CORE PDS: empowering the poor
Publication date: 21 March 2017
Abstract
Structured abstract
Subject area information and communication technology (ICT) for development.
Study level/applicability
Master of Business Administration Program’s Management Information Systems courses. Or introductory courses in Masters in ICT for Development.
Case overview
The paper aims to highlight the endeavour of public distribution system (PDS), a food security scheme for under-privileged people in India, towards excellence, using ICT in the state of Chhattisgarh. It presents two important roles of ICT: one, as a system improvement tool, through supply chain integration (in Phase 1) and, the other, as tool for empowerment, by providing choices through computerized online real-time electronic (CORE) PDS (in Phase 2). CORE PDS was intended to provide choices of retail outlets to poor beneficiaries for collecting their food entitlement, breaking the retail outlet’s monopoly. The project was successfully implemented in some urban areas of Chhattisgarh, providing motivation for its mass scale roll-out. But, the contextual differences between rural and urban settings were raising questions on the ultimate value expected to be delivered by the project in rural areas.
Expected learning outcomes
Two major learning outcomes of the case: students will appreciate the multi-faceted role of ICT in improving the performance of a system meant for a financially poor section of the society; students will understand the role of contextual settings in a developing economy in the endeavour of ICT projects for societal development.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 10: Public Sector Management.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dr Kamalpreet Singh, Former Director, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection and his department for their support and cooperation. Also, the authors would like to express their sincere thanks to Mr A.K. Somasekhar, Technical Director, NIC Chhattisgarh and his team.
Citation
Sharma, N., Sahay, B.S. and Sarma, P. (2017), "CORE PDS: empowering the poor", , Vol. 7 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-05-2016-0060
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited