Political parties in India, the largest democracy in the world, often try to win over voters by offering them free gifts such as television sets, mixers and grinders, electricity, and food rations. The list is long, and the trend not new, but a fierce debate over freebies is now raging in the country, especially after the issue reached the Supreme Court.

It’s a complex debate in a country where hundreds of millions of people still live below the poverty line. Can India really draw the line between welfare schemes, subsidies and freebies? Many experts point out that irrational freebies are doled out from public funds and put state finances under tremendous financial stress. Others say many of these schemes are life-changing interventions for the poor.

What is the way forward, and what can be done to ensure political parties are more mindful when making these promises? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss whether India can afford a freebie culture.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Yamini Aiyar, president and chief executive, Centre for Policy Research; NR Bhanumurthy, vice chancellor, Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics University; Mitali Nikore, development economist, founder, Nikore Associates