Dr.
Devendra Kothari
Population
and Development Analyst,
Forum for Population Action
India is sitting on
a demographic dividend, expected to become the world’s youngest country by 2020
with 65 per cent of its population, roughly 875 million people, of working age.
But the country cannot become a global powerhouse unless we resolve the
contradictions and bridge the gaps that distort our society. The challenge
before us is to enable every one of India’s 1.3 billion citizens to realize
their aspirations. The only way to do this is to focus and elaborate on some
“transformative ideas for India”.
The Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas for India, a book edited by
Amitabh Kant, present CEO of National Institution for Transforming India,
popularly known as NITI Aayog, contains
27 chapters, which gives details on a wide array of development topics by distinguished
persons from a basket of mixed talent pool including policy makers, professors,
government officials and industry experts.
In addition, there is an introductory remark by the editor, a 1980 batch Indian
Administrative Services (IAS) officer and the author of Branding India - An
Incredible Story. The volume ends,
though, with a brilliant cautionary ‘Epilogue’ by Dr Arvind Subramanian, former
Chief Economic Adviser to the Central government. [1]
As such, it is
indeed fascinating to read this book in times of India’s determination to “empower
every India”, as noted by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a joint meeting of the US Congress on
June 8, 2016 through many social and
economic transformations. [2]
The volume under
consideration was conceptualized as a collaborative effort that borrows from
very essence of working in tandem to have meaningful discourses. Its vision is
to highlight constraints for India’s future growth and suggest workable
strategies. The authors were asked to
present their views on what they felt were the best strategies to promote a
particular sector that they personally felt was vital for sustainable growth.
The volume is divided into four
sections. Section I furnishes information about Human Capital Development.
Section II discusses issues concerning Transforming Rural India. Section III entitles:
Towards Inclusive Growth and Prosperity.
Finally, Section V deals with Building Brand India.
The volume, The Path Ahead discusses many socio-economic
issues/problems – from fiscal policies, the future of mobility
pegged to electric vehicles given global climate challenges, the opportunities
to grab and the pitfalls to avoid in urban development as cities are engines of
economic growth, and the revival of special economic zones vis-a-vis Chinese
model, have all been exhaustively discussed by academics and specialists, a
valuable source for policy makers and leaders.
Yet the book leaves
one with a mixed feeling. Where is the human soul or is it wrong to ask that
question? India is a country that is facing the
challenges of people and nature. The book, therefore, should have discussed
two- three issues related with sustainable but inclusive development. The
book did not discuss why population matters in the development of the country.
It leads to a massive diversion of national investable resources to consumption
which could otherwise be used for increasing investment and productivity and
for improving the quality as well as supply of public services like education,
health, sanitation, provision of safe drinking water, etc. Without population stabilization,
India cannot solve its current problems since virtually all major
problems that confront India today relate in some critical way to the galloping
population.[3]
The current population growth in India,
however, is mainly caused by unwanted fertility. Around five in ten live
births are unintended/unplanned or simply unwanted by the women who experience
them and these births trigger
continued high population growth.[4]
Another greatest challenge facing India, climate change deserves serious
treatment by all of us. Of all the most
polluting nations –
US, China, Russia, Japan and the EU bloc – only India’s carbon emissions are
rising: they rose almost 5 percent in 2016. No one questions India’s right to
develop, or the fact that its current emissions per person are tiny. But when
building the new India for its 1.35 billion people, especially those who are
living below poverty lines, whether it relies on coal and oil or clean and
green energy will be a major factor in whether global warming can be tamed. India, therefore, has to step up to balance economic growth with nature.
[5]
In closing, India’s
future is apparently bright, but it
will depend on which direction our policies lead us to. India has to develop not only in wealth but
also in human potential. It is because sustainable rapid economic growth comes
only on the back of sound human development policies. HD, therefore, is more than a goal in
itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenges of increasing
productivity, reducing inequality, promoting sustainable development and
building good governance. It is high time
that the Government of India and research institutions focus on developing
effective and smart human development agenda to unlock the human capital. [6]
These are some missing points. Otherwise, The
Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas for India is a good book that needs to read to understand the basics of employment,
education and healthcare industries in our country. “The time is ripe for India
to innovate and cement its position as one of the leading economies of the 21st
century and beyond. I believe this book rises to the occasion. It will not only
be a ready reference for today’s policymakers, academics and industry
professionals and leaders, it will also serve as an inspiration for India’s
youth and leaders of tomorrow,” says John T Chambers, Chairman Emeritus, Cisco
Systems and Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, in a very apt
and succinct foreword to this book.
[1] Kant, Amitabh (Ed.). 2018. The Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas
for India New Delhi: Rupa Publications, 2018, pp. xix +346
[2] Refer PM Modi
speech at the joint
meeting of the US Congress on June 8th 2016 at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/prime-minister-narendra-modi-us-congress-speech-2842046/
[3] Kothari, Devendra. 2015. India: Why population matters? at: https://kotharionindia.blogspot.com/2015/04/india-why-population-matters.html
[4] Kothari, Devendra. 2014. “Managing Unwanted Fertility in India:
Way Forward”, -- in Suresh Sharma and William Joe. (eds.): National
Rural Health Mission: An Unfinished Agenda, Bookwell, New Delhi. Also, see:
Kothari,
Devendra and Sudha Tewari. 2009. “Slowing Population Growth in India:
Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward”. MIPD Policy Brief No. 2,
Management Institute of Population and Development, Parivar Seva Sanstha, New
Delhi.
[5] Kothari, Devendra. Population and Climate Change, The New York
Times, September 11, 2018 at: http://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/climate/united-nations-climate-change.html?comments#permid=28574593
Also see: Kothari,
Devendra. 2019. What kind of India do we want? Managing the climate change (paper under preparation),
Forum for Population Action, Jaipur.
[6] Kothari,
Devendra. 2019. Nurturing
Human Development: A Strategy for New India, New Delhi: Paragoan International
Publishers
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