Free Ration Scheme Extended Again, Is It An Economic Necessity Or A Political Ploy?

The festive season is upon us and in that spirit, the govt of India has extended the free ration scheme by another 3 months. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna which was announced in April 2020 at the peak of the covid crisis has now been extended for the 7th time. Under the scheme, 5 kgs of free ration are given per person per month and so far, 80 crore people have benefitted because of it. But was it really necessary to extend the scheme for the seventh time. Is it an economic necessity or just another political deployment? Could this be looked at as a freebie with elections in crucial states nearing? On the India Development Debate, Tamanna Inamdar tries to understand the rationale behind the government's move with Siraj Hussain, Former Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Co-promoter of Arcus Policy Research as well as Madhavan Narayanan, Senior Journalist. Tune In!