Theme:
- On 15th August 2022, India is celebrating 75 years of independence.
India @ 75 – How far we have come:
- When India gained independence in 1947, there was extreme poverty and hunger. In these 75 years, India could vastly reduce poverty and has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
- India could achieve self-sufficiency in food. The green revolution began in the 1960s and food production has gone up to a great extent that at present India is supplying food to other counties.
- In 1947, most of the population in India are illiterate. The literacy rate in India in the year 1951 was 18.3%. As of 2017-18, the literacy rate is 77.7%. India has been supplying skilled professionals to many countries.
- In 1947, the expectancy of an average Indian citizen was around 32 years, in 2022, it is 70.19. In India, now better healthcare facilities, advanced treatments and medicines are available. Infant and maternal mortality are also dropped. Due to the affordable healthcare services, India became one of the top medical tourism destinations. India is ranked 10th out of the top 46 countries in the world in the Medical Tourism Index 2020-21.
- When India gained independence, many people expected that India would not be able to stay united. But despite being a diverse country with many religions, languages and cultures, India has remained united.
- With policies and welfare schemes, India could reduce caste-based social and economic inequalities to a great extent.
- Now, women in India have more freedom and opportunities than in 1947. In these 75 years, the government brought several schemes and incentives to promote the education of girls and their empowerment.
- India could achieve many more things such as becoming one of the emerging technological powers, improving the ease of doing business, becoming one of the top destinations for foreign investments, becoming the world leader in digital transactions etc.
Way forward:
- As per World Inequality Report 2022, India is among the most unequal countries in the world. As per the report, the top 10 per cent of the country’s population holds 57 per cent of the national income. India should work on reducing wealth inequality by investing more in high-quality public services, healthcare, and education.
- India should work on eliminating violence against women including domestic abuse. Moreover, effective steps should be taken to reduce the gender gap.
- The state of justice delivery should be improved. As of 2022, nearly 5 crore cases are pending in courts. Several innocent people are in prison for trial. Government should take steps to ensure timely delivery of justice to victims and falsely accused innocents.
- Government should take steps to improve the income of farmers by making agriculture profitable.
- India’s skill gap is contributing to the unemployment problem. Hence the government should take steps to change the curriculum in schools and colleges to suit the needs of the country and the world. By this, we can reduce the unemployment rate and also can address the lack of availability of skilled workers for companies.
That may be beyond us, but so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over. – Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.
Conclusion:
India has come a long way since independence. From the phase of struggling with hunger and poverty, India reached a stage, where it is supplying food and skilled professionals to other countries. For the world, India is a role model for maintaining unity in diversity. While celebrating these achievements, we should work towards achieving more and solving the present challenges.
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Photo by Studio Art Smile
References:
- India at 75: Much to celebrate and plenty ahead to aspire for
- Every tear from every eye needs a wipe away
- India at 75: Important healthcare achievement of the country since gaining independence
- How income inequality in India can be narrowed
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