Criticising the poor economic policies of the previous Governments, noted sociologist Dipankar Gupta on Monday said the ‘pro-poor schemes’ in the country have done more harm than any good to them. He stressed on the idea of universalistic social policies like those practiced in Europe which will benefit the country in the longer run.
He also criticised the current labour laws and the reservation system. Gupta, a professor at Shiv Nadar University and Director at Centre for Public Affairs and Critical Theory, was speaking at the 22nd Rosalind Wilson memorial lecture on the issue of limitations of Threshold Markers of Social Policy. Eminent Jurist and former Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee was also present on the occasion.
Gupta addressed three issues which have adversely affected and divided the Indian society. He said, “There is narrow margin in income of below poverty line and those above the poverty line. However, the benefits are entirely different. Since the decision makers fail to understand the level of poverty, they don’t get the grasp of the grass roots level.”
“These programmes have fed the pocket of the intermediaries more that the real beneficiary. India should adopt universal social policies like Europe which will benefit the country in the long term,” he said.
Gupta also emphasised that the labour laws in India have increasingly become defunct and the Industrial Dispute Act is counter-productive. “These laws are divisive and encourage malpractices in the industrial sector. They harm both entrepreneurs and the labours,” he said. Gupta was vocal in his angst against
the current reservation system. He said even Ambedkar
wanted reservations for 10 years but our system has grown to accept it subsequently.