On February 18, 2026, the Department of Economics, Easwari School of Liberal Arts (ESLA) is organising a half-day seminar on “Cash Transfers and the Politics of Welfare: Rethinking Social Protection in India”.
Convened and co-convened by Dr Aruolipsa Das and Dr Boddu Surjana, this seminar will grace the presence of three eminent speakers; Dr Dipa Sinha, Associate Professor, Center for the Study of Indian Economy, Azim Premji University; Prof. R Ramakumar, Professor, Centre for Study of Developing Economies, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and Mr Akshay Limal, Senior Consultant, Nutrition, UNICEF India, Odisha.
Largely, the seminar will explore themes around the evolution of welfare instruments in India, the economic trade-offs of vash and in-kind transfers, and contemporary debates around political economy. While India’s social protection system is being reshaped by technological change and advancement, policy reform, shifting development priorities that are redefining both the purpose and politics of welfare delivery, this seminar will also encompass:
- Shift from in-kind programs (TPDS, Mid-Day Meals) to cash-based transfers (Direct Debit Transfers)
- Transition driven by goals of efficiency, flexibility, and financial inclusion
- Welfare transfers increasingly politicised through narratives of “freebies” and revadi politics
- Tensions between efficiency, equity, fiscal sustainability, and distributive justice in social protection policy