Context:

• Kurt Vonnegut’s 1952 novel Player Piano warned of automation creating a polarised society, with engineers controlling machines and workers left powerless.
• Today, India’s welfare delivery reflects a similar trend, as digital automation tools increasingly dominate.
• The government’s latest move is the mandatory use of Facial Recognition Software (FRS) in Anganwadis.
• This article highlights how the government’s push for mandatory Facial Recognition Software (FRS) in Anganwadis mirrors Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian warning, exposing beneficiaries and workers to technological hurdles, misplaced priorities, and dignity concerns.

About Anganwadis

• Established in 1975 under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, India’s 14.02 lakh Anganwadis provide preschool education and crucial nutrition support.
• Each centre, run by local women workers and helpers, is responsible for distributing Take Home Rations (THR) to children under three, and pregnant and lactating women, as mandated by the National Food Security Act, 2013.

Facial Recognition in Anganwadis: A Misguided Fix

• The Union government launched the Poshan Tracker app in 2021 to monitor nutrition services, requiring Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) to upload data regularly.
• Since July 1, pregnant and lactating women must authenticate their identity through Facial Recognition Software (FRS) integrated with the app.
• The intended aims are to prevent beneficiaries from faking identity and to stop diversion of food by workers.
• However, this assumes both beneficiaries and AWWs are guilty until proven innocent, undermining natural justice.

Practical Hurdles in Implementation

• AWWs face multiple difficulties with FRS. Many women’s phone numbers have changed, OTPs are hard to share, and face-matching errors are common.
• Weak network connectivity, outdated phones, and heavy data processing requirements further delay the process.
• Often, photos must be taken repeatedly, frustrating both AWWs and beneficiaries.
• Despite personally knowing the women and children, AWWs cannot override the app, leaving genuine recipients denied food.

Ignoring Core Issues

• The real problems with Take Home Rations (THR) are poor quality, irregular supply, a stagnant budget of ₹8 per child since 2018, and corruption in contracts.
• Large companies still supply rations despite Supreme Court orders for decentralisation.
• Instead of fixing these issues, the FRS targets “fake beneficiaries,” though there is little evidence of such fraud.
• It was also introduced without consulting Anganwadi staff.
• A Better Approach
  • For effective welfare delivery, the government should publish evidence of fraud, if any, and prioritise community monitoring over intrusive technologies.
  • Addressing systemic issues in THR supply would serve beneficiaries better than flawed facial recognition verification.

Facial Recognition in Welfare: A Question of Dignity

• Facial Recognition Software (FRS), typically used in criminal investigations, raises serious concerns when applied to vulnerable communities.
• Using it in Anganwadis treats women and children as suspects rather than citizens.
• Notably, FRS is even banned in San Francisco, the global hub of digital innovation.
• Early childhood care should not be delayed until software becomes accurate.

Conclusion

• Extending Vonnegut’s warning, welfare cannot turn into an “engineer’s paradise” at the cost of human dignity.
• The real choice lies between authentication and the authentic, dehumanisation and dignity, and between fracturing communities and upholding fraternity.