This blog acknowledges how the DFS-related risks disproportionately affect women’s use of digital channels for financial services and their trust in these channels. It proposes a proactive approach to create a safer DFS ecosystem that would empower women to navigate it with confidence.

The briefing note is based on a study with the Department of Basic Education in Uttar Pradesh, India. It examines the transition to direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode in the distribution of school supplies to primary and upper primary school students statewide. It highlights how the DBT mode relieves teachers of cumbersome non-teaching tasks involved in distribution, allowing them to focus more on their core academic duties.

This blog identifies the challenges in grievance resolution for Direct Benefit Transfer programs in India. It suggests ways to reform the existing Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) to ensure maximum inclusion of eligible beneficiaries in these programs.