Viksit Bharat@2047
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
The recently released approach paper ‘Vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’@2047’ notes that India is at a turning point in its history and 21st century can be hers. It says India is capable of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047 with the quality of life of a developed nation! This would mean a per capita income of $18,000 per annum. The GDP would have to grow nine times than today’s $3.3 trillion and the per capita income would need to rise eight times from $2392 per annum currently, as per the document. It is expected to become the world’s 3rd largest economy by 2027 as the GDP crosses $5 trillion.
But questions arise whether such optimistic projections are really attainable, given that even if there’s sustained growth of say 7 per cent, it’s not happening. Moreover, by merely emphasising on GDP, a nation can’t be called developed. The per capita income has to be kept into consideration and not just measuring such income of the rich and middle-income sections. There is a need for the government to come out with statistics of per capita income of the economically weaker sections and low-income groups and the change since the start of the millennium.
At same time, a World Bank report titled ‘World Development Report 2024: The Middle-Income Trap’ found that it will take India 75 years to reach a quarter of US per capita income while China will take over 10 years as it cautioned countries from falling into what is known as ‘middle income trap’. The alert comes amidst India setting a target of being a developed nation by 2047. The report clearly outlined that over 100 countries face serious obstacles that could hinder their aspirations and efforts to become high-income countries in the next few decades.
Defining the concept of Viksit Bharat, the paper said it is Bharat which will have all the attributes of a developed country with a per capita income that is comparable to the high-income countries. The optimism is reflected in the paper. The vision will consist of concrete goals with a strategy, a set of guiding principles to achieve these goals, and clear actions along certain themes to actually implement the strategy. All these put together would constitute a vision for Viksit Bharat, according to the document.
It will be worthwhile to revisit Oxfam reports of past few years. The most startling revelation is that while the government has set a target of ending poverty by 2030 under the SDGs, it may not be possible for another 229 years. This is in sharp contrast to various reports of Niti Aayog of ending poverty. The question then arises: when the country is beset with poverty — or near-poverty conditions — becoming ‘developed’ purely on the basis of wealth generated by a few business houses has no meaning.
Not just the widening disparity in incomes between the urban and rural sectors, the organised and unorganised sectors and the incomes of the salaried class and the farming community are quite glaring. Crony capitalism is ruling the country, where the focus is on the industrial class and providing various opportunities for their growth. The government is swayed by the business class who, according to a major section of analysts, are very powerful and have the capacity to dictate terms that suit their interests.
Figures suggest that the real earnings (adjusted after inflation) of the self-employed workers, the largest group that forms over half the workers, declined in real terms, as per the report titled ‘State of Working India 2023’ by Centre for Sustainable Employment of Azim Premji University. The report further showed that the benefits of growth obtained by the corporate sector failed to reach the marginalised segments – SCs, STs and OBCs.
Thus, it is clearly discernible that the problems of the marginalised are rarely investigated. Two recent examples may support this contention. It has been found that of a total 661 high court judges that have been appointed in the last six years, 75 per cent of them have come from the general caste, as per information furnished in the Rajya Sabha. The issue of poor representation of persons from socially backward sections such as SCs, STs and OBCs was pointed out in reply to a question by DMK MP P. Wilson. This is not just restricted to the judiciary but also manifests in recruitment to other sectors, where reservation does not apply. Obviously, big posts are for those who come from high positions and are extremely well-off.
Another example of ignoring the marginalised is manifest in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching positions of Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). In the centralisation selections made, the languages selected for teaching in tribal schools were Hindi and English. But DMK leader, Tiruchi Siva stated in Rajya Sabha that the teachers and staff don’t know the local language and as such there is very little engagement with students. Even CPM leader, Brnda Karat had written to the Union Minister for tribal affairs, Jual Oram urging him to reverse the centralised recruitment system. Not knowing the local language creates problems not just in teaching but in becoming a true guide of students.
Not just the Oxfam findings but various other studies point to the fact that India has a far way to go to reach the status of a developed nation. Whether it is the 2023 report on food security and nutrition, released by five UN agencies, that found over 74 per cent of Indians or 1043 billion unable to afford a healthy diet or the Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking the country as low as 111 among 125 countries are all examples of where the country stands today.
As such, all talk by politicians of being a developed country can only be said to be wishful thinking. The only way to take the country forward is to adopt a decentralised approach to planning and development and ensure the backward regions of the country get the essentials necessary for a proper existence. A proper strategy needs to be adopted to increase the incomes of small farmers and traders, who have been struggling over the years.
Another aspect that needs attention in view of the Wayanad landslides, where over 300 people are reported to have died and another 250 missing, is the need for proper disaster management while also ensuring that the current strategy of development does not lead to environmental degradation by allowing businesses to profit, ignoring ecological sensitivity. If growth means allowing crony capitalism to prosper at the cost of human lives and the miseries of the poor, this indeed is tragic.
The path of development, at least for a populous country like India, must be a grass-root approach, aimed at common man’s welfare, and not following the path of mindless consumerism and materialism. Those politicians who swear by Mahatma Gandhi should read, comprehend his vision and accordingly implement India’s strategy. Will the government change its strategy and follow a judicious path of balanced, regional development that meets the concerns of the masses, more than satisfying business concerns? Is the vision for real, where it makes the poorest feel it’s their country? — INFA