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e-RUPI, a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment developed by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), Health Ministry, National Health Authority and Department of Financial Services was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
How does it work
This one-time payment mechanism allows users to redeem the voucher without a card or any digital payment app or internet banking. Based on the Unified Payment System, the Reserve Bank of India-approved e-RUPI is an e-voucher issued to the beneficiary through SMS or QR code on his or her mobile number. With the help of this, the service provider gets the payment directly into his account. Any government agency or corporate can generate e-RUPI through their partner banks.
DBT schemes
Speaking at the launch of this digital tool, Modi said the e-RUPI voucher will play a big role in making direct benefit transfer more effective. Modi said with time its utility will also change. For instance, the e-RUPI will be helpful to give treatment, say for TB, or provide food for the needy. It is not only person-specific, but also purpose-specific.
“Any person who is desirous of giving vaccination to poor people in private hospitals can do so with the help of eRUPI. eRUPI will ensure that the e-voucher is used for the purpose of vaccination only and for any other work,” Modi said.
“It can also be used for delivering services under schemes meant for providing drugs and nutritional support under Mother and Child welfare schemes, TB eradication programmes, drugs & diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, fertiliser subsidies, etc. Even the private sector can leverage these digital vouchers as part of their employee welfare and corporate social responsibility programmes,” the official release said.
e-RUPI connects the sponsors of the services with the beneficiaries and service providers in a digital manner without any physical interface. It also ensures that the payment to the service provider is made only after the transaction is completed. Being pre-paid in nature, it assures timely payment to the service provider without involvement of any intermediary, it added.
RS Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority, said, “e-RUPI can be used in the areas of Health, Agriculture, nutrition and education. It will also be used in India’s National Digital Mission. We are fortunate to be the first user of this tool in the health ministry.”
TV Narendran, President, CII, while endorsing the tool, said that “the voucher system will enable all beneficiaries, including feature phone-users, to benefit through this mechanism. It will also be an excellent tool for the corporates, through which they can extend employee and community welfare schemes”.
According to Uday Shankar, President, FICCI, “The e-RUPI system will not only ensure that there are no leakages in the delivery of government services but also offer a much-needed ease and convenience to the people who are the recipient of such services. This can be a revolutionary concept and alter the paradigm of governance...FICCI will also encourage its members to consider using this platform for offering benefits to their employees and other stakeholders.”
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