The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme was launched with a promise: to provide women in Maharashtra with direct monthly support of ₹1,500, strengthening financial independence and dignity. But with the state government now making e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) mandatory, a new challenge has emerged. For lakhs of women, especially in rural and marginalised communities, this digital requirement could become a barrier rather than a bridge.
A scheme with promise
The scheme was designed to cover women aged 21 to 60 who are not income-tax payers and not employed by the government. With over 2.25 crore beneficiaries, it is one of the largest welfare initiatives in the state, providing direct cash support to households that often survive on limited incomes.
For many widows, farm labourers, and women without steady jobs, the ₹1,500 monthly transfer has been a lifeline, helping them manage food, healthcare, and education expenses.
The new e-KYC rule
The Maharashtra government has now directed all beneficiaries to complete Aadhaar-based e-KYC within two months. The process requires linking Aadhaar with mobile numbers, completing online verification, and updating information on the government portal.
On paper, this looks like a simple step to prevent fraud. In reality, it could leave behind some of the most vulnerable women.
Who risks being left out?
- Rural Women: Many villages still struggle with patchy internet and limited access to government offices that can help with digital updates.
- Elderly & Widows: Older women may not have smartphones or the digital literacy to navigate OTPs, online forms, or biometric updates.
- Low-Income Households: Even the cost of traveling to a city kiosk or cybercafé for help can be a burden for families surviving on daily wages.
- Digitally Illiterate: Women who have never used online portals may find the process intimidating, increasing dependency on middlemen who may charge fees.
For these groups, the risk is clear: missed deadlines could mean missed benefits.
The digital divide at the heart of welfare
India’s welfare delivery has increasingly shifted to digital platforms, from ration cards linked to Aadhaar to direct benefit transfers in Jan Dhan accounts. While these systems promise transparency, they also expose the deep digital divide between urban and rural citizens, men and women, young and old.
Making e-KYC compulsory assumes access, literacy, and confidence with technology privileges that many women simply do not have.
Exclusion Is not just technical, It’s social
When a poor woman misses her monthly ₹1,500 because she could not complete a technical process, the impact is immediate and severe. It can mean unpaid school fees, skipped medical treatment, or food insecurity. For widows and single women, the loss is even sharper as they often have no alternative income source.
This is not just a question of administrative compliance, it is about rights and inclusion. If welfare schemes designed to empower women end up excluding them because of digital barriers, the very purpose of the programme is defeated.
What can be done?
- Offline Support: Set up help desks in villages and local anganwadis where women can get assistance with e-KYC free of charge.
- Awareness Campaigns: Use radio, local newspapers, and women’s self-help groups to spread awareness about the deadlines and process.
- Grace Periods & Flexibility: Allow extra time or exemptions for women facing genuine difficulties such as age, disability, or lack of access.
- Partnership with NGOs: Work with community organisations that already have grassroots presence to guide women through the process.
A question of justice
At its core, the Ladki Bahin scheme is not just about cash transfers. It is about recognising women’s role in households and giving them a measure of independence. If digital compliance rules create barriers, the state risks silencing the very voices it sought to support.
Ensuring that no woman is excluded because she lacks a smartphone or internet connection is not just good administration, it is social justice.
