Quasi-universal basic rural income: The way forward

The authors propose an alternative to build a new rural India where a basic income, regardless of agricultural vagaries, will be guaranteed

Crisis also begets opportunity. And years of agrarian distress have done just that. As agricultural incomes have been buffeted, first by droughts and then (ironically) also by surpluses, politicians are trying old and new ways of propping up incomes. 

Proposal: We propose an alternative to build a new rural India where a basic income, regardless of agricultural vagaries, will be guaranteed.  

There would be a direct cash transfer to rural households. Although the crisis is agrarian, the rural economy is depressed, justifying the broader, rural focus. Second, the transfer would not cover all rural households but all except the demonstrably well-off based