27-07-2025
Challenges galore as India eyes developed nation status by 2047
In the past, India struggled a lot to cope with social conflicts, unrest and distrust among various sections of people, and paid a heavy price for institutionalizing economic and income inequalities, caste and religion based discrimination. One may agree or disagree, we continue to pursue the policy of divide, deprive and rule with a very fragile affirmative landscape even after so many decades of Independence. Therefore, I was not surprised at all when religious story-tellers of a particular caste were put to the kind of abominable treatment in Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, which drew global dismay, anger, anguish and agony. The incident took place sometime in June 2025 and was debated and discussed for long nationally. Unfortunately, such identical incidents are reported from across the country every now and then, but without raising an eyebrow among those who matter the most in our socio-economic and political framework.
None of us can vouch for the fact that such heinous and inhuman incidents won't be reported any more, but must be curtailed effectively if we are really interested in realizing the goal of inclusive Viksit Bharat by 2047. India was never a strong nation when discrimination on the pretext of caste and religion was rampant. India was a powerful country so long as we were living in a well-knit inclusive society. Foreign invaders looted us, not because we were weak, but we were a fragmented society with multiple boundaries and demarcations drawn with the foul colour of caste, religion and ethnic considerations. Britishers capitalized on that as well and enslaved us for nearly two hundreds of years. I would not like to get into the debate of good or bad done by the Britishers to us, but will certainly reiterate the fact that they ruled over us for such a long time with the help of the people of this great country only.
I would have been on cloud nine had I found the assertion of the World Bank that India's Gini Index-2025 stands at 25.5, placing our country as the fourth most equal country globally, behind only the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Belarus, in sync with the ground realities. Similarly, the World Bank's Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief revealed that 171 million Indians were lifted out of extreme poverty between 2011 and 2023. The share of the population living on less than $2.15 per day, a standard measure for extreme poverty, has plunged from 16.2 per cent in 2011-12 to just 2.3 per cent in 2022-23. Under the World Bank's revised extreme poverty line of $3.00 per day, the rate for 2022-23 stands at a modest 5.3 per cent. Can someone tell us what kind of facilities a household of four members can have even if they earn $5 per day in Tier-II or Tier-III cities? It will be extremely difficult for them to meet even their basic needs.
In recent decades, India has witnessed a surge in developmental initiatives, ranging from digital transformation to infrastructure expansion, skill development missions, and economic reforms. Government programmes like Digital India, Startup India, Skill India, and flagship schemes like Ayushman Bharat or PM AwasYojana reflect an ambition to uplift the nation and empower its citizens. However, the million-dollar question remains: What grand purpose will these initiatives ultimately serve if a significant section of the population continues to be systematically deprived of their rightful share in the country's resources, opportunities, privileges, and responsibilities? No doubt, India is a vibrant and complex democracy, home to immense cultural, linguistic, caste, and religious diversity. Yet, this diversity often masks deep-rooted structural inequalities.
Large segments of the population, especially those from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and religious minorities, remain underrepresented in key sectors like education, employment, and policymaking. The gap between aspiration and access remains stark. Despite constitutional guarantees and decades of affirmative action, socio-economic mobility for many remains limited. For instance, while urban centres flourish with digital and financial services, many rural and tribal communities still lack reliable access to electricity, clean water, quality healthcare, and education. Similarly, while metropolitan cities speak of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, countless young Indians in small towns and villages are yet to receive foundational skills or job opportunities. Moreover, the issue is not merely one of access but also of recognition and participation.
True nation-building requires equitable participation in decision-making processes and sharing of both responsibilities and benefits of growth. When significant populations are systemically sidelined through structural bias, caste-based exclusion, or regional neglect, the very legitimacy of these national initiatives comes under scrutiny. Unless the benefits of growth are equitably distributed, and unless every citizen feels a sense of belonging and ownership in the nation's progress, even the grandest policy visions risk becoming hollow symbols. In essence, for any initiative to have real transformative impact in India, it must be rooted in social justice, ensure proportional representation, and consciously bridge historic gaps so that all Indians, regardless of their background, have a fair share in the republic's promises and potential.
We must pause and reflect deeply: Why, despite having the world's finest Constitution, a visionary document crafted under the leadership of Bharat RatnaDr BR Ambedkar, are we still struggling to address the socio-economic and political nightmares faced by millions of our own people? The Constitution promises justice, equality, liberty, and fraternity. Yet, large sections of society continue to grapple with poverty, unemployment, caste and gender discrimination, and political marginalization. This disconnect is not due to any flaw in the Constitution itself, but in our collective failure to implement its spirit with honesty and inclusivity.
The rising social unrest, distrust in institutions, and frequent communal and caste-based tensions point to deeper systemic issues that remain unaddressed. By engaging in honest introspection and public discourse, we can uncover where we are going wrong, whether in policymaking, governance, or social behaviour. Such enlightenment is essential if we are to heal the fractures in our society. It will help us move towards reconciliation, bridge divides, and truly realize the vision of an inclusive, harmonious, and Viksit Bharat, a developed India where no citizen is left behind. The dream is not distant. It demands courage, integrity, and unity of purpose.
