Deccan Herald | Free bus travel is not a silver bullet

As temperatures cool down and the monsoon sets in, on the governance front it is raining schemes. The Karnataka government, as part of its five promises programme has announced free bus travel to all women in the state. Expectedly, this announcement has received reactions ranging from criticism that it encourages ‘freebie culture’ to being hailed as ‘revolutionary’. The truth lies somewhere in between. Free bus travel is a welcome step, and will move the needle on women’s mobility. But for this to have a meaningful impact in the long term, the government needs to bring back the focus on economic growth with employment opportunities for women. Read the full article here.