Abstract
Despite its present marginality, basic income is increasingly part of India’s policy discourse. Even though India is still a developing country, various factors produce the political impetus for bringing various versions of basic income guarantee proposals on the agenda. They include (1) the dynamics of competitive democracy, (2) activist civil society organizations and government economists, (3) the increasing administrative capacity of the state, (4) previous experience with basic income trials, the economic insecurity of a rural peasantry facing the vagaries of world market food prices and a lack of manufacturing job options, (5) the inefficiencies of the present welfare state, and (6) concerns about extreme income and wealth inequality.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
With the exception of a brief period between 1975 and 1977 when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi implemented emergency rule.
- 2.
Regional parties are significantly more represented in state and local elections, as well as in key parliamentary alliances formed by Congress and BJP.
- 3.
OBC is an official classification by the Government of India to describe the educationally or socially disadvantaged caste and comprise 41% of the population as of 2006. https://www.rediff.com/news/2006/nov/01quota.htm. The government has quota assignments in public sector employment and higher education to favor OBCs.
- 4.
“Universal Basic Income| Sarath Davala| TEDxXIMB.” Youtube, March 9, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq3nRSq03x4.
- 5.
Basic Income India. https://basicincomeindia.weebly.com/blog-posts.
- 6.
BIEN Congresses. Basic Income Earth Network. https://basicincome.org/congresses/.
- 7.
“India-Employment in Agriculture (% of Total Employment).” Trading Economics, accessed September 2, 2019. https://tradingeconomics.com/india/employment-in-agriculture-percent-of-total-employment-wb-data.html.
- 8.
“Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing, Value Added (% of GDP).” World Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS?locations=IN.
References
Agarwal, Anmol. 2018. “Increasing Inequality in India: A Silent Subject?” South Asia @ LSE Blog, June 18. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/southasia/2018/06/18/increasing-inequality-in-india-a-silent-subject/.
Agrawal, Nisha. 2016. “Inequality in India: What’s the Real Story?” WEF Agenda, October 4. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/inequality-in-india-oxfam-explainer/.
Ahluwalia, M. S. 2005. “Forward. Performance Evaluation of Targeted Public Distribution System.” New Delhi: Program Evaluation Organisation, Planning Commission, Government of India. http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/peoreport/peo/peo_tpds.pdf.
Alvaredo, Facundo, Lucas Chancel, Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez, and Gabriel Zucman. 2018. “World Inequality Report 2018.” World Inequality Lab. Annual Publication. https://wir2018.wid.world/files/download/wir2018-full-report-english.pdf.
Amirapu, Amrit, and Arvind Subramanian. 2014. “Manufacturing Futures.” Business Standard, May 11. https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/amrit-amirapu-arvind-subramanian-manufacturing-futures-114050901478_1.html.
Anderson, Perry. 2012. “After Nehru.” London Review of Books 34 (15): 21–36. https://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n15/perry-anderson/after-nehru.
Banerjee, Abhijit. 2016. “The Best Way to Welfare.” Indian Express, June 18. https://www.ideasforindia.in/topics/poverty-inequality/universal-basic-income-the-best-way-to-welfare.html.
Banerjee, Abhijit, and Esther Duflo. 2019. “Excerpt: Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo on Which Kind of UBI Could Work in India.” The Wire, October 15. https://thewire.in/books/abhiji-banerjee-esther-duflo-ubi-excerpt-nobel-prize.
Bardhan, Pranab. 2011. “Challenges for a Minimum Social Democracy in India.” Economic and Political Weekly 46 (10): 39–43. https://www.epw.in/journal/2011/10/perspectives/challenges-minimum-social-democracy-india.html.
Bardhan, Pranab. 2016. “Basic Income in a Poor Country.” Ideas for India, September 26. https://www.ideasforindia.in/topics/poverty-inequality/basic-income-in-a-poor-country.html.
Bhalla, Surjit S. 2017. “No Proof Required: Financing Basic Income for the Bottom 50 Per Cent.” Indian Express, January 7. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/no-proof-required-financing-basic-income-for-the-bottom-50-per-cent-4462648/.
Bharti, Nitin, and Lucas Chancel. 2019. “Tackling Inequality in India: Is the 2019 Election Campaign up to the Challenge?” WID.world Issue Brief 2019/2, March. https://wid.world/news-article/tackling-inequality-in-india-is-the-2019-election-campaign-up-to-the-challenge/.
Bhatia, Rahul. 2018. “How India’s Welfare Revolution is Starving Citizens.” The New Yorker, May 16. https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/how-indias-welfare-revolution-is-starving-citizens.
Bhatia, Amiya, and Jacqueline Bhabha. 2017. “India’s Aadhar Scheme and the Promise of Inclusive Social Protection.” Oxford Development Studies 45 (1): 64–79.
Borck, Rainald. 2007. “Voting, Inequality and Redistribution.” Journal of Economic Surveys 21 (1): 90–109.
Business Standard. 2019. “Sikkim Will Be First State to Implement Universal Basic Income; It’s Different from Congress’ NYAY (Comment).” March 29. https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/sikkim-will-be-first-state-to-implement-universal-basic-income-it-s-different-from-congress-nyay-comment-119032900285_1.html.
Bussell, Jennifer. 2012. Corruption and Reform in India: Public Services in the Digital Age. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Chancel, Lucas, and Thomas Piketty. 2017. “Indian Income Inequality, 1922–2015: From British Raj to Billionaire Raj?” WID.world Working Paper Series, N 2017/11. July. https://wid.world/document/chancelpiketty2017widworld/.
Chandrasekhar, C. P., and Jayati Ghosh. 2018. “Industrial Employment: Jobs Go Up But Wages Don’t.” Hindu Business Line, August 13. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/c-p-chandrasekhar/industrial-employment-jobs-go-up-but-wages-dont/article24681015.ece.
Chitravanshi, Ruchika. 2015. “Nationwide Review of Rural Job Scheme NREGS Ordered by Government.” Economic Times, October 8. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/nationwide-review-of-rural-job-scheme-nregs-ordered-by-government/articleshow/49264512.cms?from=mdr.
Coady, David, and Delphine Prady. 2018. “Universal Basic Income in Developing Countries: Issues, Options, and Illustration for India.” Working Paper, No. 18/174, International Monetary Fund.
Coelho, Andre. 2018. “India: Muhammad Yunus Says It’s Time to Introduce Basic Income.” Basic Income Earth Network, July 7. https://basicincome.org/news/2018/07/india-muhammad-yunus-says-its-time-to-introduce-basic-income/.
Coelho, Andre. 2019a. “International: Basic Income Earth Conference 2019 Announcement (Call for Papers).” Basic Income Earth Network, January 4. https://basicincome.org/news/2019/01/international-basic-income-earth-conference-2019-announcement-call-for-papers/.
Coelho, Andre. 2019b. “India: UBI Is Likely to Come to Fruition in Sikkim, But Not Without Contention.” Basic Income Earth Network, May 8. https://basicincome.org/news/2019/05/india-ubi-is-likely-to-come-to-fruition-in-sikkim-but-not-without-contention/.
Costello, Jane. 2016. “Many Countries Are Weighing Cash Payments to Citizens. Could It Work in the U.S.?” Salon, June 21. https://www.salon.com/2016/06/21/many_countries_are_weighing_cash_payments_to_citizens_could_it_work_in_the_u_s/.
Credit Suisse Research Institute. 2018. Global Wealth Report 2018. October. https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/reports-research/global-wealth-report.html.
Dang, Hai-Anh, and Peter Lanjouw. 2018. “Inequality Trends and Dynamics in India: The Bird’s-Eye and the Granular Perspectives.” UNU-WIDER Working Paper 2018/189.
Das, Anindya. 2011. “Farmers’ Suicide in India: Implications for Public Mental Health.” International Journal of Social Psychiatry 57 (1): 21–29.
Davala, Sarath. 2015a. “What Is Direct Benefit Transfer? How Is It Different from Basic Income?” Basic Income India, July 7. https://basicincomeindia.weebly.com/blog-posts/what-is-direct-benefit-transfer-how-is-it-different-from-basic-income.
Davala, Sarath. 2015b. “Is Basic Income Relevant in the Indian Context?” Basic Income India, July 10. https://indiabasicincome.in/2018/12/31/is-basic-income-relevant-in-the-indian-context/.
Davala, Sarath, Renana Jhabvala, Guy Standing, and Soumya Kapoor Mehta. 2015. Basic Income: A Transformative Policy for India. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Economic Times. 2018. “Corporate India on How to Get Equitable Growth for a Billion Indians.” September 5. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/expert-view/corporate-india-on-how-to-get-equitable-growth-for-a-billion-indians/articleshow/65687174.cms.
Economist. 2017. “Bonfire of the Subsidies: India Debates the Case for a Universal Basic Income.” February 2. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2017/02/02/india-debates-the-case-for-a-universal-basic-income.
Engels, Friedrich. 1894. “The Peasant Question in France and Germany.” Marxists.org.https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1894/peasant-question/index.htm.
ET Bureau. 2013. “Direct Cash Transfer in 20 Districts from Today.” Economic Times, January 1. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/direct-cash-transfer-in-20-districts-from-today/articleshow/17836060.cms.
Feldman, Josh, Boban Paul, M. R. Sharan, and Arvind Subramanian. 2019. “Quasi-Universal Basic Rural Income: The Way Forward.” Business Standard, January 27. https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/arvind-subramanian-colleagues-propose-rs-18-000-basic-income-for-rural-households-119012800919_1.html.
Forget, Evelyn L. 2011. “The Town with No Poverty: The Health Effects of a Canadian Guaranteed Annual Income Field Experiment.” Canadian Public Policy 37 (3): 283–305.
Gandhi, Feroze Varun. 2016. “Why We Need to Talk About a Basic Income.” The Hindu, June 30. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Why-we-need-to-talk-about-a-basic-income/article14463390.ece.
George, Nikhil. 2019. “Can Universal Basic Income Help Create an Equitable Society?” The Wire, January 3. https://www.monkprayogshala.in/blog/2019/1/7/can-universal-basic-income-help-create-an-equitable-society.
George, Siddharth, and Arvind Subramanian. 2015. “Transforming the Fight Against Poverty in India.” New York Times, July 22. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/23/opinion/transforming-the-fight-against-poverty-in-india.html.
Ghatak, Maitreesh. 2016. “The Price of Basic Income.” Indian Express, July 1. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/basic-income-in-india-brexit-referendum-switzerland-basic-income-jan-dhan-yojana-guarantee-employment-programme-mgnrega-2879930/.
Government of India. 2017. “Economic Survey 2016–17.” Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs, Economic Division. https://www.thehinducentre.com/multimedia/archive/03193/Economic_Survey_20_3193543a.pdf.
Heston, Alan, and Vijay Kumar. 2008. “Institutional Flaws and Corruption Incentives in India.” Journal of Development Studies 44 (9): 1243–1261.
Himanshu. 2015. “India’s Politics and the Poor.” In What Does India Think, edited by Francois Godement. London: European Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.ecfr.eu/what_does_india_think/analysis/indias_politics_and_the_poor.
Hindu Businessline. 2018. “Centre Gears Up to Expand Direct Transfers to All 536 Schemes.” February 24. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/centre-gears-up-to-expand-direct-transfers-to-all-536-schemes/article9559234.ece.
Jadhav, Rajendra. 2019. “Modi’s Promised Handout to Indian Farmers Gets Lukewarm Response.” Reuters, February 1. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-budget-farmers/modis-promised-handout-to-indian-farmers-gets-lukewarm-response-idUSKCN1PQ55O.
Jhabvala, Renana. 2016. “India’s Time for Unconditional Cash Transfers”. Financial Express, 17 May.
Joshi, Vijay. 2016a. “Universal Basic Income for India.” Ideas for India, October 21. https://www.ideasforindia.in/topics/poverty-inequality/universal-basic-income-for-india.html.
Joshi, Vijay. 2016b. India’s Long Road: The Search for Prosperity. London: Penguin.
Kapur, Devesh, Partha Mukhopadhyay, and Arvind Subramanian 2008. “The Case for Direct Cash Transfers to the Poor.” Economic & Political Weekly 43 (15): 37–41. https://casi.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/iit/Kapur%20et%20al.pdf.
Kasara, Kimuli, and Pavithra Suryranarayan. 2015. “When Do the Rich Vote Less Than the Poor and Why? Explaining Turnout Inequality Across the World.” American Journal of Political Science 59 (3): 613–627.
Khera, Reetika. 2016. “A Phased Approach Will Make a ‘Basic Income’ Affordable for India.” Wire, December 20. https://thewire.in/rights/basic-income-phased-approach.
Khosla, Saksham. 2018. “India’s Universal Basic Income: Bedeviled by the Details.” Carnegie India, February 14. https://carnegieindia.org/2018/02/14/india-s-universal-basic-income-bedeviled-by-details-pub-75500.
Krahe, Dialika. 2009. “How a Basic Income Program Saved a Namibian Village.” Spiegel, August 10. https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/a-new-approach-to-aid-how-a-basic-income-program-saved-a-namibian-village-a-642310.html.
Latour, Hilde. 2017. “INDIA: Universal Basic Income Could Replace the System of Subsidies and Benefits at Hardly Any Cost.” Basic Income Earth Network, June 6. https://basicincome.org/news/2017/06/india-universal-basic-income-replace-system-subsidies-benefits-hardly-cost/.
Madhavan, Madhumitha. 2017. “India: Goa Foundation Provides Recommendations to Expert Committee to Push a Citizen’s Dividend Out of Mining Fund.” Basic Income Earth Network, September 29. https://basicincome.org/news/2017/09/india-goa-foundation-provides-recommendations-expert-committee-push-citizens-dividend-mining-profits/.
Makkar, Sahil, Nitin Sethi, and Surabhi Agarwal. 2014. “Modi Backs UIDAI, Seeks Accelerated DBT Rollout.” Business Standard, July 5. https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/modi-backs-uidai-seeks-accelerated-dbt-rollout-114070500756_1.html.
Matthew, Dylan. 2019. “India’s Opposition Leader Just Endorsed a Basic Income for Poor People.” Vox, January 29.
McFarland, Kate. 2016. “GOA, INDIA: Mining Reform Group Releases Manifesto, Calls for Citizen’s Dividend.” Basic Income Earth Network, November 24. https://basicincome.org/news/2017/01/goa-india-citizens-dividend-promoters-find-support-archbishops-address/.
McFarland, Kate. 2017a. “India Network for Basic Income National Conference.” Basic Income Earth Network. https://basicincome.org/event/india-network-basic-income-national-conference/.
McFarland, Kate. 2017b. “INDIA: NPO Plans Trial of Universal, Unconditional Cash Transfers.” Basic Income Earth Network, January 6. https://basicincome.org/news/2017/01/india-npo-plans-launch-trial-universal-unconditional-cash-transfers/.
Mehta, Nimai. 2016. “A Universal Basic Income to Step Up Economic Reform.” Ideas for India, October 28. https://basicincome.org/news/2016/12/nimai-mehta-universal-basic-income-step-economic-reform/.
Milanovic, Branko. 2000. “The Median-Voter Hypothesis, Income Inequality, and Income Redistribution: An Empirical Test with the Required Data.” European Journal of Political Economy 16 (2000): 367–410.
Milanovic, Branko. 2016. “The Question of India’s Inequality.” Globalinequality (Blog Post), May 7. http://glineq.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-question-of-indias-inequality.html.
Moore, Barrington. 1966. Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World. Boston: Beacon Press.
Mukherjee, Sanjeeb. 2019. “India Should Start with Rs. 500 Monthly Basic Income Per Head: Guy Standing.” Business Standard, March 1. https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-should-start-with-rs-500-monthly-basic-income-dr-guy-standing-119030100304_1.html.
Narayan, Kavya. 2019. “Push for Basic Income.” The Hindu, September 23. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/push-for-basic-income/article29483105.ece.
Nemana, Vivekananda. 2014. “Is Andhra Pradesh Home to the Second Most Expensive Election in the World?” Grist Media/Yahoo News, April 29. https://in.news.yahoo.com/is-andhra-pradesh-home-to-the-second-most-expensive-election-season-in-the-world-065759764.html.
Omi, Shuhei. 2018. “Interview: Applying Basic Income in an Asian context.” Basic Income Earth Network, April 23. https://basicincome.org/news/2018/04/interview-applying-basic-income-in-an-asian-context/.
Palshikar, Suhas, and K. C. Suri. 2014. “India’s 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.” Economic and Political Weekly 49 (39): 39–49. https://www.epw.in/journal/2014/39/national-election-study-2014-special-issues/indias-2014-lok-sabha-elections.html.
Parekh, Bhikhu. 1991. “Nehru and the National Philosophy of India.” Economic and Political Weekly 26 (1–2): 35–48. https://www.epw.in/journal/1991/1-2/special-articles/nehru-and-national-philosophy-india.html.
Prime Minister’s Office. 2014. “PM Launches Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.” August 28. https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pm-launches-pradhan-mantri-jan-dhan-yojana/.
Przeworski, Adam, Michael E. Alvarez, Jose Antonio Cheibub, and Fernando Limongi. 2000. Democracy and Development: Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950–1990. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rediff. 2006. “OBCs Make Up 41% of Population: Survey.” Rediff India Abroad, November 1. https://www.rediff.com/news/2006/nov/01quota.htm.
Reserve Bank of India. 2019. “Annual Report of the RBI.” August 29. https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/AnnualReportPublications.aspx?Id=1256.
Rodrik, Dani. 2015. “Premature Deindustrialization.” Working Paper No. 20935, National Bureau of Economic Research.
Roychowdhury, Punarjit. 2019. “India’s Economic Mobility and Its Impact on Inequality.” Livemint, August 12. https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/india-s-economic-mobility-and-its-impact-on-inequality-1565547531046.html.
Ruet, Joel. 2018. “India Must Act to Reduce Inequality and Unleash Growth.” Financial Times, January 16. https://www.ft.com/content/8f0b2e7e-fa20–11e7-a492-2c9be7f3120a.
Sengupta, Jayshree. 2019. “Tackling Rising Inequality.” Observer Research Foundation: India Speaks, May 1. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/tackling-rising-inequality-50422/.
SEWA. 2013. “Unconditional Cash Transfers: SEWA Pilots a Unique Experiment in Madhya Pradesh.” Self-Employed Women’s Association, No. 50, June. https://basicincome.org/news/2013/09/sewa-unconditional-cash-transfers-sewa-pilots-a-unique-experiment-in-madhya-pradesh/.
Sharma, Nidhi. 2019. “Congress Poll Pledge: Rs. 72,000 a Year for the Poorest.” Economic Times, March 26. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/rs-72000-for-indias-poor-every-year-rahul-gandhis-poll-game-changer/articleshow/68560144.cms.
Sharma, Amrita, and Anik Bhaduri. 2009. “The ‘Tipping Point’ in Indian Agriculture: Understanding the Withdrawal of the Indian Rural Youth.” Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development 6 (1): 83–97.
Srinivasan, T. N. 2016. “Minimum Standard of Living for All Indians.” Ideas for India, September 30. https://www.ideasforindia.in/topics/poverty-inequality/minimum-standard-of-living-for-all-indians.html.
UIDAI. 2019. “Aadhaar Dashboard.” Unique Identification Authority of India. https://uidai.gov.in/aadhaar_dashboard/.
Waghmare, Abhishek. 2018. “Why Telangana Gave Cheques to Farmers Instead of Direct Transfer.” Rediff, May 11. https://www.rediff.com/business/report/why-telangana-gave-cheques-to-farmers-instead-of-direct-transfer/20180511.htm.
Weschle, Simon. 2016. “Punishing Personal and Electoral Corruption: Experimental Evidence from India.” Research & Politics 3 (2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2053168016645136.
Withnall, Adam. 2019. “India Budget: Modi Announces Universal Basic Income for Farmers in Bid for Rural Vote Ahead of Election.” Independent, February 1. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-budget-latest-modi-universal-basic-income-farmers-election-a8758501.html.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Liu, L., Nemana, V. (2020). From Trials to Election Promises: The Politics of Basic Income in India. In: Caputo, R.K., Liu, L. (eds) Political Activism and Basic Income Guarantee. Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43904-0_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43904-0_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-43903-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-43904-0
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)