Making the Poor Free?

de Das, S. K.

The aim of the book is to understand how India's Unique Identification Number (Aadhaar) will make the poor free. Although Aadhaar's contribution to food security, employment generation, education, and public health is rather modest, it does create a platform for the financial inclusion of the poor. Through this platform, Aadhaar brings to the poor government subsidies directly in cash, and thus gives them the wherewithal for being consumers for the market. Through its focus on the process dimensions, the book succeeds in providing a stronger understanding of public policy processes in the Indian context.