My Aspirations for New Age India

Lovey Choudhary

India's democracy, the world's most populous, is a marvel of the modern age: 1.3 billion people that communicate more than 700 languages beneath one roof. Almost 1/6th of mankind lives in India.

At first glance, I am on a quest to make India better. On a more profound level, it is only a fantasy. It mirrors an irrepressible desire, to see India, Indians and the Indian economy at the top of the global ladder. I am certain that many of you share the same dream.

Poor public services, high inflation, crippling corruption and crumbling infrastructure are constant grievances of masses. Indians yearn for better education, more jobs, zero poverty, improved healthcare and faster development as a path to prosperity.

India falls under the third world country tag which is an issue of great concern, due to the fact a country which produces high number employment across the world and is one of the quickest growing economies within the global arena is disadvantaged of all of the fundamental human requirements.

I think India is one of the greatest countries with the massive ability to overgrow any country in the world. Today, more than half of India's population is under the age of 25. By 2020, India's average age will be just 29 years, compared to 37 in China and the United States, 45 in Western Europe and 48 in Japan. This is a generation with huge potential and big aspirations. India is self-sufficient in topography, natural resources, manpower.

The children of today will become founding fathers of tomorrow, who are being nurtured into the wombs of formal and informal corporations of education. We need to put our future at the front of our minds and in our policy-planning, because, when they thrive, India will too.

India is by all accounts growing rapidly in the diverse field. However, the following are primary field zones that will make India a developed country.

Agriculture

It will remain the mainstay of employment with over 40% in India of my dreams.  Farming is the backbone of India. 75% of India is agrarian land. Highest priority should be given to agribusiness and farmers to make India a developed nation. Keeping up with agribusiness will help in keeping up our spine strong.

Green revolution

India should be a Green India. We don't want to see only advanced structures and zero trees. Fewer trees would lead to contamination, no rain and individuals will wind up with misery from obscure illnesses. Each individual should assume up the liability of having a tree for every house, at any rate, to make India a Green India.

Literacy rate

The Indian literacy rate stands at 74% (2011 Census figure) with recent reports of 80% literacy. Ideally, the literacy rate should be 100% after almost 71 years of independence. The under-standing of every part of what we do can be achieved only through education. And this education should be good enough to make result effective. Literacy will rise significantly to over 80% in the future, but that will still leave about one in five adults illiterate.

Gender Equality

Indian women have come halfway to gender equality and have rather strange aspirations as to their gender's performance, which only reinforces gender norms and hierarchy. And that explains why they have stunted career goals and easily give up professional life for the sake of home.

Women should no longer be bound by gender norms. They must be secured so they can bravely and confidently step out of the confines of four walls and enter their own world. 

Women can be raised like sons but can sons be raised like daughters? But men are not taking the traditional roles played by women, are they?

Immediate action for crime

In order to avoid major crime, the penalty for each crime should be severe and immediate, and no option should be given as an alternative for the judgment finalized. Every individual who committed the crime must undergo the severe punishments, which will disallow any other person in the country to commit the same crime. Every day in the paper we read at least an average of 4 incidents of rape. Any kind of eve teasing should also have severe punishments to avoid any sexual harassment.

Corruption

There are instances of scams running into  crores of rupees. People forget as the year passes, the reason being there are no judgments given for such, which enables people to repeat. There ought to be prompt judgment and serious measures for the debasement, which should dispirit people to get into corruption.

Decentralization of power

The local village or panchayat or colony or ward knows which the best decision for them is, in terms of electricity/ roads/ farming/dams. They should be given a fair right to make that decision. Centralizing it is like trying to "fit one size for all". Also, it will reduce the corruption as funds are not centralized in one place.

Proper/Neat and Fair Transportation

Roughly speaking the country has great transportation, however, the remaining public transport vehicles are not in a decent condition, the transport/ railroad stations are not slick, and transports are dependably swarmed. Keeping in mind the enentual goal to make India a developed nation the transportation framework ought to be proper, neat and fair.

People with a Civic Sense

There are spit marks, random garbage and overflowing sewers at each nook and corner of India. It is anything but difficult to stick everything on the administration; however, people should take it on themselves and their own particular community sense. Streets are not filthy because no one cleaned it, but rather because someone dirtied it in the first place. Civic sense is nothing but social ethics.

Clean and Neat Rivers/Water Bodies

Every corner of our major river/water body is choked with waste items, having a wicked smell when you cross it. My aspirations for new India fairly include clean and neat water bodies in India. Responsibility lies with every citizen and the government. Do not throw garbage in the water bodies, it is not a dustbin.

Effective and affordable Public Health Care

Public Healthcare is not as effective as private health care. Moreover,  the private healthcare is not affordable for every being in India. The government should take broad measures of having successful and reasonable health care services which are open to all regardless of religion, gender and caste.

Proper implementation of Government plans

Government is launching various plans to make India a developed nation but mostly the results are not what we expected. This is because the execution of such plans is not viable. If the plans proposed are executed effectively, it will not be long for us mature into a developed nation.

India of my dreams will touch nearly $8 trillion Gross domestic product (GDP), almost four times the current level, and the addition to the GDP in the decade will be nearly thrice the amount added in the almost 71 years since Independence. With population growth slowing down, this will also mean per capita incomes rise about four-fold to $6,000.

India's integration with the global economy will be even higher with trade in goods and services accounting for nearly two-thirds of GDP. The average Indian will consume over four times the power he does today.

Internet users will account for anywhere between 50% and 80% of the populace. The market for passenger cars will be around 7.2 million a year, currently the size of the US market. Over 320 million people will travel by air within the country each year, meaning nearly a million Indians will take to the skies each day.

Empowerment in the real world requires political, social and economic change which a class and caste-ridden traditionalist society will not voluntarily offer. In grossly unequal societies, there is necessarily a conflict between those who are systematically denied equal opportunities and the dominant elite which concentrates power in itself.

If we as Indians want to have a better future of India, we have no choice but to change. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.

(The author is Media Coummunications Manager with International Federation of Chamber of Commerce) Email: loveeyyy@gmail.com