Justice without the Veil of Ignorance

The veil of ignorance grounds a flawed conception of justice. It cannot function without introducing a mechanism for control and delivery, and thereby limiting freedoms which democracy is meant to institutionalise.

Second, the idea assumes that individuals are inherently selfish and uncaring, yet paradoxically expects these very individuals to design mechanisms that better serve the most disadvantaged.
Third, a free society is marked by high mobility: opportunities are widely available, and people are generally able to make use of them.

Fourth, secure and free individuals tend, in general, to care for the disadvantaged voluntarily.
Fifth, in a democracy, the disadvantaged are neither voiceless nor powerless. They articulate demands that are often heeded, and at times, under populist pressures, they receive benefits even without explicitly asking.

A Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme with embedded health insurance and education vouchers would address both long-term deprivation and temporary shocks, as well as the need for fantastic ideas.

 
The crux of the matter is that a free market generates constant social churn; the bottom is not a fixed condition, and, on average, people tend to move upward over time. As a country develops, manual labour or socially devalued jobs often command higher wages than lower-tier white-collar work. More broadly, as prosperity becomes widespread, people tend to look after those left behind without a theoretical mandate.

Niraj Kumar Jha

UBI Again

UBI is again in the limelight following an ILO report. Unemployment is getting severe now. Trouble is no longer jobless growth but job-loss growth; growth that causes job losses because of automation and AI. Another related problem is that of poverty. The rich are getting richer on one side taking advantage of new technologies and the poor are becoming poorer.
UBI, i.e., the Universal Basic Income is seen as the solution to these crises; scholars in greater numbers now agree. And, there should be no doubt that it is now unavoidable. The late-starter nations would be laggards as a well-thought-out model of the same promises many advantages for a country.
There are two ways of providing UBI. The socialists prefer free or subsidised services and goodies to people, and the capitalist method is direct cash transfers.
The efficacy and effects of the latter are yet to be tested on a large scale but the former is a proven failure. It brings in only inefficiency and scarcity. The latter is the only way left but much would depend on how a county formulate and fine-tune the arrangement.
Niraj Kumar Jha

Inevitability of UBI

The universal basic income (UBI) is an age-old idea which found its way into the economic survey of 2017 and in other policy documents in India. Its toned-down versions are being implemented through myriad schemes in India, but invariably as doles. They lack one or the other feature of UBI like universality, unconditionally, regularity, payment in cash, and payability to individual citizens.
As different governments transfer cash to this or that section of society on different pretexts, this only confirms the inevitability of UBI. Even otherwise the growing scarcity of jobs and livelihood due to automation and international competition makes UBI unavoidable.

While it is highly imperative to implement a full-fledged UBI in the country, certain conditions must be fulfilled for ensuring its viability. It requires a substantial downsizing of the government, the closure of most of the other welfare schemes and the cessation of subsidies. It would also require the rationalisation of government functions and optimisation of efficiency and cost-effectiveness in whatever it does.

Secondly, as a corollary of the first, it needs optimisation of liberalisation. The country must be highly productive and internationally competitive so that it has a sufficient surplus after paying all its import bills to fund the basic income of a billion-plus citizens of the country.

Niraj Kumar Jha

UBI

In the US, I read the reports, that for many, it is more rewarding to remain unemployed than to do a job as they get compensated for unemployment by the government. As a result, many small enterprises do not find workers and have to close down. In fact, unemployment allowance, thus, creates more unemployment.

A universal and unconditional allowance removes this anomaly. If people are not insecure and guaranteed minimum support, they tend to work harder to make their living conditions better.

UBI may not be that cost-prohibitive. The government would do well by abolishing wasteful and inefficient welfare schemes and departments and introducing UBI instead.

Enhanced economic activities as a result of the average people having more money and thus buying more and working harder to make their living conditions better would never leave government coffers deficient.

Niraj Kumar Jha

A Grave Crisis Looms Large

In a very near future only a few jobs for a few people would be left. Dwindling job opportunities and its psychological, social, and political repercussions can be seen anywhere in the world even now.

Three reasons are responsible for that.

1. Growing automation, robotisation, and application of AI.
2. Streamlining of business processes with growing. sophistication of computer and internet technology.
3. Competition from efficient countries.

What can be the way out?

1. Universal Basic Income.
2. Reducing working hours in government organisations.
3. Lowering retirement age for government jobs.
4. Maximum privatisation for economy and efficiency but with
effective regulation.
5. Promotion of sporting and cultural activities involving more and more people as active participants.

Niraj Kumar Jha

Universal Citizenship Allowance

I conceptualise the idea of universal basic income as the universal citizenship allowance (UCA) as it is going to be country specific till or unless all the people come under a global government. If the UCA is implemented in the proper sense, i.e., it is universal and not targeted, and the income is such that it covers all the basic needs of an average middle class person, then it is going to revolutionise the way humanity has lived so far. It is quite feasible because the allowance would make most of the welfare functions of the state redundant. However, in addition it will also necessitate and facilitate universal taxation. Onwards, none of the human beings would strive for survival but all would only work for excellence. I can foresee the onset of a new era of substantive egalitarianism and very creative liberation. And it is going to happen; it is inevitable.

Niraj Kumar Jha