Should courts decide on freebies? | In Focus podcast

Anjali Bhardwaj speaks to us on the Supreme Court’s interference with distribution of freebies, and how that affects the lives of people in a country like India.

August 17, 2022 04:18 pm | Updated 04:18 pm IST

It’s a debate that refuses to go away. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi lit into the culture of government “freebies” or Revdi as he called it in Hindi, the matter has now gone to the Supreme Court.

What is the difference between freebies and welfare? In a poor country like India, isn’t State intervention for, say, scholarships for students not in the public interest? Who decides what is a freebie and what is welfare? Can a court of law do it or should it be in the domain of individual governments and local bodies?

Guest:  Anjali Bhardwaj, a Delhi-based activist who works on issues of transparency and accountability.

Host: Amit Baruah, Senior Associate Editor.

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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