The Supreme Court’s February 2026 observations have fundamentally shifted the debate on election-time freebies. For years, political parties across states justified unconditional cash transfers and blanket subsidies as welfare. Now, the Chief Justice has drawn a sharp constitutional line
The Maharashtra government has significantly reduced the budget allocation for its welfare initiative, the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, due to mounting state debt and a growing revenue deficit. In the 2025-26 budget, the scheme’s allocation has been slashed by ₹10,000 crore, reducing it from ₹46,000 crore to ₹36,000 crore. Rising State Debt Maharashtra’s















