Transferred about 172 billion USD into bank accounts of the poor via direct benefit transfer: Ravi Shankar Prasad

New Delhi [India], October 5 (ANI): The government has transferred around 172 billion USD into over 70 million bank accounts of the poor through direct benefit transfer, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday.
While addressing the Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE 2020) - Global AI Summit, Prasad said, "In the direct benefit transfer, we have transferred close to 172 billion USD into more than 70 million bank accounts of the poor for various welfare measures and we have saved 23 billion USD."
He added that about 10.6 million farmers are using e-market to sell their farm produce.
He said that digital India has improved governance in terms of digital delivery of services, direct benefit transfer and digital payment.
"Our Prime Minister is passionate about transforming the lives of ordinary Indians with the power of technology and he gave us the theme of digital India and now we see how it has improved the governance, be it digital delivery of services, direct benefit transfer, e-hospital, digital market for farm produce or digital litracy or digital payment," Prasad said.
The Minister also said that AI has enormous potential to generate development expressing faith that its ecosystem will promote a pool of skilled professionals.
"Technology keeps on evolving. Its pace and its speed overtake us, at times, overwhelm us, but we welcome AI because it has enormous potential to generate development and also bring in further equities and delivery," he said.
"AI would become meaningful only when it brings in the palpable improvement in the quality of life of ordinary people in India. Therefore, digital India was for digital inclusion. We are very sure that our AI ecosystem is going to promote a large pool of skilled professionals who will be there to manage India's AI ecosystem and the world," he added. (ANI)