At 5 a.m., a vast segment of India’s workforce begins its day. There are no punch-ins, no holidays, no salary slips, and crucially no mention in the nation’s GDP figures. This is India’s “Care Economy,” powered by millions of women who perform unpaid labour tirelessly, day after day. This work, which involves cooking, cleaning, and caring for children and the elderly, is essential for the smooth functioning of households and the economy at large. However, a silent revolution is underway.

The Indian state has begun to recognise this labour, not just with rhetoric, but with hard cash. Currently, India is hosting the world’s largest social experiment in unconditional cash transfers. Across some 12 states, nearly 11.8 crore women receive monthly direct benefit transfers (DBT) ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500. Critics often dismiss these schemeswhether it is Maharashtra’s Ladli Bahin, Madhya Pradesh’s Ladli Behna, or Tamil Nadu’s Kalaignar scheme – as “Revdi culture” or political freebies. But to view them solely through the lens of electoral bribery is to miss the profound sociological shift occurring in India’s hinterlands.

Advertisement

To understand the impact of Rs 1,000, one must look beyond the privileged perspective of metropolitan India. The Ministry of Statistics reveals a stark reality: the average Indian woman performs 5 hours of unpaid domestic work daily, while Indian men contribute barely 30 minutes.........

© The Statesman