One of India's two biggest parties running on Universal Basic Income platform in National Elections

[the cac mamba]

This is largely because Congress and BJP have no sway whatsoever in the south; instead, southern states are run by strong left-wing parties. Imagine if a couple of US states weren't subject to the Democrat - Republican shytshow and instead had local parties dominating the state political scene, it's the same situation and it works quite well. Neither the BJP nor Congress have the guts to challenge feudalism, religion, and hyper-capitalism, because of which most of the rest of the country is completely fukked.

interesting

 

[Professor Emeritus]

no

india has 1.3 billion people and growing that they can't keep track of, let alone give UBI. they cant even give them working toilets. this is not going to work

Speak on your knowledge of how the population of a country relates to its ability to make such programs work. Or share your intimate knowledge of current Indian welfare/subsidy programs and how their deficiencies show the inherent impossibility of this one.

 

[the cac mamba]

Speak on your knowledge of how the population of a country relates to its ability to make such programs work. Or share your intimate knowledge of current Indian welfare/subsidy programs and how their deficiencies show the inherent impossibility of this one.

do masses of poor people make it easier or harder to provide 'X' service for everyone? now i realize im in the same place that touts illegal immigration while touting universal healthcare, so i know that consistency is not our strong point

 

[Professor Emeritus]

do masses of poor people make it easier or harder to provide 'X' service for everyone? now i realize im in the same place that touts illegal immigration while touting universal healthcare, so i know that consistency is not our strong point

Damn, with a response like that you would think someone would have called you out for disingenuous arguments by now.

It's a meaningless critique for a specific policy because you could just insert it to claim that India can't do ANY function of government. India already DOES provide "X" service for hundreds of millions of poor people. You should at least learn about aadaar cards, grain distribution, midday meals, cooking gas subsidies, rural poor work guarantee, etc. before just randomly assuming that something being big automatically makes it impossible.

There's a strong argument that this would be BETTER than the current spectrum of guarantees because it would be far easier to administrate, cut out a lot of the transport/management costs and middlemen of the current systems, greatly reducing the potential for corruption.

 

[the cac mamba]

Damn, with a response like that you would think someone would have called you out for disingenuous arguments by now.

It's a meaningless critique for a specific policy because you could just insert it to claim that India can't do ANY function of government. India already DOES provide "X" service for hundreds of millions of poor people. You should at least learn about aadaar cards, grain distribution, midday meals, cooking gas subsidies, rural poor work guarantee, etc. before just randomly assuming that something being big automatically makes it impossible.

There's a strong argument that this would be BETTER than the current spectrum of guarantees because it would be far easier to administrate, cut out a lot of the transport/management costs and middlemen of the current systems, greatly reducing the potential for corruption.

don't think i dont respect the action they're trying to take here it would be a hell of a fukkin feat

but the realist in me doesn't see it we're talking about 1.3 billion people. feel free to bump this when it happens and laugh at me for being wrong, i guess

 

[Sukairain]

I don't know if there are cash-based welfare programs in India. The only thing I distinctly remember is federal government-subsidized produce, so you'd go to their shops, show your government card and pick up essential grains like rice and wheat at a significant discount. I don't think this was restricted to the very poor either; my parents were middle class and they always got our food through the government subsidy.

In TN the state government operates public kitchens intended to prevent hunger. They price a square meal of cooked food at around 4 cents each, so that even the homeless have access to decent food daily.

 

[Prince.Skeletor]

Not going to happen at least not within another 35 years.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

I don't know if there are cash-based welfare programs in India. The only thing I distinctly remember is federal government-subsidized produce, so you'd go to their shops, show your government card and pick up essential grains like rice and wheat at a significant discount. I don't think this was restricted to the very poor either; my parents were middle class and they always got our food through the government subsidy.

In TN the state government operates public kitchens intended to prevent hunger. They price a square meal of cooked food at around 4 cents each, so that even the homeless have access to decent food daily.

I can't think of any "cash for cash's sake" program at all.

There is the subsidized grains program you mention, that one is huge. Like you say it's so broad that it covers the poor, working class, and part of the middle class.

There is a subsidized cooking oil/propane program too. Again, it's pretty broad.

There is a midday meals program. Free lunch for all kids in government schools (only poor kids go to government schools for the most part).

There is a rural work guarantee. If you live in a rural area and you can't find a job, the government is supposed to provide you with 100 days of work in the year, like cleaning streets and working on government construction projects or something. That one is pretty new and I'm not sure how widespread it is.

There are a lot of loans/subsidies for various things like slum people who want to get property and stuff like that. I'm not sure how all those work.

There is a limited medical program, like you get a card where you can get up to about $1000 of medical care in a year before you have to start paying. I don't think that one is very widespread. Public hospitals are generally pretty cheap for the basics, but a bad issue can drive a poor family into debt quickly.

There are lots of quotas for dalits, lower castes, minority religions, etc. for both university spots and government jobs.

So yeah, lots of social programs. But I can't think of any direct cash welfare stuff.