By : Sharmila Mehendale
As this great nation completes 75 years of independence, thousands of thoughts cross the mind. Has this journey been a smooth ride for us? No, definitely not. There may be few nations across the globe who have witnessed a past as chequered as ours and even fewer who are desirous as India to forge ahead with this gumption as we are doing.
The challenges are many. From addressing social, economic and cultural issues to achieving common developmental goals like employment, sanitation and housing for all citizens, better and liveable cities, pollution control, higher agricultural yield and a sustainable economy. Given our multi-ethnic fabric, the roadmap ahead is one of delicate balance with a steady pace of progress.
But the great nation that we are, we have truly entered one of the most exciting phases of prospects and prosperity. We have shed few inhibitions of the past and added vigour to our sails. Yes, we are still a developing country but we have a lot of positives to look forward to and admire. Here are just a few notions that make India a rising power; one that the world is sitting up and taking notice of!
Let’s celebrate the A to Z of India; what she has achieved and proudly represents:
A: The nation has delivered a stellar performance in its Space Missions, holding a record in 104 satellites launched in a single go!
B: Young India is represented by Hundreds of Unicorns she has incubated and is still counting
C: Widely acceptable and popularly used Digital Payments Platforms are encouraging Indians to move steadily towards a cashless economy
D: Emerging as a global power in Soft-ware and Information Technology, the IT Sector accounts for @8% of India’s GDP
E: More than 2/3rd of the population is equipped with smart mobiles and connected by internet generating fertile grounds for a Digital Economy
F: Innovative social programmes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan are used to build over 9.5 crore toilets in India
G: An Environment conscious nation keen on setting and meeting several Climate Goals as per global norms
H: Moving steadily towards renewable energy especially National Solar Mission, India plans to achieve a target of 500GW of solar power by 2030!
I: Gaining momentum as the Pharmacy of the World being the largest supplier of generic medicines to the world even before COVID 19 ravaged the world
J: Recognition for its humongous vaccination drive and achieving the target of 200 crore + doses since it began its Covid Vaccination Campaign
K: Developing it’s indigenous vaccine and fully vaccinating @63% of the population….also aiding the poorer nations to gain access to Indian vaccines
L: Branding over 20 public and private Institutes of Eminence in higher education for its aspiring youth
M: Deepening the Road Infrastructure at stupendous speed covering @6.25 lac kms; India has the world’s second largest road network
N: Connecting the length and breadth of the country is India’s large Railway Network connected by @ 7500+ stations and 1.25 lac kms of tracks making Indian Rail network the world’s 4th largest rail
O: New and promising sporting talent has been steadily honed with iconic players emerging with the quest for Improving Olympic Tally
P: Hosting some of the largest sporting events in the world like the IPL, India has showcased her ability for delivering Mega Global Sporting Events
Q: Modernizing the Indian Armed Forces to meet every possible challenge and equipping them with the best futuristic technology
R: India is the second largest contributor of agriculture in the world and employs more than 50% of its population in agriculture. Slowly but surely new technologies, logistic management, better varieties of seed and sustainable water management are finding their feet in this highly traditional domain
S: The Indian Education System is one of the largest in the world with more than 1.5 million schools, 8.5 million teachers and 250 million children according to UNICEF
T: India’s initiative for the marginalised children that get covered under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan and guarantee to primary education under the Right to Education Act are innovative ideas for spreading education to the last child
U: Women Power is on the rise with hundreds of Indian women emerging as top Entrepreneurs, thousands of young women enrolling into the armed forces and countless professionals leading the nation into the next century
V: Synchronised with safeguarding women’s rights in India is the new Amendment in Abortion Laws which has paved way for safe and legal options for women
W: On India’s recommendation, the United Nations has introduced The World Yoga Day in recent years taking the practice of YOG to the global stage
X: Proud host of the world’s tallest Statue of Unity standing majestically at 182 metres glorifying Sardar Patel, the man who tirelessly unified India post-independence
Y: The nation has not only accepted a Third Gender into its fold but also showered upon them the dignity they deserved by making legal amendments
Z: India is that nation where its people converse in 122 major and 1599 spoken languages and use thousands of different dialects daily; befitting a civilization that’s over 5000 years old
Though there can be a thousand of dissenting voices to the achievements listed above, though every parameter listed above may not have been delivered to its full potential, I feel that every step taken in the right direction should be lauded and every small achievement should be celebrated. As a BBC report on The Story of India states,“ It is a place whose children will grow up in a global superpower and yet still will know what it means to belong to an ancient civilization.”
Sharmila Mehendale
E2- Rutu Park