Wellfare is NOT Revdi | Nope w/ Kunal Kamra ft Reetika Khera | 059

Reetika Khera is an Indian economist and professor known for her work on welfare policy, public finance, and social protection. She has written extensively on food security, cash transfers, and the political economy of public spending. In this podcast, she discusses the debate around “freebies” and the responsibilities of the state in delivering welfare. Timestamps: 0:00 – Opening 0:20 – Are welfare schemes really “revdi”? 1:43 – What governments are actually supposed to do 2:33 – When welfare becomes election spectacle 4:19 – Why benefits for the rich aren’t called freebies 5:22 – Maternity benefits: rights vs double standards 9:49 – Pensions: who gets dignity and who doesn’t 13:20 – Welfare, Constitution & political hypocrisy 16:23 – What economics really studies beyond GDP 17:26 – “Cradle to grave” welfare explained 20:15 – Midday Meal Scheme: impact beyond food 22:32 – Nutrition, caste, dignity & social mixing 25:25 – “We pay tax and get nothing”: myth vs reality 29:23 – How little India actually spends on welfare 31:38 – NREGA: work, dignity & rural transformation 35:00 – Undermining welfare through bureaucracy 37:01 – Who really burdens the economy? 40:45 – Welfare is a right, not charity 41:21 – Public canteens: food, dignity & democracy 45:39 – Women’s employment & social infrastructure 49:51 – What good social policy needs 51:35 – Tamil Nadu as a welfare model 54:04 – Why laws protect welfare schemes 58:38 – Investing in people, not blaming them 1:02:07 – Welfare, justice & the Constitution Credits • Research Head: Anirban Bhattacharya • Camera Operator / Mixing and Mastering / Intro Music — @Mahansangeet : https://www.instagram.com/hi_mahan/ • Camera Operator / Video Editor / Intro Animation — @RevantTalekar : https://www.instagram.com/revanttalekar • Camera Operator / Guest Logistics Coordinator — @VybhavSharma https://www.instagram.com/vybhavsharma/ • Production Assistant — Haran Shetty