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Evaluation of the Impact of the Introduction of Electronic Point of Sale (ePOS) Machines in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Jharkhand

Last registered on April 15, 2017

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Evaluation of the Impact of the Introduction of Electronic Point of Sale (ePOS) Machines in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Jharkhand
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0001620
Initial registration date
April 14, 2017

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 15, 2017, 1:09 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
University of Virginia

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2016-06-20
End date
2017-12-31
Secondary IDs
Abstract
How does biometric authentication impact the delivery of in-kind social programs? To contribute to the evidence base on this question we are conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the rollout of biometric authentication in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The PDS functions as a means of combating food insecurity by providing subsidized food (rice, wheat, sugar) and non-food items (kerosene) to households monthly through government-assigned "Fair Price Shops" (FPS). However, the PDS is plagued with leakages and plugging leakage is one of the top priorities of the government. One potential way to plug leakages is via electronic Point-of-Service (ePOS) machines that can be used to biometrically authenticate and electronically record transactions that take place at the FPS. The Government of Jharkhand is in the process of rolling out ePOS machines in the state and has agreed to randomize the rollout.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the government’s deployment of ePOS machines on the value delivered to eligible benefi ciaries, costs of delivery, and leakage, through a standard Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design, using data collected from multiple rounds of surveys in 10 districts of Jharkhand. The study also aims to inform policy decisions since results garnered will provide useful insight into operational difficulties and will have nation-wide policy applications, since most states are expected to switch to this system in the near future.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Muralidharan, Karthik, Paul Niehaus and Sandip Sukhtankar. 2017. "Evaluation of the Impact of the Introduction of Electronic Point of Sale (ePOS) Machines in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Jharkhand." AEA RCT Registry. April 15. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.1620-1.0
Former Citation
Muralidharan, Karthik, Paul Niehaus and Sandip Sukhtankar. 2017. "Evaluation of the Impact of the Introduction of Electronic Point of Sale (ePOS) Machines in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Jharkhand." AEA RCT Registry. April 15. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/1620/history/16583
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention involves the introduction of an ePOS machine in PDS shops in order to authenticate the identity of beneficiaries receiving subsidized staple foods and commodities, as well as to electronically record transactions of these commodities. The intervention is being implemented by the Government of Jharkhand.
Intervention Start Date
2016-09-01
Intervention End Date
2017-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Value delivered to eligible bene ficiaries (V), costs of delivery (C), and leakage (L). Please see Pre-Analysis Plan for details and secondary outcomes.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study aims to evaluate the impact of the government’s deployment of ePOS machines through a stratified Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design, using data collected from multiple rounds of surveys in 10 districts of Jharkhand. Please see Pre-Analysis Plan for details.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization was done by a computer based on a coded algorithm; please see Pre-Analysis Plan for details.
Randomization Unit
Block
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
132 blocks
Sample size: planned number of observations
3960 households
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
87 blocks treatment, 45 blocks control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of California at San Diego
IRB Approval Date
2016-07-25
IRB Approval Number
160866SX
IRB Name
University of Virginia
IRB Approval Date
2016-06-14
IRB Approval Number
2016­0222­00
IRB Name
Institute for Financial Management and Research
IRB Approval Date
2016-06-04
IRB Approval Number
IRB00007107
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Pre-Analysis Plan

MD5: b378f762c26d75e4748ea2a5de223ed3

SHA1: 1f2d7d03931ad2a45529b092f51820ec1dfa10c4

Uploaded At: April 14, 2017

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials