Direct Cash Transfer
Annapurna Yojana: Haven't you received your payment yet? 8 reasons why
The first funds of the Annapurna Yojana were credited to nearly 1.1 crore beneficiaries. West Bengal's Chief Minister reported 1.6 crore applications were received, with 26 lakh rejected for various reasons.
2 min read14 Jul 2026Politically timed cash transfers worth ₹2.5 lakh crore reflect economic failure, says Bernstein in letter to PM Modi
‘A rupee locked into broad, politically timed cash schemes is a rupee not building roads, logistics, irrigation, power distribution, public transport, schools or hospitals…’
2 min read23 Apr 2026Ajit Ranade: Cash handouts are politically popular but what do they imply for inflation, welfare and fiscal health?
Bihar’s pre-poll handouts were part of a political pattern in India. So what do cash transfers mean for price stability, welfare outcomes and fiscal management? Conditional cash transfers are found to work, but a universal basic income (UBI) deserves consideration too.
4 min read18 Nov 2025Vivek Kaul: Cash transfer politics has an impact not just on ballots but also budgets
Handouts of cash are likely to prove sticky as a policy option. Given how they will strain state finances, we can’t expect oil-tax rationalization. Nor much income tax relief from the Centre.
4 min read3 Dec 2024Polls and freebies: Who doesn’t love cash transfers but are these really the answer?
These schemes are easy to implement and popular enough with voters to possibly play a role in election results, but they’re also a fiscal burden that diverts resources from better uses—and that too, without reducing the patriarchy or any other disadvantaged women face.
3 min read28 Nov 2024Wait for it…
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