A bold initiative or madcap idea?

As studies in Finland, Ireland and Kenya have shown, Congress' promise of Rs 1 lakh to below poverty line women may not just be an experiment in populism

When the Congress party (INC) announced its intention to offer unconditional cash transfers of Rs 1 lakh/ annum to a woman in each of India’s poorest families, I did some random calculations as a thought experiment. The last census was 13 years ago, and there’s an ongoing fierce debate about what the poverty line is. So the assumptions that follow may bear little resemblance to reality. Also, of course, the INC may not come to power, and hence, be unable to fulfil its promises.

Assume India has a population of 1,400 million, which works out to about 300 million families.