A safety net for all
PremiumA direct redistribution of money from taxpayers to people, its chief merit would be the simplicity of all Aadhaar holders being eligible for just enough to get by
As much as ₹1.6 trillion has been transferred by the Centre to the bank accounts of farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) since this scheme began in late 2018-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said earlier this week as he released the latest transfer of about ₹19,500 crore to 97.5 million beneficiaries, each entitled to ₹2,000 every four months as income support. A week earlier, Modi had launched e-Rupi, a new digital mechanism that is expected to enable other closely aimed hand-outs. Schools made to compete for education vouchers given free to parents, for example, could raise the quality of schooling. With Aadhaar ready to vouch for who’s who in India, we can even envision widely-aimed welfare: say, a universal basic income (UBI).
It may not be fiscally affordable just yet, but a UBI is an idea whose time will surely come. A direct redistribution of money from taxpayers to people, its chief merit would be the simplicity of all Aadhaar holders being eligible for just enough to get by. With full coverage as its default setting, the well-fed could opt out. If not, never mind, so long as it ensures that nobody is left without means of sustenance: a safety net for all.
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