India, Feb. 26 -- Recently, the Supreme Court raised concerns over the trends of states giving freebies, and doles ahead of assembly elections, and questioned if these practices amount to appeasement, rather than genuine welfare. It took on the political parties and governments that either dole out, or promise freebies and direct cash transfers to woo the voters. It wondered how long this might last, and whether it would hamper the nation's development, growth, and livelihoods (jobs). The observations of the apex court came during the hearing of a case that involved the state-owned Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation.

The distribution firm aims to provide free electricity to consumers, regardless of their financial status. The thre...