Will direct multilateral aid to disaster-hit states become the new normal?

While the Centre has always been leery of a direct outreach to states by global agencies, there are indications that this mindset is about to change

The morning after cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc on West Bengal coast line, the challenge was not only for those who had lost their homes, but also for the government about which schemes to use to reach them. 

Yet, there are almost 1,200 schemes run by the states and the Centre to provide various types of assistance to the poor, including cash. Essentially, in order to make these schemes reach all the poor can there be a portable social security network that is pan-national? The World Bank and the finance ministry are trying to come up with an answer that creates