[Examine the role of Aadhaar-seeded DBT in plugging leakages in welfare delivery, with reference to PM-KISAN.](/upsc-mains-answer/examine-role-aadhaar-seeded-dbt-plugging-179a84f)

Q. Examine the role of Aadhaar-seeded DBT in plugging leakages in welfare delivery, with reference to PM-KISAN. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Leakage in welfare delivery arises from ghost beneficiaries, duplication and intermediary diversion. Aadhaar-seeded Direct Benefit Transfer attacks these by making identity, entitlement and payment a single verifiable chain — PM-KISAN, with over ₹4.46 lakh crore transferred since 2019, is its largest test case [1].

How Aadhaar-seeded DBT plugs leakages - De-duplication at source: Aadhaar authentication and mandatory e-KYC verify beneficiary identity before payment, removing duplicate and non-existent entries [2]. - Disintermediation: money moves from the Centre to the farmer's Aadhaar-seeded account through PFMS and the Aadhaar Payment Bridge, eliminating cash-handling layers [3]. - Targeting exclusion categories: seeding with land records and PAN/income data helps screen out institutional landholders, income-tax payers and higher-income groups barred under the scheme's exclusion list [4]. - Auditability: a single digital beneficiary register on the PM-KISAN portal enables real-time tracking, grievance redressal and recovery drives against ineligible recipients [5].

Evidence and scale under PM-KISAN - The 23rd instalment (20 June 2026, Hooghly) transferred over ₹18,880 crore to 9.44 crore farmers, including 2.18 crore women, in one digital cycle — scale impossible under intermediated delivery [1]. - Continuous verification has kept the beneficiary base dynamic rather than fixed, with self-registration through the portal, mobile app and Common Service Centres [4].

Limits of the instrument - DBT plugs transfer leakage, not design leakage: PM-KISAN is anchored to land titles, so tenant farmers and landless labourers remain outside it [4]. - Detection of ineligible beneficiaries who wrongly self-declared shows that seeding cannot substitute for accurate land and income records [5]. - Exclusion errors persist where seeding fails — mismatched names, inactive accounts or weak connectivity delay genuine payments.

Aadhaar-seeded DBT has thus converted welfare transfer from a leaky pipeline into a traceable rail, but its integrity depends on the quality of the databases feeding it. Digitised, updated land records, assisted e-KYC and a grievance-first approach can extend these gains, advancing the constitutional promise of dignified livelihood under Article 21 and SDG-2 on ending hunger.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. 23rd Instalment of PM-KISAN, PIB (June 2026) — ₹18,880 crore to 9.44 crore farmers, 2.18 crore women, ₹4.46 lakh crore cumulative 2. Aadhaar Seeding for PM-KISAN Scheme, PIB — mandatory Aadhaar seeding and e-KYC for benefit transfer 3. Implementation and Impact of PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, PIB — DBT architecture and payment rails 4. Eligibility Criteria of PM-KISAN, PIB — land-holding basis, exclusion categories, registration channels 5. Ineligible Beneficiaries Receiving Funds under PM-KISAN, PIB — detection and recovery from ineligible recipients