📋 Written Ability Test (WAT)/Essay Analysis Guide: The Impact of Universal Basic Income on Poverty Reduction

🌍 Understanding UBI’s Importance

💡 UBI addresses economic insecurity and poverty, central to policy debates in welfare states and developing economies. Its implementation links to financial inclusion, labor markets, and social equity, making it a critical theme for B-school essays.

🕒 Effective Planning and Writing

• ⏱️ Time Allocation: Planning (5 min), Writing (20 min), Review (5 min).
• 💡 Preparation Tips:
  • 📊 Research pilot program outcomes, fiscal models, and stakeholder perspectives.

📝 Introduction Techniques for Essays

• 🔄 Contrast Approach: “While automation displaces millions, UBI emerges as a counterbalance, offering economic security amid technological disruption.”
• 💡 Solution-Based Approach: “With 9.2% of the global population in poverty, UBI promises a paradigm shift in welfare economics.”

📋 Structuring the Essay Body

1. 🏆 Achievements: Highlight successes like Alaska’s PFD or SEWA’s pilot.
2. ⚠️ Challenges with Comparative Analysis: Discuss fiscal viability and work disincentives, referencing Finland or India.
3. 🚀 Future Outlook: Explore digital delivery via fintech and integration with AI-based monitoring.

🎯 Concluding Effectively

• ⚖️ Balanced Perspective: “UBI holds promise but requires fiscal innovations and targeted interventions for scalability.”
• 🌍 Global Comparison: “Learning from Alaska’s PFD and Finland’s trials can guide countries like India in effective UBI implementation.”

🔍 Analyzing Successes and Shortcomings

• 🏅 Key Achievements: Economic empowerment, administrative efficiency.
• ⚠️ Ongoing Challenges: Funding constraints, inflation risks.
• 🌐 Global Context: Mixed results from Finland, Alaska, and SEWA highlight contextual variations.

💡 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• 📜 Diversified Funding: Leverage sovereign wealth funds, carbon taxes, or blockchain-based mechanisms.
• 💻 Integration with Technology: Digital identity platforms for efficient disbursement.
• 📈 Phased Implementation: Start with targeted demographics (e.g., rural poor, unemployed).

📄 Sample Short Essays

• ⚖️ Balanced Perspective: “UBI’s promise of reducing poverty is tempered by fiscal concerns, but global trials show pathways for sustainable models.”
• ✨ Solution-Oriented: “Digital platforms like IndiaStack can make UBI both scalable and inclusive, bridging urban-rural divides.”
• 🌐 Global Comparison: “UBI’s varied impact—from Finland’s limited employment gains to Alaska’s long-term stability—offers key lessons for policymakers.”