-Business Standard While the production of foodgrains and the financial position of the government are important points, Electoral compulsion may become the deciding factor for the survival of this scheme A sharp drawdown in India’s wheat inventory exacerbated by a fear of a fall in rice production due to drought-like conditions in the main growing states has raised questions on the government’s ability to sustain the free foodgrains distribution scheme beyond its...

-The Telegraph Move to prevent any repeat of fiasco in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh where at least 30 lakh names linked to Aadhaar were auto-deleted from the voters list after 2015 A senior Election Commission of India official told The Telegraph on Monday that no citizen would be compelled to give their Aadhaar details to poll officials even if they have an Aadhaar number. The official also clarified that election authorities would rely...

-The Hindu Most welfare schemes contribute to improving human development outcomes, also resulting in higher growth Concern over ‘freebies’ in Indian politics has recently been expressed by those in the highest offices in the country. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Bundelkhand Expressway (Uttar Pradesh) on July 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned youth not to get carried away by the ‘revari culture’, where votes are sought by promising ‘freebies’. He...

-The Telegraph The Election Laws (Amendment) Act passed last year allows poll authorities to ask people to share their card details, aimed at weeding out duplicate entries of voters A nationwide drive to urge voters to voluntarily give their Aadhaar numbers to polling officials is set to begin on Monday. The Election Laws (Amendment) Act passed last year allows poll authorities to ask people to share their Aadhaar numbers — aimed at weeding...

-TheWire.in States like Delhi (despite its unique multi-party governance architecture), West Bengal, Kerala (or even Goa and Sikkim) perform better compared to UP when it comes to being measured for securing access to basic social, economic services. In a veiled attack against BJP’s political opponents, accusing them of promising ‘freebies’ (revdi) in exchange for Electoral votes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cautioned people, especially the youth, against this “revdi culture”, saying...