india's super economy tag is clearly a laugh

3/11/2014 India's super economy tag is clearly a laugh

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India's super economy tag is clearly alaughBy S Giridhar

Ever since the Goldman Sachs report said that Brazil, Russia, India and

China will be among the largest and fastest growing economies by 2020,

we pull out this gem at every conceivable opportunity

The BRIC report is over five years old. During this time our economy has grown

healthily and our GDP today is a great advertisement for the power of compounding

growth.

But all these years our ranking on the Human Development Index (HDI) has only

worsened and this year has slid down to 134. Stated clearly in that report is the

caveat that unless India addresses its education and social inequities, the

projections of a sustainable super economy will be untenable.

Firstly, in the context of the BRIC report, let us do a snap shot comparison of

Brazil and India. Next, let us lay out the premise that urban Indias elite and middle

class should do more to set standards in everyday life because that will have a

huge ripple effect in building empathy for Indias disadvantaged. The third point is

that India must address the all pervasive retailing of corruption in order to fulfil its

potential and not fritter away the gains made elsewhere.

Brazil vs India

People of Brazil are as warm and effusive as Indians. Brazil too has huge

inequities. The chasm between prosperous south Brazil and struggling north Brazil

is striking. Wealth is heavily skewed and 20 per cent of population controls 88 per

cent of land.

Brazil spends 6 per cent of its GDP on education. India spends less than 4 per

cent. Brazils schools have excellent infrastructure. Teacher absence is not an

issue as it is in India. There is a teacher for every grade in 70 per cent of Brazils

schools, something that you can say about less than 30 per cent of Indias

schools.

Brazil is untouched by terrorism of the kind that has ravaged India. Brazil is 64

places ahead of India on the HDI ranking.

For the 80 per cent of Indias children who study in rural schools, quality education

has remained elusive. For the other 20 per cent who study in Indias urban schools,

it is a mind numbing routine of rote learning and a stampede to score the highest

marks in exams.

Most damaging for Indias hugely iniquitous social fabric, the urban elite and middle

class children have grown up cocooned comfortably as though in a planet different

from that inhabited by 42 per cent of Indias population that lives below the poverty

line. A good six months of compulsory internship in Indias villages for all our youth

would perhaps do a world of good!

There are numerous opportunities in our everyday life to demonstrate empathy.

Empathy is something that is so contagious that it can become a way of life.

Social scientists can then study how the HDI of a country can be correlated with

the degree of empathy that citizens exhibit in daily life!

Strange as it may seem I believe that if on aircrafts we did not violate the rule that

prohibits use of mobile phones for safety reasons; if we allowed the elderly lady to

board the bus first; if the educated executive in his car will wait for the slow

moving traffic to dissolve instead of driving on the wrong side, these will have a

profound impact on our countrys chances of fulfiling the BRIC prophecy.

At a recent discussion, one of the speakers in a moment of great clarity mentioned

that a country that has corruption at an organisational level can correct itself out of

this spiral but India where retailing of corruption has been established has

created a quagmire for itself. So we have situations where there is a price for jobs

or even school admissions.

We have created a boa constrictor coil of corruption that entwines every single

strand of our countrys existence. If we as individual citizens respect the law of the

land we will in our own way starve the boa constrictor. Eight per cent GDP or

20,000 on the Sensex sounds heady but a growing economy will be meaningful

and sustainable only if it helps reduce social inequities significantly.

(The writer is with Azim Premji Foundation)

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Reply

Venkata Sujith Pulim 2 years ago

reservation and corruption destroyed Indian education system.

9

Reply

Vineet Hooda 2 years ago

i totally agree with you

4

Reply

Anubhav Joshi a year ago

The facts that you have mentioned are very true and to the point. Although there are

many other things apart from what you have mentioned but yes, I agree that in totality

these are the key focus areas for us as individuals. Also, I would like to add that in

BRIC 'I' might get replaced with 'Indonesia' pretty soon if this is how the country would

run for next couple of years. We require solid reforms economically, in laws, in FDI, in

Education, in Health, in Insurance, in Manufacturing... and the list goes on. We are now

no where in competition with China and I think this the right time that this illusion should

be removed before us. Gone are those days, when we were trying to be a player in the

big league but unfortunately, for our so-called political system (Biggest Democracy

Crap) we are now battling for survival of our growth competing with the countries like

Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Philippines.. etc. I will be ashamed of myself as an Indian if

an article would be written in future that Pakistan and Bangladesh have become the

new 'Most Favored Nations' and competing with India.

1

Reply

vattikuti chowdary a year ago

very helpful information. we do not need to miracles for the country...just abide by the

law!

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india's super economy tag is clearly a laugh

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