Union Minister George Kurien declared Kuttichal as India's first tribal panchayat with total digital literacy in financial transactions.
Published Oct 04, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 04, 2024 | 9:00 AM
Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Minority Affairs George Kurien making the announcement at Kuttichal on Wednesday.
Kuttichal, a serene grama panchayat in the foothills of Agastyarkoodam in Thiruvananthapuram, has earned the distinction of becoming India’s first tribal panchayat with total digital literacy in financial transactions.
This achievement is part of a larger initiative led by the PN Panicker Foundation, which aims to empower India’s tribal communities through digital payment literacy.
Union Minister George Kurien announced this landmark achievement on Wednesday, 2 October, at a public meeting held at Pangav Colony in Kuttichal. The announcement, made on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, is seen as a significant step toward the financial inclusion of India’s tribal population.
N Balagopal, CEO and vice chairman of the Foundation told South First that the initiative follows the special instructions of President Droupadi Murmu, who emphasised the importance of bringing India’s 8.33 percent of the tribal population into the digital financial fold.
“The foundation aims to ensure that tribal communities across India are equipped with the knowledge and tools to engage in digital payment systems, making their financial transactions more transparent and secure,” he said.
According to him, the initiative is not just about promoting digital payments, but about empowering the tribal communities to be part of India’s economic progress.
“Digital literacy will open up new avenues for them to access government services, making their lives easier and more connected to the nation’s development,” added him.
At Kuttichal, the digital payment literacy campaign is mainly carried out in Elimala and Chonampara wards where tribal populations are mostly concentrated.
The Foundation stated that the campaign to make the tribal population literate in digital payments will be rolled out in three phases.
In the first phase, states with significant tribal populations such as Kerala, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu will be covered.
The second phase will extend to Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand, followed by the third phase, covering the remaining states across the country.
The goal is to enable all tribal communities to use digital payment platforms, providing them access to financial services and benefits under government schemes.
This project is not the first time the PN Panicker Foundation has made strides in tribal literacy. In the 1980s, the foundation was instrumental in achieving full literacy in several tribal villages in India, laying the foundation for this digital literacy push.
The foundation, named after PN Panicker – the father of the library movement in India, is engaged in programmes like digital literacy and digital library.
According to Kuttichal grama panchayath president G Manikandan, one of the most significant advantages of digital payment literacy for tribal communities is its role in ensuring the smooth disbursement of government benefits, particularly through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes.
With a majority of their entitlements, such as subsidies and pensions, being transferred directly to their bank accounts, understanding digital payment systems becomes crucial for these communities.
According to one of the coordinators who had worked among the tribal population in the panchayat, “The introduction of digital payment literacy will greatly reduce the reliance on middlemen, ensuring that the full benefit reaches the intended recipient. It will also minimise the need for tribal individuals to physically visit banks or government offices, which is often an exhausting and perilous journey for them.”
“For years, tribal communities have faced challenges in accessing their entitlements due to the lack of digital awareness,” a Scheduled Tribes Development Department official told South First.
“Often, they had to travel long distances to access basic services, whether it was for banking, receiving government aid, or filing essential documents. With the implementation of digital payment systems, they can now conduct these transactions from the comfort of their homes, reducing the burden of travel and avoiding potential exploitations,” he added.
Beyond financial transactions, the initiative also opens doors for tribal people to access various government services that are increasingly available online.
From applying for welfare schemes to accessing healthcare services and educational resources, digital literacy will help bridge the gap between tribal communities and the wider world of online government services.
“A majority of the tribal population here has smartphones. The Foundation had organised camps and house visits. From the local community, coordinators were appointed. They were made aware that with a few clicks on their phone, they could avail many benefits easily,” Sreedevi Suresh S, Chonampara ward member, told South First,
The panchayat also opined that the initiative aligns with the broader push for digital governance in India as many government services, from issuing identity documents to enrolling in welfare programmes, are now being offered online.
Tribal communities, historically marginalised and living in remote areas, have often found themselves at a disadvantage when accessing these services.
However, with newfound digital literacy, they can now take full advantage of government schemes without facing logistical barriers.
The Foundation believes that Kuttichal’s transformation into a digital payment literacy panchayat may create a ripple effect that will lead to greater financial transparency and improved quality of life for India’s tribal populations.
While the announcement of Kuttichal becoming India’s first digital payment literate tribal gram panchayat was met with widespread acclaim, it has also sparked controversy.
Critics have questioned the haste with which the declaration was made, alleging that only 95 percent of the tribal population has been covered under the initiative.
Concerns have also been raised about the lack of clarity on how those who do not possess smartphones can benefit from the digital literacy programme.
The gram panchayat has admitted that no funds have been allocated for providing smartphones to the residents, raising questions about the feasibility of the initiative for those who cannot afford their own devices.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
