New Delhi, Feb 14 (ANS): Digitisation and the use of technology to enhance social protection systems topped the agenda at bilateral discussions in New York between Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur and a Jamaican team, an official said on Friday.
Thakur met the Jamaican team, led by Dione Jennings, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, after the 63rd session of the UN's Commission for Social Development (CSocD).
During the discussions, key focus areas included various digital interventions being carried out by India in financial inclusion, DBT, old age pension, and the role of technology, which can play an instrumental role in development.
The focus of the discussion was Poshan Tracker -- India’s pioneering digital tool for monitoring and improving nutritional outcomes and ways in which similar technological innovations could support Jamaica’s social security framework, said a statement.
Both sides emphasised the importance of leveraging digital solutions to ensure efficient, transparent, and impactful service delivery in social welfare programmes, it said.
The India delegation also held discussions with Zambia on the use of the Poshan tracker in monitoring social and nutritional outcomes across the Anganwadi Centres.
The meeting was then followed by the Celebration of World Hindi Day held on the premises of the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) in New York, in the esteemed presence of the Ambassador of India Parvathaneni Harish and other senior officers of the mission. The occasion underscored India’s commitment to cultural and linguistic exchange on the global stage.
The 63rd session of the Commission for Social Development offered a platform to MoS Thakur to highlight the ‘women-led development’ model under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India has launched large-scale programmes to bridge the gender digital divide, promoting digital and financial literacy, especially in rural areas. This has empowered millions of women entrepreneurs, from start-ups to scalable businesses,” she said.
Thakur stated that initiatives like the JAM TRINITY (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile), have helped “India achieve financial inclusion for disadvantaged communities, especially women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly”.