• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Rajesh Bansal"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie India"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie India",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "India"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Domestic Politics"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media
Carnegie India

India Has Social Schemes for Poor in Crises like Covid. But It Needs a ‘Who to Pay’ Database

Large sections of India’s population are invisible to the state. That is why in crises like Covid and lockdown, we need one common social database.

Link Copied
By Rajesh Bansal
Published on Apr 23, 2020

Source: Print

In the current coronavirus crisis and the ensuing lockdown, most migrants in India find themselves suddenly jobless as factories close, supply chains shut down and services freeze. The Narendra Modi government has responded to the crisis by announcing several social protection schemes, including direct benefit transfers for certain sections of the population and free LPG refills, grains and pulses for the poor.

Read the Full Text

This article was originally published by the Print.

About the Author

Rajesh Bansal

Former Senior Adviser, Carnegie India

Rajesh Bansal was a senior adviser at Carnegie India. His research focuses on financial technologies, particularly electronic payment systems, electronic cash transfers, and digital financial services to enable inclusive development. He leads the center’s technology and society program.

    Recent Work

  • Paper
    China’s Digital Yuan: An Alternative to the Dollar-Dominated Financial System

      Rajesh Bansal, Somya Singh

  • Q&A
    How Will Digital Currencies Change Wallets?

      Rajesh Bansal, Somya Singh

Rajesh Bansal
Former Senior Adviser, Carnegie India
Rajesh Bansal
Domestic PoliticsSouth AsiaIndia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Commentary
    The Spring and Autumn of Chinese Politics

    China’s political future will be shaped between now and next October. As the Communist Party enters its intense “campaign season” to prepare for a major political transition in 2027, reading Beijing's actions and responses may become more difficult as domestic politics weigh on its behavior more than usual.

      • Damien Ma

      Damien Ma

  • People gather during protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
    Paper
    The Political Economy of Protests in Iran

    Protests in Iran follow a similar pattern: Economic grievances turn into political protests that spread nationwide. But increased state repression has begun to shift the arrangement.

      • Eric Lob

      Eric Lob

  • leaders sitting in chairs speaking
    Commentary
    Emissary
    As Rubio Lands in India, the U.S.-India Relationship Is Stronger Than It Looks

    Despite public disputes over trade and immigration, the strategic partnership’s foundations remain sturdy.

      • Sameer Lalwani

      Sameer Lalwani

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Ukrainian Drone Attacks Reveal the Cost of Russia’s “Sovereign Internet” Campaign

    Russia spent years building a “sovereign internet,” concentrating web infrastructure exclusively within Russian territory. Ukrainian drone attacks have shown how vulnerable that approach has left the Russian internet.

      Maria Kolomychenko

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Taking the Pulse: Does the EU Have a France Problem?

    With its public finances in shambles, the far right polling at 35 percent ahead of the 2027 presidential election, and a growing protest movement, is France’s crisis a threat to the EU’s geopolitical awakening?

      • Rym Momtaz

      Rym Momtaz, ed.

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.