- The Indian political scenario is always throbbing up with anticipation for the common citizens who are used to looking up for announcements vis-a-vis dole-outs, incentives, inducements, and more promises ostensibly for their betterment. Of course, the Indian citizens are also used to one or the other form of election being undertaken around the year. No wonder, there is a school of thought to introduce one nation, one election which would preempt the country from a perpetual polling happening. And there is no dearth of polling in the country, you see. Right from the panchayat level elections to state assembly elections to state council elections to Lok Sabha elections to by-polls. Yes, the country will be the electioneering right through the year.
PC: Dice.com
- Now, the Indian political narrative is always built around the labyrinthine caste equations and the accompanying conundrum needs no further elaboration. The political class is loath to let go of any opportunity to impress upon the assiduously built vote banks by keeping the interested party anticipate dole outs. We know how the supposedly socioeconomic measures to uplift the downtrodden have resulted in brandishing quotas and reservations as a tool to consolidate the vote banks. The latest fad that is being perpetrated by the political class is to grandiosely announce government schemes of stipends to cover all strata of society. Government schemes keep multiplying, but they are no replacement for regular jobs. All parties must recognize this.
- The latest to join the bandwagon is the Maharashtra government instituting a monthly stipend of Rs.6,000 to Rs.10,000 for men aged 18 to 35, and a dole of Rs.1,500 a month for poor women (annual family income below Rs.2.5L) aged 21 to 65. To qualify, women must be married, divorced, widowed, deserted, or destitute: one single woman from each poor household is also entitled. The gendered handouts reiterate how women are viewed. But the very need for such sops/welfare is the real story. The women’s scheme will cost Rs.46k crores annually, and men’s Rs.10k crores a year. Over 44L applications have been received for the women’s scheme in the two weeks since it was announced – the government is expecting 1cr applications by August 31.
PC: Business Today
- Disappointingly, the scheme for men, said the CM, is their solution to the unemployment problem. The government believes it has responded to the jobs crisis. Unemployment was an issue during the LS elections and promises to remain an issue in the forthcoming assembly polls. Reality check for politicians: can dole and stop-gap arrangement mask a no-jobs crisis? More than half of India’s population depends on free grain from GOI. All this is happening when the macroeconomy is robust. IMF forecasts a 7% growth, making India a standout major economy in terms of headline numbers. But consumption growth remains tepid. Welfare packages are more based on ground reality than the jobs data. Creating jobs is essential, rather than dole-outs.
