National
JAM trinity has brought social, digital revolution: Jaitley
New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) The Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity has ushered in a social revolution which will bring all Indians into a common financial, economic and digital space, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday.
“Just as GST created one tax, one market, one India, the PMJDY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana) and the JAM revolution can link all Indians into one common financial, economic and digital space. No Indian will be outside the mainstream,” Jaitley posted on his Facebook account on the third anniversary of the PMJDY.
“Within reach of the country is what might be called the 1 billion-1 billion-1 billion vision. That is 1 billion unique Aadhaar numbers linked to 1 billion bank accounts and 1 billion mobile phones. Once that is done, all of India can become part of the financial and digital mainstream.”
JAM offers substantial benefits for the government, the economy and especially the poor, as well as weeds out leakages from the subsidy system, the Finance Minister said.
The government currently makes direct transfer of Rs 74,000 crore to the accounts of 35 crore beneficiaries annually, at more than Rs 6,000 crore per month.
These transfers are made under various government anti-poverty and support schemes such as PAHAL, MNREGA, old age pensions and student scholarships, Jaitley said.
PMJDY accounts increased from 12.55 crore in January 2015 to 29.52 crore as of August 16, while the number of RuPay cards issued increased from 11.08 crore to 22.71 crore in the same period.
The number of rural accounts opened under PMJDY has grown from 7.54 crore to 17.64 crore, and the average balance per account increased from Rs 837 to Rs 2,231 as of August 16.
Total balance in beneficiary accounts rose to Rs 65,844.68 crore, while zero balance accounts declined from 76.81 per cent in September 2014 to 21.41 per cent in August 2017, Jaitely said.
Referring to seeding of Aadhaar with bank accounts, Jaitley said that about 52.4 crore Aadhaar numbers were linked to 73.62 crore accounts.
“As a result, the poor are able to make payments electronically. Every month now, about seven crore successful payments are made by the poor using their Aadhaar identification,” he said.
Besides, with the launch of the BHIM app and the Unified Payments Interface, JAM has become fully operational, he added.
“A secure and seamless digital payments infrastructure has been created so that all Indians, especially the poor, can become part of the digital mainstream,” he said.
The government has also taken steps to provide security to the poor through life insurance under the Pradhan Mantra Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and accident insurance Pradhan Mantra Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).
As on August 7, total enrolment was 3.46 crore under PMJJBY and 10.96 crore under PMSBY with 40 per cent of the policy holders being women in both the schemes.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.