February 12, 2025
What's the story: The Supreme Court of India has expressed disapproval of the practice of announcing freebies before elections. During a hearing on the right to shelter for urban homeless, the bench, comprising Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih, pointed out that such practices discourage people from working and being self-sufficient.
Justice Gavai remarked, "By not making these people part of mainstream society, are we not creating a class of parasites? Because of freebies, when elections are declared...people are not willing to work. They are getting free rations."
Proposed Solution:
The court suggested that a better approach would be to integrate the homeless into mainstream society. This would allow them to contribute to national development instead of remaining dependent on government handouts.
The bench noted, "We quite appreciate your concern for them, but would it not be better to make them a part of the mainstream of society and permit them to contribute to the development of the nation?"
Poverty Alleviation:
During the proceedings, Attorney General R Venkataramani informed the court that the government was working on finalizing an urban poverty alleviation mission. This initiative aims to address issues like providing shelter for the urban homeless.
The Supreme Court also asked the Centre to provide a timeline for implementing this mission, recognizing its potential to significantly impact the integration of homeless individuals into society.
The Supreme Court has scheduled another hearing on this matter in six weeks.