Rising and shining on all indices, India is proudly continuing its forward run to challenge any super power. Terms like GDP growth, interest rates and FDIs have been appearing in the most positive sense consistently over a period of last few months.
I don’t mean to paint a bleak picture out here, but is this growth favoring a majority of the Indian populace? The farmer still can’t get rid of the middle-men when it comes to selling his produce. The end consumer- the common man, hence bears the burden of rising food inflation. The average household is spending a significant proportion of its income in buying a perishable commodity like onions! Educational expenses are increasing and buying a 5*5sq. ft. balcony (though you can’t buy one) in Mumbai is also beyond the reach of (Soniya Gandhi’s) aam aadmi. The number of BPL families and the percentage of illiteracy is discomforting. What is India going to do with the largest workforce comprising people below 35years of age? Majority of them are not fit to cater to the needs of a constantly changing industry. Drop out rates at secondary school is an immediate cause of concern. The curriculum is unable to find practical applicability. Vocational training and higher education is marred by disproportionate reservation policies. So, a brain drain is inevitable and even justified to a certain extent. In this scenario, will scores of 30+ individuals prove to be a ‘force’ that can empower the nation in the truest sense?
A developmental project incurs colossal expenditure because getting clearances involves too much of pushing the (filled) envelope. Property rates are so high in Mumbai that getting a workplace for operations calls for investing a fortune. Though the realty rates in the city are comparable to those of the costliest cities of the world, the infrastructure is barely conforming to international standards.
The number of billionaires in the country is impressive. The problem with our economy is that only the rich get richer and the bottom of the pyramid remains untouched. The entire growth process is far from being holistic. What percentage of the population can actually gain from a rising sensex?
The health of the nation is miserable. Private spending on health in our country is starkly high. Super specialty hospitals cater to the urban patients. Healthcare facilities at affordable prices are not available in most rural India. Year after year, a significant percentage of Indian population is pushed into the gallows of poverty, thanks to illness and lack of affordable medical assistance.
These realities cannot be ignored. They seem to debilitate the very foundation of our growth story. How can India prosper when death knolls continue to ring in the regions of Vidarbha? Hope this New Year, we turn the page in every sense and the government brings in policies and initiatives that will grant our beloved nation, the glory its worthy of!
I now call upon, the winds of change…!!!
