India is a land of opportunities despite having challenges. Around half of the population is at the youth stage and this demographic dividend is an excellent opportunity for the country. However, it is a affect that we are not able to properly utilize the dividend and resources. It results large number of unemployment and subsequent ill effects among youth. In the absence of social security measures theses people are either going directionless or become the victims of poverty. There is a huge scope in the utilization of human resource for productive purpose in order to get rid from this vicious cycle. Primary challenge in this regard is developing a skilling ecosystem in the country where people are skilled and industries are hiring the right resources. This industry-skilling disconnect along with demand-supply mismatch shall be addressed in order to effectively utilize the resources. A demand driven approach and industry lead skill development endeavours can bear fruit. Secondly, the fact that sustainable livelihood can be emerged from responsible business enterprises. It is inevitable to have conducive environment for entrepreneurs as job creators are very important for a country like India. Entrepreneurship shall be an aspirational element for the youth in order to address the dual challenge of addressing the needs of youth and availing these human resources.
We cannot simply ignore the fact that the economic inequality in India is a pressing concern. More than eighty percentage of the wealth is accumulated at the hand of twenty percentage of the people in the country. Being one of the most populous countries, this ever-growing concern is looming as threat to the society. When economic resources are scare, condition of people are becoming worst. It is inevitable to reduce this gap by equal sharing of resources, control over resource consumption, and rationale tax measures including green taxes. . For instance, around sixty percentage of the population is engaged in agriculture and their livelihood depends on the earnings from farming. However, their produces are not getting fair price due to the over reach of intermediaries. Price fluctuations and weather phenomenons are moving them to the debt trap and resulted suicides. Poverty, malnourishment, wasting, and stunted growth are still looming as crisis even though we put best efforts to meet Global Millennium Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. We must understand that solving these challenges are a social goal where an effective public private participation is required. Wide consultations with industries to promote responsible business and sustainable business practices can surely bring changes.
We are not udicious in using resources which are becoming a greed than need. Our environment is in a war fighting situation as it has to meet the needs and greed of the populace. Number of vehicles and density of polluting industries including prevalence of plastic are also in rise. When the effects of environment damage are equally shared the share of wealth is not equally distributed. The transparency measures like voluntary disclosure, reporting, and environmental footprints are still more to go. Country has to adopt sustainable development principles in all walks of life specifically in the industrial development and revenue sharing mechanism.
The paradox of protectors become polluters is biggest challenge in India. Corruption is beyond all threshold levels. When government servants are supposed to be at the service of common public, they become the masters of public. People are forced to avail their rights at the mercy of these officers and at utmost despair destined to offer bribes from their hard-earned money in order to save time and to avail their entitlements. In contrary, a portion of the influential section rules them with muscle and money power. This leads to the unethical practices and resulted irreparable damages to society, economy and environment. Every violation of environmental polices or social norms by this offers at the behest of high hands is against the spirit of equality which are counterproductive. The terrible lag in maintaining transparency measures, accountability standards and vigilance are costing to the citizens of the country. Technology driven elements with very intense sensitization in long run is required to make our government responsible to the public.
Though we are at the clutch of all the aforementioned concerns, the civic sense of people is to be evolved. This lack of ownership and right civic sense always side track the sustainable development initiatives that helps the corrupted elements in one way or another. The voice of public is the single most solution to all the prevailing crisis. Once the citizen is empowered and dared enough to demand their rights, no one can over power them. Also, their consciousness to protect the environment also shall work. We cannot speak against pollution when we pollute our own environment, we surely cannot complain about plastic menace as long as we use and throw plastics. Succumbing to bribe demand rather that complaining is not the sign of civic sense. Making public places dirty and talk about waste management will not be a ideal propaganda. The sense of mine and the feeling ownership (our own) seems the solution to many of the prevailing concerns.
ICT (Information Communication & Technology) has tremendous scope to improve governance in the country. It can have a pivotal role in the empowerment of nation. As more than half of the population have access to smartphone and internet, a digital revolution can be possible in India. To an extent less human interference and automation are essential to solve many existing challenges in the country. It is an inevitable ingredient to consider ICT as a panacea to corruption and various governance challenges. However, the challenges of achieving digital literacy have huge fathoms. Collective effort under the leadership of government is a need of this time to reach the goal of digital empowerment of citizens.
Though hard to say, polarisation on the basis of various fringe and fanatic elements are in rise.. An ultra-national approach surpassing the diversity of the nation and humanity will not produce positive results. Political parties widely use caste cards in election which is dividing the social fabric of the nation. It is not rare to see the crony-majoritarian political media. Furthermore, voices against the divided politics are seen suppressed by the ruling parties in some corners which are not the true spirit of democracy.
Amidst challenges and concerns our country is in a great pace to assure faster, inclusive and sustainable growth. Initiatives like Swatch Baharath Mission, Skill India, Start Up India Stand Up India, and Digital India are right in the direction. We require more responsible leaders to drive the change. Governance and management expertise shall be acquired by our bureaucracy to make certain the reach of benefits to the grass root without leakages. Continuous awareness and sensitization exercises are to be implemented to get the required results. Women of the country shall be brought the front to lead many of these thought provoking missions.
