India, Aug. 22 -- This book asks an urgent question: When the state provides food, healthcare, education, pensions, or employment support, are these "freebies" or are they rights that make a dignified life possible? Drawing on over two decades of field research across rural India, economist Reetika Khera examines how social policies shape everyday life. From anganwadis and school meals to the Public Distribution System, maternity benefits, pensions, public health care, and the MGNREGA, the book traces India's evolving welfare architecture "from cradle to grave". Asking questions about inequality and the role of the state, it offers a compelling argument for viewing social protection not as charity but as a foundation for justice and democratic life....