✎ Karnataka’s guarantee schemes aim to provide financial security but face criticism over labour shortages and youth engagement.
Relevance for Banking, SSC & RBI Grade B exams: Polity & Governance
A war of words erupted in Karnataka’s Legislative Council over the State government’s guarantee schemes, with former Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti alleging that programmes like Yuva Nidhi and Gruha Lakshmi had disrupted rural labour availability, affecting agriculture and dairy operations. Horatti, who owns 80 cows and cultivates fodder, claimed that youth opting for unemployment benefits under Yuva Nidhi were avoiding manual work, while Gruha Lakshmi’s financial aid was discouraging women from taking up jobs. The Opposition BJP criticized the schemes as unsustainable, while the ruling Congress defended them as essential welfare measures, citing their adoption in other States. The debate also touched on free bus travel and Indira Canteens, with Horatti questioning the extension of benefits to affluent sections and calling for a review of implementation flaws.
For Banking, SSC, and RBI Grade B aspirants, this debate highlights the interplay between welfare policies and economic productivity, a recurring theme in governance and polity syllabi. Questions on fiscal sustainability of government schemes, labour market distortions, and the role of state interventions in social welfare could stem from such current-affairs discussions. Additionally, the political economy of welfare policies—balancing equity and efficiency—remains a critical area for examination, making this topic relevant for both prelims and mains stages of these competitive exams.
Source: The Hindu
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