Minister Savitri Thakur Discusses Digitization with Teams from Jamaica and Zambia
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Synopsis
Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, emphasized the role of digitization in enhancing social protection systems during bilateral discussions with Jamaican and Zambian teams in New York, highlighting various digital initiatives and India's commitment to women-led development.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on digitization in social protection.
- Discussion on Poshan Tracker for nutritional monitoring.
- Collaboration with Jamaica and Zambia.
- Promotion of women-led development.
- India's initiatives addressing the gender digital divide.
New Delhi, Feb 14 (ANS) The utilization of digitization and technology to strengthen social protection systems was a primary focus during bilateral talks in New York between the Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, and a Jamaican delegation, an official reported on Friday.
Thakur engaged with the Jamaican representatives, headed by Dione Jennings, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, following the 63rd session of the UN's Commission for Social Development (CSocD).
Key discussion points included various digital initiatives undertaken by India in areas like financial inclusion, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and pensions for the elderly, highlighting the significant role technology can play in development.
One of the main topics was the Poshan Tracker—India's innovative digital tool designed to monitor and enhance nutritional outcomes—and how comparable technological advancements could aid Jamaica's social security system, according to a statement.
Both parties underscored the necessity of utilizing digital solutions for efficient, transparent, and impactful service delivery in social welfare programs.
The Indian delegation also engaged with Zambia regarding the implementation of the Poshan Tracker in assessing social and nutritional outcomes across the Anganwadi Centres.
This meeting preceded the celebration of World Hindi Day, hosted at the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) in New York, attended by Indian Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish and senior mission officials. This event highlighted India's dedication to cultural and linguistic exchanges worldwide.
The 63rd session of the Commission for Social Development provided a platform for MoS Thakur to promote the ‘women-led development’ model under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India has initiated extensive programs to address the gender digital divide, fostering digital and financial literacy, particularly in rural regions. This has empowered countless women entrepreneurs, from start-ups to scalable businesses,” she stated.
Thakur noted that initiatives such as the JAM TRINITY (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile) have enabled India to achieve financial inclusion for marginalized groups, especially women, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly.
