India’s freebie paradox: Voters dislike it but want some things for free

livemint.com:

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Most urban Indians look down upon electoral promises of free goods and services, or “freebies", but that does not stop them from wanting some amenities for free (health and education) or at subsidized rates (gas cylinders and electricity), especially among those higher up the income ladder. That’s a key finding from the latest round of the YouGov-Mint-CPR Millennial Survey, held in July against the backdrop of a trend of election campaigns focusing on the freebies culture in politics.

The survey asked its 10,314 respondents their views on a list of three statements related to free goods and services. Of them, 56% agreed they were unnecessary freebies, 78% agreed they were mainly aimed at getting votes, and 61% said they could hurt the country’s financial situation. The negative view was more common in north and central states, and among the older cohort (those born before 1981), those in Tier-I cities, and those with higher incomes.

This is along the lines of the findings to a similar question in the previous round of the survey held in December 2023, though with increased distaste for free goods and services. The latest survey was the 12th in a biannual series conducted by Mint in association with survey partner YouGov India and Delhi-based think tank Centre for Policy Research. The respondents were spread across over 200 cities and towns.

Conducted since 2018, the survey throws light on the beliefs, choices, and anxieties of India’s young urban population. Respondents across party lines disliked freebies but supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were more likely to find them unnecessary, a vote-seeking ploy, and hurtful to the country’s financial situation. As many as 64% of