This is not welfare, Pg12.

Key Highlights:

• Political parties in the 2025 Bihar Assembly election have promised over Rs 8 lakh crore annually in pre-election benefits.
• Promises include free electricity units, increased social security pensions, and large-scale job creation schemes by leaders like Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav.
• The RBI has warned that states offering excessive freebies risk fiscal collapse, citing Punjab and Rajasthan as examples.
• The Supreme Court is reviewing a plea to treat pre-poll freebies as corrupt practices under the Representation of the People Act (RPA).

Detailed Insights:

• The article differentiates between welfare (food, education, healthcare) and freebies (cash handouts before elections), arguing that welfare builds capability while freebies create dependency.
• There is a perceived double standard where benefits to the wealthy are termed "incentives," while assistance to the poor is viewed as a threat to the nation.
• The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) restricts new schemes post-election notification, but manifesto promises remain exempt, creating a loophole exploited by parties.
• The author suggests reforms, including mandatory costed manifestos, treating direct cash promises as bribery, and prioritizing welfare linked to education and job creation.
• Oxfam India's 2022 report highlights wealth inequality, with the richest 1% owning 51.5% of national wealth, while the bottom 60% own just 5%.
• India's ranking of 130th in the UN Human Development Index (2023) underscores the need for sustainable development over temporary appeasement.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Freebies: Goods or services distributed with the intent to influence voters, often before elections.
• Welfare: Government programs that provide basic necessities and improve living standards.
• Model Code of Conduct (MCC): Guidelines issued by the Election Commission to regulate political parties' conduct during elections.