana, etc. Other schemes such as Start-up India, Stand-up India, Mudra Yojana, etc. promote inclusion with an underlying fact that today in India more than 70 per cent of the population is below the age of 40 years.

The government is looking at a holistic approach of reforms where economic incentives go beyond economic factors and look at social and behavioural reforms as well for sustainability of these initiatives and maximum impact.

Using technology for inclusion

The several beneficiaries of the many schemes run by the government and its agencies run into tens of crores. Today, digital developments, technology and the internet have revolutionised the inclusion realm. These have opened up innumerable possibilities and opportunities for the beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries. It’s also much easier now to keep track of progress and development owing to digital infusion in government record-keeping and implementation of schemes and incentives. 

Also, the dependence on social networks for information and communication, has changed everything today. Today, governments and entities involved in promoting inclusion are talking about ‘smart growth’. When there is inclusive growth, there is an environment for a high-employment economy that in turn promotes social inclusion and harmony. 

Many countries today are employing technology to promote smart growth that can expedite the inclusion process. India is an emerging economy and the digital push that has ensured internet and technology penetration in the far interiors of the country is a big advantage. 

India is constantly looking to leverage technology and digital infrastructure to facilitate faster economic development and simultaneously expedite social and financial inclusion. Such developments give way to innovation that in turn promotes sustainability, efficiency in resource management, holistic development, employment, equality, harmony, etc.

Catalyst for inclusion

Technology, if used correctly, can be a great catalyst for social inclusion and financial inclusion. In India, digital reforms have paved the way to ensure access to tools of development. Today, it’s much easier for people to learn new skills, upgrade their skill set, etc. And look for better employment opportunities. 

The Skill India Mission that was started by PM Modi in 2015 is one of the six schemes aimed towards increasing skills across many disciplines thus providing better working opportunities to the candidates. It is an umbrella scheme with several others skilling schemes and programmes under it. The chief objective is to empower the youth of the country with adequate skill sets that will enable their employment in relevant sectors and also improve productivity. 

With the emergence of edutech platforms, easy availability and access to content, new skills, open universities, professional courses, workshops, etc. Even education is more affordable and approachable thus bridging the social and financial gap further. With the digitisation of education, people in rural areas are also able to avail quality education thus improving their prospects.

So, technology is playing an important role in enabling successful integration of the many groups, communities, sects and tribes for holistic social inclusion.

Tribes and inclusion

Today, in North-east India, more than 200 tribes have members that have excelled themselves in their respective fields of activity and have today emerged as role models for other communities and so called mainstreams of society. Technology again has played a very important role in offering easy accessibility to information and easy connectivity with peers across the world. 

The Institutional Support For Development and Marketing of Tribal Products/Produce scheme by the Ministyr of Tribal Affairs releases grants-in-aid to State Tribal Development Cooperative Corporations (STDCCs) and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) which is a multi-State Cooperative under MoTA. 

The scheme ‘gives comprehensive support for people belonging to various tribes in the entire range of production, product development, preservation of traditional heritage, support to both forest and agricultural produce of tribal people, support to Institutions to carry the above activities, provisions of better infrastructure, development of designs, dissemination of information about price and the agencies which are buying the products, support to government agencies for sustainable marketing and thereby ensure a reasonable price regime.’

The objective of the scheme is ‘to create institutions for the Scheduled Tribes to support marketing and development of activities they depend on for their livelihood by (i) market intervention; (ii) training and skill up-gradation of tribal Artisans, Craftsmen, MFP gatherers etc.; (iii) R&D/IPR activity; and (iv) Supply chain infrastructure development.

(Anushka Singh works with DraftCraft International as a Media Researcher and writes mostly on issues affecting the Fourth Estate. She likes reading contrarian literature and analysing sources of news)