TNI Bureau: The Supreme Court has criticized the culture of freebies, warning that election-driven schemes may create a “class of parasites” by discouraging work. In a case involving shelter homes, Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih expressed concern that programs like free ration and cash doles, especially in Maharashtra, are depleting the workforce.

Justice Gavai argued that such benefits disincentivize employment, while Advocate Prashant Bhushan claimed that a lack of work, not freebies, causes unemployment. The court stressed the need to integrate citizens into the workforce to boost national development.