Universal basic income in India

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Universal basic income in India refers to the debate and practical experiments with universal basic income (UBI) in India. The greatest impetus has come from the 40-page chapter on UBI that the Economic Survey of India published in January 2017. It outlined the three themes of a proposed UBI programme:^[1]

• Universality - intent of providing every citizen "a basic income to cover their needs"
• Unconditionality - accessibility of all to basic income, without any means tests
• Agency - citizen's independent ability to choose how they spend their income

The survey mentions that UBI "liberates citizens from paternalistic and clientelistic relationships with the state".

Several scholars, including Guy Standing and Pranab Bardhan, have expressed strong support of the implementation of UBI as an alternative to corrupt and ineffective existing social programmes in India. Organisations such as the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and UNICEF have backed the proposal since launching the earlier 2010 UBI pilot programme in Madhya Pradesh, India.^[2]