Syllabus: Indian Constitution — historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Introduction
- Surveillance tools like photographs and videos are increasingly used to monitor frontline workers in welfare schemes
- These interventions aim to improve accountability but show limited effectiveness in practice.
Biometric Era & Attendance Monitoring
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- Governments introduced biometric attendance to curb absenteeism and ensure punctuality.
- In Jharkhand’s Khunti Block, digital systems shifted focus from completing work to timely biometric marking due to connectivity issues.
- An RCT in Rajasthan found biometric attendance reduced long-run attendance among nurses.
- Case of MGNREGA: NMMS App
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- MGNREGA faces widespread inflation of attendance to siphon wages.
- The NMMS app (2022) mandates two daily worker photographs to curb fudging.
- However, workers often did not appear; masterminds uploaded random images, exploiting the app’s acceptance of any jpeg file.
- A July 2025 MoRD circular listed seven malpractices, confirming continued manipulation.
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- Facial Recognition in Poshan Tracker
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- Ministry of Women and Child Development introduced mandatory FRT for Take-Home Rations (THR) to prevent diversion.
- Ground reports show FRT does not stop cheating, as Anganwadi workers may still deny THR despite compliance.
- Similar issues emerged earlier with Aadhaar-based biometric authentication (ABBA) in PDS, causing exclusion of the elderly, persons with disabilities, and immobile individuals.
Limited Impact & Worker Demotivation
- Tasks for ANMs often require geo-tagged or photographic evidence, prioritising documentation over actual service delivery.
- Genuine visits get flagged as fraudulent due to movement for connectivity, leading to demoralisation and show-cause notices.
Accountability vs Responsibility
- Drèze and Sen argue for fostering responsibility, not mere accountability, as responsible behaviour stems from intrinsic motivation.
- Tech-fixes fail to build responsibility and distract from improving work culture and social norms.
Agnotology & Policy Blind Spots
- Despite acknowledged failures, MoWCD expanded FRT and MoRD mandated 100% verification of NMMS photos.
- Problems include exclusion, inefficiency, corruption, privacy violations, identity fraud, and worker demotivation.
- The government’s persistence reflects agnotology—cultivated ignorance similar to strategies used by tobacco or sugar industries.
Conclusion
- Surveillance apps act as “snake oil” solutions, offering illusionary fixes while deeper systemic issues remain unaddressed.