Mumbai, March 13 -- Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy has criticised the practice of offering freebies by political parties to win elections, underscoring that such handouts play no role in poverty alleviation, media reports said.

Murthy said job creation, not freebies, will eliminate poverty in India.

He also warned that no country has ever succeeded in eliminating poverty by resorting to freebies.

It is important to assess if such free handouts lead to positive outcomes.

He suggested that benefits should come with incentives or conditions in return.

Giving an example of free electricity up to 200 units per month, he proposed that the state conduct random surveys after six months to assess whether children's study time has incre...