If you ask me to write about my vision for India, for an India around ten years from now, the truth is there is plenty to write. That's good from the point of view that I really do get to write something, but what is poignant to note is that even after 61 years I still have many reservations, many points where I think things can be handled differently.
For starters the main problem with India as far as any form of development is concerned is the regressive, protective mindset of the vast populi. As I have written earlier, we are averse to risk, the vast majority prefer to be comfortable within the security of their own homes, or within that of a secured pay. Yes, that is changing slightly, with the rise of an affluent middle class after internet and globalisation came into the picture, but that change is registering only with the people whose technical capabilities and professional mindset have been allowed to evolve, have been tuned to take advantage of the changing world. What about the remaining? Recently, India ranked 126th in human development terms. Seriously, it hurts to be poor in India, worse so because, chances for the poor to rise are still slim. Those who manage to break free from the shackle and join the middle class bandwagon are those lucky few who manage to get themselves educated, educated atleast to the level of having a dream, chasing it with passion and then reveling in its fulfillment.
So only way forward is for the poor to rise, for that a mindset change is required, people have to be empowered to the level of atleast having a dream, and that is possible only by imparting education, a quality education. And by that I don't mean starting more engineering colleges or other professional training institutes, for that would be like constructing the 30th floor in a building where the foundation was designed only for say 20. If we are thinking about a vision, we need to think about the future, and so we need to plan for that generation which would beome the vibrant youth in the future, in essence, our focus now should be on that part of the population that's under the age of 15. So what we need to ask now, is what fraction of that population will have the right skills and literacy to meet the demands of 2020 and beyond? If we fail to do so, any achievement we see today in terms of development would become just a false dawn. Thus, focus must be on the primary education sector.
For that focus to yield results, everyone must be involved in that endeavour. Every professional, every business establishment should see primary education as an investment for the future and thus play an increasing role in developing this vital area, rather than putting all the onus and the blame on the government alone. If the purpose of education is to empower all to dream big, then those who have succeeded in doing so certainly are those best placed in inspiring more.
Theres nothing utopian about this. There's nothing we can't achieve when we work together. What the government and the NGOs find difficult to implement, either due to want of resources, or due to beauracratic hassles, the businesses and MNCs and even individuals can offer in terms of money, time, expertise or any combination of these to bring about a change. Now, some may see bringing businesses into the picture as privatisation but I see this as positive collaboration for a grander socialistic development. This is my first vision for India - to see a greater collaboration between all facets of society for strengthening the primary education sector in order to empower the nation from bottom up.
My next vision holds valid based on the success of implementing the first. I, at this stage, seriously hope that the higher level technical institues in the country like the IITs did a little more than just churn out quality engineers. Its been 50 years, but does India in the post independence era have atleast one Nobel Prize laureate for science? Do the technical institutes in the country bring out quality research developments, some quality initiatives that can positively impact the country in a profound manner. I am not saying there are none, but certainly there are not enough. The way I see it, what lacks here is a dream. The youth (I am saying in general and not about everyone) in these high end professional institutions seems to have settled into a state of impasse, a desire to go through the motions, get a job and be happy with their lives. I don't blame the youth for that. The only way to have a dream, rather to believe in the power of dreams is to come out into the real world with a strong foundation built from the primary education sector.
Now, in the future lies a world where a developed nation is judged based on how fast it can continue economic growth with no damage caused to the environment whatsoever. Thus, it is our choice now, whether to build a developed and powerful economy dependent on today's technology and today's resources, the same tools that have made US powerful, or to go for a clean energy initiative, where the development may initially seem slower, but would certainly be more sustainable. So my third vision would be that of a clean energy initiative, the success of which again depends on the constructive imagination of the whole population, and that again takes us back to square one. We need to start at the grass roots.
India's future lies in the hands of the coming generation. It is thus the duty of the current generation of decision makers to mould the up and coming generation into a vital force, a united strong entity that will carry forward every little accomplishment we have had in the last 61 years on a much larger scale with a more profound effect.
