India Does Not Shine When Only Some Gleam

Context: Highlighting key drawbacks in India’s economic growth model and the opportunity to “build back better” post-pandemic.

Drawbacks in India’s economic growth model

• Incapacity of growth to serve citizens: For E.g. -
  • Global Hunger Index places India at 94 amongst 107 countries.
  • World Happiness Report 2020 (by UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network) ranked India at 144^th amongst 153 countries.
• Widened inequalities: While India’s stock markets rose during the pandemic and the rich became even richer, the number of poor people (income less than $2 a day) have increased by 75 million. World Bank
  • This accounts for nearly 60% of the global increase in poverty due to pandemic.
• Misplaced priorities: E.g. Bending environmental/labour regulations to make it easier to do business.
  • “Ease of living” sacrificed for “ease of doing business”: E.g. According to global assessments, India ranks 120 out of 122 countries in water quality and 179 out of 180 in air quality.
• Lapsing to the old ways: E.g. Government’s focus on chasing a $5 trillion GDP target by over-relying on large corporate wealth creators.
  • Centralized governance: Governance of the many by a few politically and economically powerful persons, stroke-of-the-pen bold reforms etc.
• The Tyranny of Merit: which believes that a person’s successes and failures are entirely that person’s own responsibility — is a disease that has infected societies in the West.

Way forward

• Broader progress measures: Move beyond GDP accounting to a broader framework that accounts for environmental and social conditions that contribute to human well-being and sustainability of planet.
• Fairness and trust in others and in institutions contribute greatly to well-being.
  • E.g. Countries in which the spirit of community is high, such as ‘socialist’ countries of Northern Europe, come on top of well-being rankings even when their per capita incomes are not the highest.
• Empower local communities to work together to find their own solutions: Locals know which factors in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals matter the most to them.
• Outlook beyond individualism: Social responsibility for the conditions of downtrodden like urban migrants shall not be hidden behind arguments of individual incapacities.
• Relook “India@75” campaign vision: Upholding prosperity of hundreds of millions of citizens since when only some shine, India does not shine.