Is it time for India to introduce a Universal Basic Income?

Due to the phenomenon of jobless growth, i.e., the rise in output and labour productivity without the commensurate growth in employment generation, several countries have mooted the idea of a universal basic income (UBI). This idea has gained traction, especially since the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s most recent World Employment and Social Outlook links the decrease in jobs growth and the increase in inequality to a surge in automation and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Among the several suggestions on the ways to address this is a UBI. Is it time for India to introduce a UBI? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Arun Kumar, Retired professor of economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He was Malcolm Adiseshiah Chair Professor at the Institute of Social Sciences; N.R. Bhanumurthy, Director, Madras School of Economics, Chennai. Views are personal Host: Kunal Shankar You can now find The Hindu’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected]