Minimum Income Scheme: Rahul Gandhi Setting Agenda, Says Twitter

Many explained how Minimum Income Guarantee is different from the Universal Basic Income.

In what is tipped to be a game-changer ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on 28 January announced the party’s plans to implement a minimum income guarantee for the poor, if voted to power. He also tweeted:

We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers & sisters suffer the scourge of poverty.

If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a Minimum Income Guarantee for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty & hunger.

This is our vision & our promise.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 28, 2019

He left the details of the plan to the manifesto, including the fixed amount that the poor will receive, the financial implications et al, though NDTV quoted Congress sources saying that the party could promise an income of Rs 1,500 to Rs1,800 for individuals under a certain economic level.

Naturally, it sparked an intense debate on Twitter. Questions were asked, doubts were raised...

Point is not whether anyone is in favour of #MinimumIncomeGuarantee or not?
Points are:
1) Who will get it? Where is the poverty line?
2) How much would they get? "Income of Dignity" or "Minimum Wage" or "Pity Allowance"?
3) Delivery, How?
4) How long? when will upliftment come? https://t.co/0wIol0biOp

— Shuvankar Mukherjee (@shuvankr) January 29, 2019

And calculations were made, all on Twitter.

#RahulGandhi is promising #MinimumIncomeGuarantee to BPL Families. India has almost 27.5Crore BPL families. Even if 1000 Rs will be given per month/family, govt will need 27500 Crore every month. More than 3 Lac Crore evry year. Where will this money come from..... ?

— बरूण कुंवर ™🇮🇳 (@Barun_kunwar) January 28, 2019

Minimum Income Guarantee Calculations
Number of poor 250 million
Number of poor adults ~100 million
Assume MIG is Rs 1200/month/adult

You need Rs 1,44,000 crore/year or ~0.7% of GDP

— Nitin Pai (@acorn) January 28, 2019

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Debate: Rahul’s Minimum Income Guarantee a Game Changer?

What The Scheme Could Mean

There were some expert comments too underlining what the Minimum Income Guarantee scheme could mean for India. PIL lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan explained how it could be done. “It could be done by extending MNREGA to all adults & for 150days/yr. You guarantee half yr employment at minimum wages. Also universal pension at half min wages for elderly (sic),” he explained.

He also said the funds could be raised by removing corporate exemptions and existing wasteful subsidies.

We calculated that funds for this virtually minimum income guarantee scheme could be raised by removing corporate exemptions, removing some existing wasteful subsidies, imposing a wealth tax of 1-2% on the wealthy, and 20% inheritance tax and gift tax.Would create a welfare State

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) January 29, 2019

Data journalism non-profit organisation IndiaSpend also put out a thread explaining the concept.

#MinimumIncomeGuarantee is different from a payment for work done under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme because it does not have a work requirement, or from a payment made to mothers choosing to deliver in a hospital as it isn’t conditional

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) January 28, 2019

Economist Rupa Subramanya opined that if the scheme doesn’t replace other welfare schemes, it will be expensive just like the Universal Basic Income.

As I've said earlier,if Universal Basic Income doesn't replace existing schemes, it's just another expensive welfare scheme. And same applies to Minimum Income Guarantee.If you replace existing distorting schemes with less distorting lump sum payment, that would make a difference

— Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) January 28, 2019

Since many accused the Congress of stealing Modi’s Universal Basic Income idea, a lot of Twitter users began explaining the differences between Minimum Income Guarantee and Universal Basic Income.

This #MinimumIncomeGuarantee is not #UniversalBasicIncome. In case of UBI, the argument is that every person will get a basic amount of money while all the subsidy schemes will be removed.

The one RG is promising seems to be in addition to subsidies.

— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) January 28, 2019

Worth pointing out that #MinimumIncomeGuarantee is NOT the same as #UniversalBasicIncome. The latter is technically meant for everyone; the former only for the poor. So the question is the threshold at which it will be set, and the amount of income to be guaranteed.

— Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) January 28, 2019

Also Read

Will Do the Math When We Form Govt: Chidambaram on Minimum Income

A key issue regarding Minimum Income Guarantee scheme that emerged was automation and job losses.

#MinimumIncomeGuarantee in an economy where automation replaces human labour. It can give people freedom and opportunity. pic.twitter.com/hqavnr9nYj

— INCTharoorian (@INCTharoorian) January 28, 2019

Will Congress Gain From The Scheme In The LS Polls?

Many Twitter users also argued this move will definitely help Congress gain a lot of goodwill in the upcoming elections. The delivery of the promise is secondary, one Twitter user seemed to think. Another commented that Rahul is one step ahead of Modi in setting the agenda.

What matters is Rahul Anna proposed it first. And that is a Checkmate move. Sheer Brilliance from him. Millions of Indians would love this promise. Whether it is delivered or not is a secondary issue. But it is definitely his best weapon yet#MinimumIncomeGuarantee https://t.co/eERLZKWp2K

— Panda Palkova (@itispalkova) January 29, 2019

Once again @RahulGandhi is ahead of Modi in setting agenda. Last week it was Priyanka’s entry, this week it is Minimum Income Scheme for poor. #MinimumIncomeGuarantee #LokSabhaElections2019

— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) January 28, 2019

Many from the Twitter world were hopeful of the scheme.

Great move? Waiting to see what comes of it. @RahulGandhi #MinimumIncomeGuarantee

— Rutwik Nalawade (@RutwikNalawade) January 29, 2019

After a successful MGNREGA scheme, we can't rule out Gandhi's promise without giving him one chance. #MinimumIncomeGuarantee

— devendra jaiswal (@docdevendra) January 29, 2019

There were a lot of haters as well as takers for the Minimum Income Guarantee scheme on Twitter. But no one could ignore the idea and its repercussions on the Lok Sabha polls as well as the country.