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In the context of welfare delivery in India, what does the 'JAM' trinity stand for?
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Answer: Option D — Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile
Detailed Solution
The "JAM trinity" refers to the combination of Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar identity numbers and Mobile phones, used to deliver government benefits directly to people.
Origin of the term:
- It was first discussed in detail in the Economic Survey 2014-15, prepared under Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian.
- The Survey argued that combining the three could help the government transfer subsidies and benefits directly to the poor, reduce leakages and corruption, and replace inefficient price subsidies.
The three parts:
Jan Dhan: the "Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana" (PMJDY), launched on 28 August 2014, opened zero-balance bank accounts for the unbanked. It entered the Guinness World Records for opening the most bank accounts (about 1.8 crore) in one week. More than 55 crore accounts have been opened.
Aadhaar: the 12-digit unique identity number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI, set up in 2009). The first Aadhaar number was issued in September 2010 at Tembhli village in Nandurbar, Maharashtra. The Aadhaar Act was passed in 2016. More than 130 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued.
Mobile: India has more than 115 crore mobile connections, which allow people to receive messages, make digital payments and access services.
Uses of the JAM trinity:
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): launched on 1 January 2013, it transfers subsidies and benefits directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts. The LPG subsidy scheme "PAHAL" (2014-15) was one of the largest DBT schemes.
PM-KISAN (2019): income support of 6,000 rupees a year to farmers through DBT.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, cash was transferred quickly to women's Jan Dhan accounts.
The government says DBT has saved several lakh crore rupees by removing fake and duplicate beneficiaries.
JAM is a key part of the "India Stack" of digital public infrastructure, along with UPI and DigiLocker.
Related abbreviations:
- PMJDY: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.
- DBT: Direct Benefit Transfer.
- UIDAI: Unique Identification Authority of India.
- DPI: Digital Public Infrastructure.
Why not the other options?
- ✗"Jobs, Agriculture, Manufacturing" is not the correct expansion.
- ✗"Jan Dhan, Atal Pension, MUDRA" is not the correct expansion.
- ✗"Justice, Accountability, Merit" is not the correct expansion.
Quick tip
Remember: JAM = Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile (Economic Survey 2014-15; used for Direct Benefit Transfer); PMJDY = 28 August 2014; DBT = 1 January 2013; first Aadhaar = 2010 (Tembhli, Maharashtra).
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Government Schemes — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Government Schemes, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the major welfare and development schemes of the Government of India, such as those for financial inclusion, health, housing, agriculture, skill development and women and child welfare, along with their launch year, objectives and ministries. Questions usually ask what a scheme aims to do, when it was launched, or which ministry runs it. For example, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (2014) aims at financial inclusion through bank accounts. Schemes are often renamed, merged or extended, so pair these static facts with the latest updates before banking and government exams. Practise the government schemes questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.