# Freebies or Rights: What is India's approach to welfare spending?

An episode of [In Focus by The Hindu](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1494440867), 2 Sep 2026, 1 h 07 min.

Audio: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/THGU7155681055.mp3

The resilience of a nation’s economy is determined by the quality of its human capital. Other things being equal, a country with a healthy and educated population will grow much faster than one with a semi-literate and undernourished one. And yet, has historically, and consistently, under-invested in health and education – neglecting them even in years of high economic growth. There is a strong tendency to dismiss state expenditure on people’s well being a as ‘freebies’ or ‘revdi’. But are they freebies or are they basic rights that people can demand from the state? Guest: Reetika Khera, professor of economics at IIT, explores this question in her book, ‘Freebies or Rights: Understanding Social Policy in ’, which maps ’s welfare architecture and its effectiveness. Host: G Sampath Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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