Development talk drowned in deluge of freebies in Delhi
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Development talk drowned in deluge of freebies in Delhi

New Indian Express  

Let this writer be not declared anti-poor, let me explain how the freebies are different from the public welfare schemes.In a Reserve Bank of India report in 2022, freebies have been defined as “a public welfare measure that is provided free of charge”. The difference between freebies and welfare schemes is not always clear, but a general way to distinguish them is by their long-term impact on beneficiaries and society. The RBI report says, “Freebies are goods and services given free without any charge to the users. They are generally aimed at benefiting the targeted population in the short term.” The policy makers often see them as a way of luring voters or bribing them with populist promises.Welfare schemes, on the other hand, are well thought-after plans that aim to benefit the target population and improve their standard of living and access to resources.

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History of this topic

Dhankhar criticises ‘freebies’, urges Rajya Sabha to debate the issue
Trending News
6 days, 12 hours ago

Dhankhar criticises ‘freebies’, urges Rajya Sabha to debate the issue

The Hindu  

Criticising the culture of “freebies”, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said the issue should be debated in Parliament and there was an urgent need for a national policy so that all investments of the government were used in a structured manner. His remarks came after Samajwadi Party MP and floor leader Ramgopal Yadav, during the Zero …

Not freebies, job creation will omit poverty from India: Narayana Murthy
1 week, 6 days ago

Not freebies, job creation will omit poverty from India: Narayana Murthy

India Today  

Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy has called out the freebies culture, asserting that job creation by innovative entrepreneurs will help eliminate poverty from India. Speaking at the Tiecon Mumbai 2025, the billionaire businessman said that poverty will "vanish like a dew on a sunny morning" if "innovative enterprises" can be created, news agency PTI reported. Last month, the top court …

Freebies vs development: Understanding Delhi's dilemma ahead of Assembly polls
2 months, 1 week ago

Freebies vs development: Understanding Delhi's dilemma ahead of Assembly polls

India Today  

With the Delhi Assembly elections just weeks away, the political discourse has been dominated by a critical issue: the balance between 'freebies' and 'development'. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has announced a raft of freebies and welfare schemes - a central part of its political playbook, sparking a debate on whether short-term welfare benefits should outweigh long-term infrastructure growth. WELFARE …

Freebies, cash and lots of personal touch: Kejriwal's campaign cocktail for Delhi
Trending News
3 months, 1 week ago

Freebies, cash and lots of personal touch: Kejriwal's campaign cocktail for Delhi

India Today  

Once again, it’s raining freebies for Delhiites in election season. While BJP leaders have derided AAP’s schemes as “freebies”, Kejriwal dismissed these criticisms with confidence. Promising life and accident insurance worth Rs 15 lakh, financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh for their daughters’ weddings, Rs 2,500 uniform allowance twice a year and free coaching classes for their children, Kejriwal called …

Freebies are not fiscally sustainable but there’s no need to ban them
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Freebies are not fiscally sustainable but there’s no need to ban them

Live Mint  

In the lead-up to elections, Indian politics frequently centres around promises of state- Such handouts have become a staple of political manifestos, offering immediate relief to certain groups. However, Delhi’s relatively high per capita income of ₹414,711 allows the government to fund such schemes without much fiscal strain. Singapore’s model demonstrates how institutional frameworks can ensure that welfare benefits are …

How welfare schemes and freebies are trumping development issues in Andhra Pradesh polls
10 months, 2 weeks ago

How welfare schemes and freebies are trumping development issues in Andhra Pradesh polls

Hindustan Times  

The lack of a defined capital city for Andhra Pradesh, even after 10 years of the bifurcation of the combined state, failure to complete the Polavaram irrigation project on the Godavari river, inadequate infrastructure and power supply, a lack of drinking water, hefty power bills and rising prices of essential commodities are some of the issues the people of the …

Narayana Murthy opposes freebies, says ‘If you provide subsidies, there must…’
1 year, 3 months ago

Narayana Murthy opposes freebies, says ‘If you provide subsidies, there must…’

Live Mint  

Calling for a different approach to freebies, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy said that "nothing should be given free". For example, if you say -- I will give you free electricity, then it would have been a very nice thing for the government to have said, but we want to see the percentage attendance in primary schools and middle schools …

Why should freebies be opposed?
1 year, 6 months ago

Why should freebies be opposed?

Deccan Chronicle  

A news story in a Tamil newspaper caused a flutter last week. Hastening to answer these two questions that the debates on social media threw up and the criticism of some politicians raised in other forums, too, I would say ‘no.’ Giveaways, gifts, free lunches and compliments are part of human civilization and sloth among people cannot be blamed on …

Freebies versus development: How 'Revdi' culture trades off development and results in unsustainable state finances
1 year, 7 months ago

Freebies versus development: How 'Revdi' culture trades off development and results in unsustainable state finances

Firstpost  

Given the poor fiscal health of our states, the ethics of offering inducements to voters without stating the impacts needs to be debated. Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivkumar’s assertion that delivering on poll promises will eat up all available resources points to the Revdi culture in Indian politics, and its dire impact on states’ finances. Fifteenth Finance Commission …

Doing Freebies Math: Why there are no easy solutions
2 years, 1 month ago

Doing Freebies Math: Why there are no easy solutions

India Today  

While releasing his recent book, BJP MP Varun Gandhi made a strong pitch for regulating freebies culture. In October 2022, ECI released a standard pro-forma to be used by political parties to disclose how they would fund their poll promises, a move that provoked heated response from opposition parties, with some of them calling it an “interference in their democratic …

Equal opportunity, not freebies, will save the poor
2 years, 2 months ago

Equal opportunity, not freebies, will save the poor

New Indian Express  

According to the estimates of the World Health Organization report from March 2022, high expenditure on health is impoverishing some 55 million Indians annually. The conventional socialist approach to such inequality would tax the rich and the middle-class more and give freebies to the poor. What the poor requires is equal opportunity and not freebies and election goodies. India offers …

Freebie is not an issue, issue is how will you give it: Nirmala Sitharaman
2 years, 2 months ago

Freebie is not an issue, issue is how will you give it: Nirmala Sitharaman

The Hindu  

Responding to a question on freebies, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was participating in the 75th year celebrations of Panchjanya — an RSS-linked magazine, said that freebies are something that everyone is talking about these days and everyone traps others on the same subject. Attacking State governments, especially Aam Aadmi Party run Delhi government, that gives free power to residents …

Manish Tewari | Freebies and welfare: Time to define critical difference
2 years, 2 months ago

Manish Tewari | Freebies and welfare: Time to define critical difference

Deccan Chronicle  

While India is perennially on an election treadmill, with 10 state elections and a national election coming up in the next 18 months it is perhaps an apposite time to discuss the issue of freebies, i.e. Further, the RBI estimated that the cost of freebies announced in 2022-23 ranged between zero per cent to 2.7 per cent of the GSDP …

Affidavits will not fix freebies
2 years, 5 months ago

Affidavits will not fix freebies

Hindustan Times  

In what appears to be yet another effort to tackle the problem of freebies, the Election Commission of India has proposed – views of political parties have been sought on the issue – an amendment to the Model Code of Conduct for elections. The proposed amendment asks that political parties come clean on the fiscal costs of political promises made …

Freebies are deciding factor in AP polls; Opposition follows YSRC in freebies
2 years, 6 months ago

Freebies are deciding factor in AP polls; Opposition follows YSRC in freebies

Deccan Chronicle  

VIJAYAWADA: Freebies will be a deciding factor in elections in Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister Jagan Reddy, banking on his government’s flawless welfare schemes implementation, started a negative campaign against Chandrababu Naidu by warning the people that these benefits would be stopped if the TD comes to power. The Navaratnalu welfare schemes are the main strengths of Jagan now, as he …

Poorly-directed freebies may have adverse consequences on economy: Experts
2 years, 6 months ago

Poorly-directed freebies may have adverse consequences on economy: Experts

Firstpost  

The Supreme Court recently said freebies at the cost of taxpayers’ money may push the country towards imminent bankruptcy New Delhi: Poorly-directed freebies may wreak havoc on state finances and have adverse consequences on the economy as in the case of Sri Lanka, experts say while noting it is important to define a freebie and how it is different from …

DC Edit | Fight freebies, respect welfare
2 years, 6 months ago

DC Edit | Fight freebies, respect welfare

Deccan Chronicle  

One of the most crucial debates triggered nationally in recent times in India is the aspect of reconsidering the carte blanche political parties currently enjoy on announcing freebies in the manifestos before elections, without any thought to the costs, desirability, sustainability or benefits of such announcements, oblivious to tax payer’s plight, eyeing only the most immediate electoral benefits. That someone …

Freebies necessary for welfare of poor: KTR
2 years, 6 months ago

Freebies necessary for welfare of poor: KTR

Deccan Chronicle  

HYDERABAD: IT and industries minister K.T. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said freebies were needed to distribute among the poor and people under Below Poverty Line for their daily expenses and came down heavily on the BJP for its move to stop welfare schemes terming them freebies. “If we offer pension schemes for old age people and differently-abled, these …

Don\'t burden utilities, pay for freebies from budgets: FM
2 years, 6 months ago

Don\'t burden utilities, pay for freebies from budgets: FM

Deccan Chronicle  

MUMBAI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said political parties that come to power on pre-poll promises of freebies should pay for those through budgetary provisions. Citing the example of free electricity being promised in many states, the finance minister said the burden for the freebies should not be thrust upon the power discoms or gencos. You should be, …

Freebies come at a price: economist
2 years, 7 months ago

Freebies come at a price: economist

The Hindu  

Freebies are never ‘free’ and when political parties offer such schemes, they must be required to make the financing and trade-offs clear to voters, RBI Monetary Policy Committee Member Ashima Goyal said on Sunday, adding this would reduce the temptation towards “competitive populism”. Noting that this hurts production and resource allocation and imposes large indirect costs, such as the water …

Freebies are never 'free'; subsidies that distort prices are harmful, says RBI MPC member Ashima Goyal
2 years, 7 months ago

Freebies are never 'free'; subsidies that distort prices are harmful, says RBI MPC member Ashima Goyal

Firstpost  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in recent days hit out at the competitive populism of extending ‘rewaris’ or freebies which are not just wastage of taxpayers’ money, but also an economic disaster that could hamper India’s drive to become Atmanirbhar New Delhi: Freebies are never ‘free’ and when political parties offer such schemes, they must be required to make the …

End this asymmetrical conflict over ‘freebies’
2 years, 7 months ago

End this asymmetrical conflict over ‘freebies’

The Hindu  

The issue of ‘freebies’ has bounced back, when the Supreme Court of India on August 3, 2022, recommended constituting an expert committee comprising representatives of the beneficiaries, Union and State governments, the Finance Commission, NITI Aayog and the Reserve Bank of India to study the issue of ‘freebies’. On ‘Trickle down economics’ In the famous Reagan tax cuts, or Reaganomics, …

Time to dump the ‘revari’ culture: Aspirational India needs organic growth, and not freebies
2 years, 7 months ago

Time to dump the ‘revari’ culture: Aspirational India needs organic growth, and not freebies

Firstpost  

While some discretion should remain with political parties on determining handouts, let the expert panel suggested by the Supreme Court throw up viable suggestions and make this a part of electoral reforms New India after 75 years of Independence no longer wants to wait ad infinitum to attain better job opportunities and essential living amenities. Currently, ‘true debt’ of state …

Should there be limits on ‘freebies’
2 years, 7 months ago

Should there be limits on ‘freebies’

The Hindu  

While hearing a petition demanding the de-recognition of political parties that promise “irrational freebies” to voters, the Supreme Court recently drew attention to the substantial fiscal cost of freebies. Also, even if people are sitting at the top of the income distribution pyramid, you could still see something that the petitioner describes as a “freebie” as a welfare measure. But …

Should there be limits on ‘freebies’? | The Hindu Parley podcast
2 years, 7 months ago

Should there be limits on ‘freebies’? | The Hindu Parley podcast

The Hindu  

While hearing a petition demanding the de-recognition of political parties that promise “irrational freebies” to voters, the Supreme Court recently drew attention to the substantial fiscal cost of freebies. The court noted that a legislation banning freebies is not advisable, but at the same time called for a balance between welfare measures and loss to the public exchequer. The Supreme …

Voters prefer to earn a dignified earning over freebies: Supreme Court
2 years, 7 months ago

Voters prefer to earn a dignified earning over freebies: Supreme Court

The Hindu  

Voters, if given a chance, will prefer to earn a dignified earning through welfare schemes such as MNREGA and create public assets in rural India. The court was hearing a petition to curb the practice of offering or distributing “irrational freebies” at the cost of public money, especially in debt-ridden States during the run-up to elections. ‘Don’t confuse freebies with …

Why welfare schemes of States alone are considered 'freebies', DMK asks SC
2 years, 7 months ago

Why welfare schemes of States alone are considered 'freebies', DMK asks SC

The Hindu  

Why are welfare schemes introduced by State governments alone branded ‘freebies’, the DMK asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Why not put the Centre's "tax holidays" for foreign companies, "waiver of bad loans of influential industrialists" and granting of crucial contracts to "favoured conglomerates" in the same bracket, the party queried. Seeking to be made a party in the ongoing …

Freebies can become burden for future, says former RBI Governor
2 years, 7 months ago

Freebies can become burden for future, says former RBI Governor

The Hindu  

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subba Rao on Monday sought to caution how freebies unless targeted can become a burden for future generations. Mr. Rao, responding to queries after delivering an address on India @75 - Marching Towards $5 Trillion Economy, said this pointing to how the Prime Minister has triggered a debate on the important issue. To …

Our problem is fiscal mismanagement and not freebies
2 years, 7 months ago

Our problem is fiscal mismanagement and not freebies

Live Mint  

Recent weeks have seen increasing apprehensions raised by India’s political leadership as well as the judiciary on the increasing tendency of governments and political parties to promise ‘freebies’ to citizens. On 15 July, speaking at a function in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concerns about the ‘revdi’ culture of political parties promising freebies to garner votes. The way …

FM sheds light on freebies, saturation of existing welfare schemes. Read here
2 years, 7 months ago

FM sheds light on freebies, saturation of existing welfare schemes. Read here

Live Mint  

In an event on Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shed some light on the debate over freebies. She said that the Modi government aims to empower everyone through saturation of the existing welfare schemes as every Indian citizen deserves access to basic facilities. The freebies versus welfare debate came in the limelight after PM Modi's 'revdi' jibe that was followed …

Expenditure on education, health not freebies: MK Stalin
2 years, 7 months ago

Expenditure on education, health not freebies: MK Stalin

India Today  

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said the expenditure incurred by the government on education and health cannot be construed as freebies, joining in the debate over the freebies culture in electoral politics. The chief minister said freebies and social welfare schemes are two different things and added that he did not want to talk much about it …

Spending on health, education can't be considered freebies, says Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin
2 years, 7 months ago

Spending on health, education can't be considered freebies, says Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin

Firstpost  

Stalin said that some people have now emerged with the advice that there should be no freebies. He also refrained from talking more on this issue, saying this will become politics Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said the expenditure incurred by the government on education and health cannot be construed as freebies and stated such …

Freebies: It’s not courts’ call
2 years, 7 months ago

Freebies: It’s not courts’ call

Deccan Chronicle  

It is not the remit of the judiciary to suggest the making of laws to curb the runaway practice in Indian democracy of offering freebies for votes by political parties. Well-intentioned the Chief Justice may have been in trying to work out a formula on bringing some sort of curbs on the promise of freebies as a vote-catching strategy that …

Supreme Court not in favour of derecognising political parties over freebies
2 years, 7 months ago

Supreme Court not in favour of derecognising political parties over freebies

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on August 11, 2022 refused to consider the question of derecognising political parties who resort to freebies. The apex court was considering the question of reining in the practice of political parties offering "irrational freebies" to the electorate if they are voted to power, especially in states which are already drowning in debt. Sheer loss to national …

TRS MLC K Kavitha hits out at Centre over 'freebies' remark
2 years, 7 months ago

TRS MLC K Kavitha hits out at Centre over 'freebies' remark

India Today  

Hitting out at the Centre over the ‘freebies’ remarks, Member of Legislative Council Kalvakuntla Kavitha of Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday said that welfare schemes for poor people are not ‘freebies’, however, the actual freebies are the loan waivers of ‘dupe agencies’. It is our responsibility as a state government to keep the best interests of the poor in mind,” …

'Education, healthcare not freebies': AAP tells Supreme Court
2 years, 7 months ago

'Education, healthcare not freebies': AAP tells Supreme Court

India Today  

Asserting that socio-economic welfare schemes for the marginalised population cannot be termed as freebies, the Aam Aadmi Party has sought the Supreme Court's intervention in a pending petition on the issue. "Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution reinforced the idea that the state should pursue a socialist and welfarist program for bringing an equitable social order where every …

Sop or welfare debate: The Hindu Editorial on freebies
2 years, 7 months ago

Sop or welfare debate: The Hindu Editorial on freebies

The Hindu  

A general concern over ‘freebies’ pushing the economy to ruin or unviable pre-election promises adversely affecting informed decision-making by voters seems reasonable. However, few will disagree that what constitutes ‘freebies’ and what are legitimate welfare measures to protect the vulnerable sections are essentially political questions for which a court of law may have no answer. The Chief Justice of India, …

Making sense of the ‘freebies’ issue
2 years, 7 months ago

Making sense of the ‘freebies’ issue

The Hindu  

August 03, 2022 12:16 am | Updated 12:12 pm IST Concern over ‘freebies’ in Indian politics has recently been expressed by those in the highest offices in the country. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Bundelkhand Expressway on July 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned youth not to get carried away by the ‘revari culture’, where votes are sought …

Free education, healthcare not freebies, but efforts towards making India no. 1: Arvind Kejriwal
2 years, 8 months ago

Free education, healthcare not freebies, but efforts towards making India no. 1: Arvind Kejriwal

The Hindu  

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday said his government's schemes for free education, healthcare and electricity were not "freebies" but efforts to lay the foundation for making India the number one country in the world. His remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day cautioned people against what he called was a "revadi culture" of offering freebies …

Freebie phobia: The BJP’s concerted attack on redistributive transfers
2 years, 10 months ago

Freebie phobia: The BJP’s concerted attack on redistributive transfers

The Hindu  

I T has all the trappings of a propaganda war. For example, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar criticised the opposition for distributing freebies that made people “lazy” and declared that in principle the BJP was against such a “sit down policy”. ‘Sri Lanka–type economic crisis’ The freebies attack has also come from ostensibly independent, but government-linked, “expert” sources. Not …

Are freebies affecting the economic growth of India?
2 years, 10 months ago

Are freebies affecting the economic growth of India?

The Hindu  

In an address delivered at the Delhi School of Economics last week, N.K. He also noted that freebies could be harmful for the long-term economic growth of the country and emphasised the need to distinguish between productive and unproductive forms of welfare spending. Broadly speaking, in common parlance, fiscal stability is a situation in which the government is able to …

Freebies not good for economy, senior officials flag concerns to PM
2 years, 11 months ago

Freebies not good for economy, senior officials flag concerns to PM

Op India  

During a nearly four-hour meeting on Saturday, several top bureaucrats briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the announcements of freebies in several states are financially unsustainable and that they needed to be persuaded to make a balanced decision that aligned political imperatives with economic stability. Officials say the norm of political parties competing to deliver freebies before every election would …

The need to move away from clientelism
3 years, 4 months ago

The need to move away from clientelism

The Hindu  

A neoliberal economy encourages private capital and the market, while forcing the state to withdraw from welfare. Even as the poor perceive the state as an arbitrator of their well-being and a facilitator for their mobility in all spheres of life, today’s political parties resort to unsolicited freebies to attract them. of Tamil Nadu, which challenged the freebies of both …

What distinguishes welfare measures from freebies?
5 years, 1 month ago

What distinguishes welfare measures from freebies?

The Hindu  

There is an overwhelming consensus that a slew of welfare policies initiated by the Aam Aadmi Party government in its previous term secured the party’s victory in the 2020 Delhi Assembly election. In a conversation moderated by Jayant Sriram, Reetika Khera and Lekha Chakraborty discuss the rudiments of good spending and bad spending by governments: Many say that welfare policies …

Freebies galore in the Congress’ Delhi election manifesto
5 years, 1 month ago

Freebies galore in the Congress’ Delhi election manifesto

The Hindu  

It is raining freebies for voters in Delhi. Continuing with the trend of promising free sops that was started by the Aam Admi Party, the Congress has also promised free electricity, free metro rides and free education in its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly election. Present on the occasion were senior leaders Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and …

From Kejriwal's free metro rides to Modi's direct cash transfer: Decoding freebie politics in India
5 years, 6 months ago

From Kejriwal's free metro rides to Modi's direct cash transfer: Decoding freebie politics in India

India Today  

The Supreme Court's recent condemnation of the Delhi government's populist proposal of free metro rides for women have once again catapulted the long-winding debate on the unrestricted proliferation of populist policies. From Kejriwal's political masterstroke of free electricity and water to Modi's electorally rewarding direct cash transfer to farmers before elections to Congress's much vaunted electoral promise of NYAY, such …

Freebies no longer going to aid India develop: Venkaiah Naidu
8 years, 7 months ago

Freebies no longer going to aid India develop: Venkaiah Naidu

Firstpost  

Naidu said business and industry are vital for the growth of the country and the govt would come forward to offer concessions if it is worthy. Hyderabad: Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said “freebies” would no longer help the country develop and maintained that reforms were the need of the hour. Naidu, while addressing students of …

Why freebies to all sections of society, ask urban literate
8 years, 10 months ago

Why freebies to all sections of society, ask urban literate

Deccan Chronicle  

CHENNAI: It’s a flood of freebies in AIADMK manifesto released by party general secretary, J. Jayalalithaa, on Thursday. The government which is supposed to provide infrastructure to its citizens is reducing its prestige by providing all kinds of freebies to voters,” Yamini Shekaran, administrator of a college in rural Tamil Nadu, said. Software professional Nithya Srinivasan scoffs at the promise …

Freebies: Can it really lure property buyers?
12 years, 5 months ago

Freebies: Can it really lure property buyers?

Firstpost  

Freebies only work in the mid-income housing segment if they actually add value to the property or lighten the financial burden on the buyer in some way. The type of marketing strategies that Indian developers employ to sell their products in a tough market may often seem strange to property marketers in other countries. Certain add-on offerings - or ‘freebies’ …

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