of Tamil Nadu, a case pending reconsideration before the Supreme Court of India. In the absence of subsequent judicial clarification, this question remains unresolved even as electoral welfare commitments have expanded. Such convergence suggests that welfare commitments increasingly function as electoral instruments rather than as policy interventions adjusted to fiscal capacity. Correcting these structural weaknesses requires sustained fiscal investment for which budgetary space could otherwise be available if not crowded out by expanding election-linked welfare commitments. It is nobody’s case that the Supreme Court must sit in judgment over the wisdom or desirability of welfare measures adopted by elected governments.

Source: The Telegraph April 04, 2026 00:31 UTC