-TheWire.in There are no watertight categorisations that clearly demarcate where a subsidy ends and a so-called freebie begins. Amaravati: A maelstrom has been brewing in the political landscape over the precise markers of a subsidy and a freebie. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the first blow last month when he pointed out that other political parties were propagating a “Revdi Culture” which was dangerous to the youth as well as to the...

-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...

-TheWire.in There is little doubt that the practice of handing out freebies undermines both democracy and development. But the problem doesn't lie just with the opposition. Constitutional authorities in India have recently spoken about key challenges the country is facing. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) has said that there is “diminishing” space for the opposition, that there was no longer any mutual respect between the Union government and the opposition, and that...