-Live Mint Attempt to broad-base direct benefits transfer plan may help shore up the Congress’s standing among rural population The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government plans to include its flagship rural job guarantee programme in the second phase of its ambitious direct benefits transfer (DBT) plan, under which beneficiaries of social welfare programmes will receive money directly in their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. The attempt to broad-base the cash transfer plan before several...

-Live Mint Move may help the Congress renew its appeal to a traditional constituency; activists raise objections In yet another move that the ruling Congress Party hopes will help renew its appeal to a traditional constituency, the ministry of rural development has indicated it is likely to accept the recommendations of a panel that has suggested the universalization of pensions. The task force headed by Planning Commission member Mihir Shah was set up...

-PTI Project will help strengthen anti-money laundering steps, combat terror financing, says inter-governmental body Paris: India’s Aadhar programme has been praised by the FATF here which said the initiative will not only ensure “financial inclusion” for its teeming population but also tighten anti-money laundering measures in the country. “If successfully implemented, it (Aadhar project) would be the first biometrically verified unique ID implemented on a national scale and would provide the ‘identity...

-Live Mint Concerns raised over the efficiency of banking networks and on-the-ground preparations for the scheme A section of the Sonia Gandhi -led National Advisory Council (NAC) is not happy with the government “rushing into” the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme, expected to be the flagship programme of the ruling Congress party in the national election scheduled for next year. At a meeting of the NAC on Tuesday, where Unique Identification Authority of...

-Live Mint In Parliament address, Mukherjee says direct cash transfers will cut leakages and bring benefits to the poorest Acknowledging that growing aspirations, particularly among the youth, are going largely unmet, the government has signalled a policy makeover, including undertaking “difficult decisions”. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) also indicated that it was looking to the direct benefit transfer scheme based on the Aadhaar or Unique Identity system to restore the feel-good factor...