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Friday, August 1, 2025
TopicFreebies

Topic: Freebies

More aid for women, houses for ‘sons of soil’. Mahayuti, MVA neck and neck in battle of the freebies

While MVA released joint card of poll guarantees Wednesday, ruling alliance unveiled its 10-point guarantee list a day earlier. Women, youths, farmers, all find place in manifestos.

Modi slams Congress for ‘unreal promises’ after Kharge’s rebuke to Karnataka leaders over guarantees

Development trajectory and fiscal health of states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana was deteriorating on account of its guarantee brand of politics, adds PM.

Indian politics is going back to the pre-2014 era. What this means to Brand Modi and BJP

BJP may even end up winning Maharashtra and Jharkhand but going back to pre-2014 politics will hurt Brand Modi.

Modi’s ‘Billionaire Raj’ is making India more unequal. So, freebies are a necessity

The appetite for government benefits has surged in recent years. The genius of Modi’s con job lies in driving the bottom of the pyramid further into distress.

Bad economics of freebies is triggering financial crises for some states. Fiscal discipline is key

Freebies promised during polls, subsidies, swelling wage & pension bills are adding to the debt pile of states like Himachal Pradesh & Punjab. Revenue expenditure rationalisation can help.

‘Welfarism not a substitute for job creation’ — TeamLease vice-chairman on India’s fiscal planning

TeamLease’s Manish Sabharwal spoke to ThePrint about how political leaders, for the sake of winning elections, make big welfare-related promises without a proper plan to fund them.

Punjab to Andhra to Telangana—state govts’ spending on freebies harming India’s growth story

It’s unfortunate that the increase in the overall debt due to irresponsible freebies is causing the downgrade in ratings by international agencies.

‘Old Pension Scheme, freebies alone can’t win polls,’ says senior Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty

The Congress has made the return of OPS a poll plank in six assembly elections. But Chakravarty says the party ‘can’t engage in competitive promises & hope that's enough to win’.

Files piling up, staff overstretched — Karnataka govt depts at half capacity as posts lie vacant

There are over 2.55 lakh vacancies in Group A-D & other categories in state & districts, as per govt estimates. Shortage is not limited to Grade A-D & can also be seen at IAS level.

As Sukhu govt turns 1, heat from BJP & Congress for not delivering on poll promise to Himachal women

There are more than 22 lakh women in Himachal as per the 2011 Census. Task becomes all the more daunting as hill state suffered loss of Rs 9,000 crore due to rains in July-August.

On Camera

Trump tariff forces India to shed illusion. Stop conflating status with power

India’s future lies in pragmatism. Protectionism must be phased out gradually, not in disruptive shocks.

BJP MPs go full throttle against Trump even as govt hails enduring India-US ties amid tariff tension

New Delhi: While the Indian government has made a measured response to the 25 percent trade tariff imposed by Donald Trump, many in the BJP...

India to get last of Spain-built C-295 next month, focus now on 1st India-made aircraft

New Delhi: The last of the C-295 transport aircraft that is replacing the ageing Avro fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be...

Modi’s Bharat vs Indira’s India: 11-yr report card of politics, diplomacy, economy, nationalism

As Narendra Modi becomes India’s second-longest consecutively serving Prime Minister, we look at how he compares with Indira Gandhi across four key dimensions.