Economists ask Jaitley to hike pension, maternity benefits

The economists who signed the letter included Jean Dreze , Abhijit Banerjee, Ajit Ranade, Jayati Ghosh, Kirit Parikh, Mihir Shah, Rohini Pande, and Vijay Joshi

Sixty prominent economists on Wednesday wrote to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley seeking an increase in social security pensions and better maternity benefits in the 2018-19 Budget.

The economists who signed the letter included Jean Drèze, Abhijit Banerjee, Ajit Ranade, Jayati Ghosh, Kirit Parikh, Mihir Shah, Rohini Pande, and Vijay Joshi.

The letter argued that the Centre’s contribution to old-age pensions under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) has been Rs 200 a month since 2006. “This is extraordinarily stingy. It is also a missed opportunity: NOAPS is a good scheme (with low leakages and administrative costs) that reaches some of the