Aishwarya Narayan

This paper traces the historical evolution of TSP in social protection discourse and argues that TSP rests on an incomplete diagnosis of poverty and inequality that underestimates the role of a hyper‑financialised global economy.

In early April, the World Bank published its State of Social Protection report (2025), earlier known as the ‘State of Social Safety Nets’ series. These reports use global-level data about social protection programs to reflect on trends in social security and to ascertain future requirements of social security.

In this document, we present our response to the policy document on DHRUVA (Digital Hub for  Reference and Unique Virtual Address): The Digital Address DPI, hereafter referred to as the ‘policy  document’, published by the Department of Posts in May 2025.   

Almost 65% of India’s population lives in its rural areas.1 India’s financial sector has seen unprecedented expansion, driven by policy initiatives, digital infrastructure and regulatory reforms. Initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Aadhaar-linked banking, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and digital lending have significantly improved access to financial services, particularly for underserved segments.

While the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) has emerged as the foundational technology enabling cash-in cash-out (CICO) across the country, efforts by bad actors to defraud banking customers through it continue to be a pressing concern

Medium-to-low digital proficiency users experience anxiety when they have to use in-app mechanisms to deal with problems. It has got to do with designs that do not account for user proficiency and expectations. A few changes could uplift the experience for all users

This is the second in a series of blogs which describe our efforts towards building an effective in-app GRM for India’s consumers

This is the first in a series of blogs which describe our efforts towards building an effective in-app GRM for India’s UPI users

In response to concerns of fraud perpetrated through the Aadhaar enabled Payments System (AePS), the RBI has issued (draft) directions to all banks and to the NPCI for onboarding and ongoing due diligence of AePS touchpoint operators.

In this study, we focus on whether consumers use the grievance mechanisms provided in UPI apps in smartphones, and whether those mechanisms make for an easily navigable grievance redress journey ending in satisfactory resolution.