EAC-PM's report suggests scheme for urban jobless, universal basic income

According to the report, while growth has taken place in terms of an increase in wages earned, the benefits of that growth have been concentrated and this has marginalised the poor further

The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) recommended on Wednesday that the government introduce a demand-based guaranteed employment scheme for the urban unemployed on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). It also suggested a universal basic income (UBI) and the allocation of higher funds to the social sector to reduce inequality in the country. The Council noted that while wages have been growing, these are concentrated, marginalising the poor.

“Looking at the difference between the labour force participation rate in rural and urban areas, it is our understanding that the urban equivalent of