Today is the age of digitization. The entire world is moving very fast with this technology and life becoming very easy. The banking transaction, all around the world, has been made so transparent that the account can be operated from anywhere at anyone's convenient time without any hassle.
For this benefit, our country is also coping with technological advancement. 'On-Line Transaction' is encouraged. Many Apps have been introduced and the transactions for Telephone Bill, Electricity Bill, Hospital, School, and College dues payments, purchasing Air Ticket, Rail Ticket, Bus Ticket, etc. can be done with those Apps, thus, one can tour the country without any wallet and can have their grocery without going to the market. So, the demand for cash transactions is gradually diminishing.
Problems Due To Withdrawing of Some Currency From Circulation:--
As the circulation of the currency has been reduced and inflation is increasing, so, the government, thus, decided to remove coins like 10 paise, 20 paise, and 50 paise from the market. Recently, it has been found and felt that the circulation of 10 Rupee Notes and 20 Rupee Notes has been restricted. Because of this, the common people are suffering in their daily life. They are forced to accept the soil notes but find difficulty with the same shopkeeper when going next time with the soiled notes. So, many of them, mostly the poor of remote villages, to whom the 10 rupees and 20 rupees are a very big currency, face a very hard time with those soiled notes. In the meantime, some unscrupulous fellows sprung up in the society, approaching the poor to exchange notes by taking a fat commission. The poor who cannot find a window to respite, are easily lured and agreed to the terms of those people. Getting less amount also they got relieved. Thus, a poor man is becoming poorer, and dishonest people are getting the opportunity to create wealth unethically.
Again, it has been observed that a vegetable seller is selling bringal 25 Rupees a Kilogram. When a customer purchases a small quantity, say, 300gm, for which he needs to pay 7 Rupees 50 Paise but the seller takes 8 Rupees, thus the poor man loses 50 Paise and the rich seller, without giving any extra effort or extra benefit earning 50 Paise more and at the end of the day, he earns a good amount of money, due to the blessing of government's policy.
It has been further observed that on the one hand, the government is withdrawing small currency from circulation, on the other hand, the same government's policy allows the govt. Private companies make pricing of their products in paise thus putting the customers in trouble. The government-owned 'Indian Oil fixes their domestic LPG cylinder price in Rupee and Paise, which the customers, mostly, senior citizens and super senior citizens, who are not very conversant with modern technology, pay extra money for their cylinder as the smaller denominations are not available. So, the gas agent or the delivery boy gets an extra amount without any extra effort or providing any extra service.
This, what just told above, is the reality of practical life but there is another side of the social problem also.
Social Effect Of Withdrawing Of Currency:--
Beggars who generally, thrive on the support of well-wishers, are facing hard times for their existence. In recent times, I saw the unfortunate, who is sitting with a begging bowl by the side of the road or in front of temples and mosques, remain penniless for the whole day and cannot have a single bite of food due to the non-availability of alms. As most people are using digital methods, so, they do not have the required minimum cash to support those unfortunates.
The well-wishers who have hard cash and are willing to give Rupee 10 and Rupee 20 also many time cannot give it to them because the beggars won't be able to use the soiled notes properly and may be exploited by the dishonest shopkeepers or by some local lumens.
Again, it has been observed that one rupee coin, that is in circulation, are having different in size. Many of the one rupee coins are similar in size to two rupee coins, which most of the beggars cannot make any difference. Some beggars, who are visionarily challenged, are so mentally disturbed when they cannot count the exact amount they have because they can't differentiate between two rupee coins and one rupee coin by touch. So, if we consider these people as our beloved fellow citizens, then the government should make different shapes and sizes of coins with different colors, as it was in the eighties and nineties.
The government is making many social reforming schemes to eradicate poverty in the country. They give doles at different from. They give free Ration, free Electricity, free Bus Ride, etc. but do not pay due attention, I believe, to the upliftment of the beggars.
Social Welfare Scheme Not Reaching To All Sections of People, Specially Beggars:-
The beggars who are seen on Railway platforms, at temples, at mosques, at churches, etc. are not getting such welfare benefits and the government statistics also do not give any reflection to those beggars. Now, a day will come, when due to digitization, the smaller denomination will be withdrawn then these people also will be out of public domain and we shall claim our success towards advancement without actually addressing this burning but painful issue of beggars.
Life At Remote Villages:--
Our country has a population of 140 crore or more of which a section is residing in remote villages where still the basic amenities for living have not yet been reached. The government is trying its best to reach the furthest point of the country but that will take some more time and before that, if the circulation of the smaller denominations is withdrawn gradually then those 'have nots' instead of being elevated will further go to the lower level of poverty.
Conclusion:--
To be successfully effective in implementing the digitization policy in our country, I think, the government should concentrate on the following:--
People should be made educated. For this, the standard of school education has to be updated,
People should be provided with minimum purchasing capacity power. This cannot be done by only providing doles alone but by bringing confidence by giving job opportunities, so that, they can use Android phones and computers,
The beggars and physically challenged people should be provided with a dignified life.
Senior and Super Senior Citizens, because of their age, may not be able to learn the digital operation, so, the pricing of products should be made to suit the reality.
Though digitization is a boon to society and human life much more has to be done to make a total success in our diverse country.