A digital education and awareness programme was organised by Centre for the Study of Social Change (CSSC) under union ministry of social justice and empowerment.

Principal Advisor, CSSC and former Mumbai Mayor, Advocate Nirmala Samant Prabhvalkar explained to senior citizens about how to use ordinary and smartphones phones and for banking and digital transactions. Explaining how the Business Correspondent model works, she also detailed how to carry out transaction using mobile apps for financial services and Aadhaar enabled apps for online transactions.

“Digital banking and transactions will slowly become compulsory. It is in your interest to do this as you do not need to go all the way to the bank for all the work. Your mobile is now becoming your wallet and you must know how to use it with or without the internet for all your money transactions.” She urged senior citizens to use government enabled payment systems like*99#, Rupay, UPI, BHIM, Aadhaar enabled payment systems among others for security and convenience in financial transactions.

Prakash Borgaonkar, director, HelpAge India said, “Going cashless is the need of the hour and it is very important for senior citizens to understand how to transact digitally. Change is the rule of nature and those who change with time last longer. Today, change means going cashless.”  He added that along with MoSJE, HelpAge is organising awareness programs in rural areas and asked those present to bring more people in such awareness programmes and spread the mission.

The ministry along with CSSE as its Regional Resource Centre for geriatric care is organising a series of such programmes across the city.