Financial inclusion drive

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna is indeed a game changer for the citizens of rural and semi-urban areas. It has given much needed financial freedom to millions. But there is still a long distance to cover before each and every adult gets access to banking facilities.

Yes, imparting knowledge to banking correspondents is more than essential as they are the first point of contact in rural areas and they must answer each and every query of such account-holders.

Both quantitative and qualitative improvements in financial inclusion can be achieved if the government ropes in local panchayats and banking correspondents in its efforts.

Bal Govind

Noida

Financial literacy

To expand the coverage of PMJDY, technological issues relating to connectivity and online transactions should be addressed. Also, PMJDY account-holders must be covered under micro-insurance schemes.

Digital payments, including RuPay debit card usage, amongst PMJDY account-holders must be encouraged through the creation of acceptance infrastructure across the country. Career counselling and financial literacy programmes among rural people must also be undertaken.

This will ensure that the accounts remain operative and the rural folk make use of the financial services offered by the government.

P Sundara Pandian

Virudhunagar, TN

China’s gameplan

Apropos the editorial ‘Chinese checkers’ (August 23), China’s self-imposed slowdown would make many nations jittery as they depend on China for critical items such as crude oil, iron ore, pharmaceuticals, chips, electrical and electronic items.

Many economies are feeling the heat of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the tense atmosphere in Taiwan is yet another worrisome issue.

However, countries like India can seize the opportunity and become a production hub for the global economy.

RV Baskaran

Chennai

Global impact

That the Chinese economy has been on a downward spiral, partly owing to its self-inflicted slowdown, does not augur well for the global economy and its growth prospects.

Given the fact that China stills hold sway over global supply chains, negative repercussions arising out of its economic slowdown on countries like India, which depends on China to meet the raw material requirements of its automobile and pharmaceutical industries, cannot be easily ignored.

However, with China’s black-box policies now beginning to drive out foreign direct and portfolio investors from that country, India needs to effectively capitalise on this and position itself as an ideal destination for foreign investments.

M Jeyaram

Sholavandan, TN

Self-rule in Afghanistan

Afghanistan completes one year of self-rule after the US exited permanently. The unfurling scenario in Afghanistan, is but a deja vu of the Iraq decades earlier. Given a far more evolved polity, Iraq, with an envious history of culture and heritage, is yet to recover from sectarian conflicts. A sad reflection on selfish meddling of big powers in alien nations.

In contrast, Afghanistan with its myriad tribes and without a common and enduring command for centuries, may never find an unifying theme or cause or the leadership for effective domestic governance.

An ever restive nation, it has been left grappling with intricacies of international equations obtained in legacy. The Taliban, steeped in tradition and relying on disruption for survival, will find the sceptre unfamiliar.

R Narayanan

Navi Mumbai

Correction

With reference to ‘Aim is to return to double-digit growth in 2022: Future Generali Life MD’, published on August 20, the company has clarified that Generali increased stake in its Indian JV Future Generali India Life Insurance to around 70.56 per cent in April 2022, and not as published. Currently, about 66 per cent policy origination is from the proprietary channel

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