National Workshop Explores Cash-Based Social Policies and Universal Basic Income in India

Delhi, December 18, 2024: A National Workshop on Cash-Based Social Policy in India, organized by the Montfort Social Institute (MSI) in collaboration with the India Basic Income Coalition (i-BIC), INBI, and Bath University, takes place on December 17 and 18 at R&I Park, IIT Delhi. The event brings together policymakers, researchers, and civil society representatives to explore the role of cash-based welfare programs in transforming social security. It features presentations of key studies, including MSI's pilot research on Universal Basic Income (UBI)—the first of its kind in urban India. The workshop aims to inspire evidence-driven policy reforms to create a future-ready welfare system.

The workshop’s agenda includes sessions on the landscape of basic income in India, the fiscal challenges of implementing UBI, and case studies of state-level experiences with cash-based policies. The event opens with a session titled “Rights, Not Revdis,” led by renowned experts Renana Jhabvala and Sarath Davala. Other highlights include a panel on financing UBI, a review of pilot studies on cash transfers in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and the screening of Unconditional, a documentary showcasing UBI experiments in India and Bangladesh.

The workshop shifts focus to global perspectives on UBI, digital infrastructure’s role in cash-based policies, and community-led care models. Notable sessions include evidence from pilots in Hyderabad and with transgender communities, as well as discussions on improving policy implementation systems. The closing session outlines a roadmap for advancing cash-based social security initiatives in India.

The book, Delhi Model by Jasmine Sha analysing the Social Security model of the Delhi Government and its principles of Affordability in providing the same without additional taxes was released during the Workshop. Jasmine presented the participants a ring-side view of the innovative governance process of the Delhi Government. Rajeev Gowda, a leading economist and Congress party leader from Karnataka shared the nuances in the implementation of the five guarantees of the State Government.

The workshop comes at a time when advancements in digital public infrastructure and the success of pilot studies are reshaping social protection mechanisms across ideological divides. The workshop concluded with the resolution to make India, one of the leading countries in the implementation of cash transfer in the world, to inspire such a policies in other countries.

By Br. Varghese Theckanath