AMANIRBHAR BHARATVARSH

Context: Clarion call for Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance requires redesigning of economic governance, keeping in mind the interest of the poorest of the poor.

Interpretaion of Atmanirbharta

• Human-centric globalisation : to become a hub for global supply chain management and not autarky.

• Atma means self-reliance or soul: resonates philosophy of ‘Third Way’, propounded by Dattopant Thengadi.

• Philosophy of Third Way: making the soul of India Atmanirbhar is a prerequisite to making India Atmanirbhar.
• Soul of India: resides in its villages, millions of informal, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, homemakers, and workers and making them.

Potential of Rural India

• Unemployment rate: rural India is falling below the pre-lockdown level according to CMIE data.
• Absorption of people/informal economy in a productive manner.

Critiques of the current model of development and modernization:

• Development as a malignant myth: Ivan Illich (Austrian-Mexican polymath and priest) chronicled the adverse impact of development on the life of the poor in rural areas and slums
• E.g.: the erosion of means of subsistence and traditional skills, loss of self-reliance, dignity, and solidarity of communities.
• Unsustainable impact on community and environment: Thengadi rejected the idea of modernisation being sine qua non of westernisation. 

Nine key Principles for Atmanirbhar Bharat

• National wealth: must constitute the total value of the basket of goods and services, and not just their market prices.

• Maximum production and equitable distribution: to avoid artificial scarcity and price rise, and ensure adequate market and return for producers.

• Basic needs of life: must be available for every citizen.

• Sustainable use of Nature: i.e ecological factors, the balance of nature, and requirements of future generations should never be lost sight of.

• Labor-intensive rather than capital-intensive: industries, to reconcile efficiency with employment expansion.

• Developing indigenous technology: with an emphasis on decentralization of production processes i.e preference to home-based production over factories.
• Technology-enabled techniques of production: without incurring the risk of an increase in unemployment, wastage of available managerial and technical skills, and complete recapitalisation of existing means of production.
• Labour should be considered a form of capital: i.e evaluation of worker terms of share, and they should be raised to the status of shareholders.
• Consider society as the third party to all industrial relations (along with industry and labour): and its interests should be considered on equal footing with the other two.

Way forward: 

• Role of State: to take a comprehensive view of economic and non-economic goals and enable conditions for human welfare through an integrated approach to education, ecology, economics, and ethics.