印度锡金将为公民提供普遍基本收入
High in the Himalayas, Sikkim is one of the tiniest states in India. But it is about to embark on an experiment of global interest.
位于喜马拉雅山坡上的锡金是印度最小的邦之一，但这里即将进行一项全球瞩目的试验。
Sikkim's ruling party has announced an ambitious plan to implement a universal basic income for every one of its 610,577 citizens.
If successful, the scheme would represent the largest trial run anywhere in the world of a concept that supporters such as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg say could provide a safety net, help alleviate poverty and address the challenge of job automation.
Detractors, meanwhile, say it would reduce the incentive to work and would come at a huge expense.
A universal basic income is a regular, guaranteed income paid by the government, universally and unconditionally, to all citizens. It is a cash payment that aims to replace the often confusing array of assistance that states offer to citizens and place spending decisions in the hands of recipients.
"If there is one chance of it happening anywhere, it is Sikkim," said P.D. Rai, the sole member of India's Parliament from the state.