Congress Slams Govt on Economy: "Inequality on Rise, Welfare in Retreat"

• Congress released a report, "Inequality on the rise, Welfare in Retreat - Real State of the Economy 2026," ahead of the Economic Survey and Union Budget.
• Rajeev Gowda questioned government's economic figures, citing IMF's C grade for India's statistics and Arvind Subramanian's claim of inflated GDP figures.
• The report highlights discrepancies in GDP growth metrics and manufacturing growth, and notes the rupee as Asia's worst-performing currency in 2025.
• Gowda pointed out a decline in manufacturing workers, a rise in agriculture's share, and job growth concentrated in low-value, informal, and gig economies.
• The report reveals stark inequality: top 10% capture 58% of national income and own 65% of wealth, while 4 of 5 Indians subsist on less than Rs 200 per day.

Why It Matters: Congress criticizes the government's economic management, citing rising inequality, manipulated data, and declining welfare.