Welfare Reforms and the Leviathan State

Should cash transfers replace targeted in-kind food transfers and public works program? Can making welfare provisions universally applicable make the program more effective? Would technological innovations help overcome implementational deficits in the welfare delivery systems? Why not introduce a singular program of universal basic income (UBI) as an alternative to the array of poorly implemented welfare schemes? But does India have the fiscal and organization capability to manage and fund an expansive set of social safety nets? Social safety net debates in the country are currently organized around these questions. In this chapter, we unpack the arguments and evidence on either side of the debate and offer suggestions for future policy.