Universal Basic Income: Is There a Case for India?

India’s Economic Survey 2016–17 proposed a gradual implementation of the concept of universal basic income (UBI) as the fastest way of providing a long-term solution to poverty. Large-scale inequality and poverty, along with huge misallocation and wastages in the existing welfare schemes, made India a perfect ground for experimenting with UBI. Though the rapid expansion of Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile infrastructure was expected to smoothen the execution of UBI in India, there were looming concerns about implementation of the program, fiscal feasibility, and the questionable effectiveness of UBI’s impact on poverty alleviation.

This case is best suited for a graduate-level course on macroeconomics, global economy and business, or business environment. The case can also be used in specialized courses on public policy and initiatives, or development economics. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<ul><li>Understand the concept of universal basic income (UBI) as well as its pros and cons.</li><li>Understand the inefficiencies of the existing social welfare system in India as well as the factors supporting the implementation of UBI in India in the present context.</li><li>Step into the shoes of India’s finance minister, Arun Jaitley, to arrive at a UBI threshold for India and evaluate whether the country has the resources to implement such a threshold.</li><li>Understand how a UBI could be operationalized in India as well as the likely challenges involved.</li><li>Understand how UBI could be used as a strategy during unexpected macroeconomic shock such as that elicited by the COVID-19 pandemic.</li></ul>

• universal basic income
• poverty
• public policy
• India