Asia | Hooked on handouts
The Indian government’s addiction to subsidies has dire effects
Delhi’s poisonous air is just one of them
|Delhi
Editor’s note: On November 19th, after this article was published, Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, announced that the reforms that have provoked months of protests by farmers would be repealed.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “A dangerous addiction”
Asia November 20th 2021
More from Asia
Taiwan’s political drama is paralysing its government
Domestic dysfunction plays right into China’s hands
An angry culture war surrounds Australia Day
Conservatives claim that wokeness is destroying the national holiday
The fate of a ranting driver raises doubts about the “new” Uzbekistan
It seems free speech is not so guaranteed after all
Indian politicians are becoming obsessed with doling out cash
Handouts are transforming the role of the state—perhaps for the worse
How to end the nightmare of Asia’s choked roads
The middle classes love cars but hate traffic
Can Donald Trump maintain Joe Biden’s network of Asian alliances?
Discipline and creativity will help, but so will China’s actions