'Freebies Aren't Safety Nets': Sanyal Warns India of Future Debt Burden

• Sanjeev Sanyal, EAC-PM member, differentiates welfare "safety nets" from "freebies," cautioning against unsustainable fiscal burdens for future generations.
• He supports essential safety nets and targeted benefits for the poor, advocating for "assisted trickle-down" over untargeted universal schemes.
• Sanyal criticizes non-targeted freebies like free bus travel for women, arguing subsidies should be linked to economic need, not broad identity.
• Expresses serious concern over reintroducing old-style generous pension schemes, warning they create significant liabilities for the next generation.
• Highlights India's projected shrinking working-age population in 25 years, making "pay-as-you-go" pensions unsustainable, citing Europe's demographic strain.

Why It Matters: Sanyal warns against untargeted freebies and old pension schemes, fearing future generations' debt.