Inequality by Code: Algorithmic Governance, Digital Welfare, and the Future of Human Development in India

This paper analyses the development of algorithmic governance in India and its effects regarding human development, inequality, and constitutional rights. As the state implements digital public infrastructures (for example, Aadhaar, direct benefit transfers [DBTs], and the India Stack), a growing number of governance actions in India will be mediated through code. While these infrastructures afford us potential efficiency, they often result in exclusion and obfuscation. Using interdisciplinary research and empirical investigations, this paper highlights the structural inequities in India's digital welfare state that disproportionately affect women, Dalits, Adivasis, and national rural populations. It also notes the misalignment between digital transformation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably with poverty (SDG 1), inequality (SDG 10), and accountability (SDG 16). The paper concludes with a roadmap for inclusive digital governance anchored in equity-by-design, legal safeguards, and participatory oversight.