Many social welfare programs have emerged in independent India, but how and for whom have these programs been constructed, what have their impact been, and what are the key challenges for the future? In a Chats in the Stacks book talk presented at Mann Library in September 2026, Prabhu L. Pingali, professor of applied economics in the SC Johnson College of Business and director of the Tata-Cornell Institute (TCI) and Andaleeb Rahman, research associate in TCI and the Department of Global Development, discuss their new book "The Future of India's Social Safety Nets: Focus, Form, and Scope."Unpacking India’s social welfare programs in terms of their three essential aspects—focus (intended beneficiaries), form (transfer modalities), and scope (developmental objectives) Pingali and Rahman provide a comprehensive analysis of India’s safety net, combining insights from interdisciplinary scholarship on economic development, social protection, and the social policy process. The work assesses the achievements and shortcomings of these programs, while also proposing a transferrable framework that can help foster human resilience through social protection.
