Perennial problems India faces & possible solutions



Reforming the political/bureaucratic system (to eliminate corruption) will be on almost everyone’s list of top problems India faces today, but not mine. I am not saying that they are not one of our biggest problems, but by targeting the political/bureaucratic class (as if they are the only corrupt people in India), we are only attempting to cut the leaves and are not focusing at the root of the problem.
Which is, The people of India….
A society that believes and indulges in corruption/favoritism at every available opportunity will only produce corrupt leaders. That’s one of the principle flaws of democracy, but then democracy ensures that people get the leaders they deserve.
1. Corruption – The first problem I identify in India is corruption/favoritism, but the way to solve it would be to change people’s ideas/attitude about corruption. Stricter laws, punishments can help, but these are not sufficient. We know that corrupt society will find ways to bypass rules/laws.
I can write on why corruption is bad, but such articles get a very limited reach. And besides, majority of our people still don’t have access to Internet or even basic education. But, there is one medium that has enormous reach – TV/Cinema. If directors/movie makers/Tele-serial makers could come forward to make good movies/serials that make people rethink about their corrupt ways and still make it interesting with a gripping story-line, the message might spread faster.
The Leads to corruption can be multi-faceted, and not necessarily only money oriented. Corruption in morality, in competition and attitude are of the same generic form of corruption.
One of the solutions could be to come up with a crowd-sourced funding platform (a site maybe) where prospective movie directors showcase stories/ideas and people vote/fund (not donate) for best of such ideas/concepts. The revenue from the movie should be shared with the funding bodies. Awareness is the first step to solving any problem.
2. Sustainable Living – Well, sustainable living is the solution, not the problem! In our quest towards success, wealth, happiness, etc. we forget that we are over-exploiting the resources available to us. Want wood? Destroy forests. Want energy/mobility? Pollute environment. Want connectivity? Make non-recyclable products and destroy the earth. Want space? Occupy marsh-lands. Want food? Kill animals. Want enjoyment? Drink alcohol, smoke, eat unhealthy food and risk diseases (The current COVID19 pandemic is a manifestation of the same unsatiable appetite of human beings). This list could go on…
Sustainable living is a wonderful concept that let’s us enjoy life without over-exploiting worldly resources. It’s a concept that encourages inclusive growth, for us as well as all the creatures living around us. We need sustainable living ambassadors to promote this wonderful concept in all medium (blogs, FB, newspapers, TV, movies, etc.) that can take the message to its beneficiaries (people). Though Indian culture and traditions have been majorly focused towards sustainable living but needs to be reinvented through movements like SUSTANIA.
3. Education – The kind of education we get is one of our biggest problems. Of course, it is much better than not getting education at all, but we are struck with an education system that produces imitators and not innovators/inventors. We have parents/teachers who are content with the current system and focus only on marks, and don’t much care about knowledge transfer/unlocking the true potential of students.
If our previous generations were blind to this problem, it’s understandable – they were the first generation to receive any proper education. But how can we be blind to it? Why do we want our children (also) to become back-office processing agents? Why is a Google or Microsoft not coming out of India, despite high proficiency in coding abilities and English?
I have written on this extensively in my previous blogs but whatever we do, we should eliminate the concept of memorization/mugging up for exams quickly. Examinations should not be a one day affair and should much largely focus on grasping the overall fundamentals of the specific domain. Moreover the curriculum must trigger thought processes and counter questions.
4. Neighborhood Cleanliness – Yes, we are all experts in keeping our homes/offices clean. But when it comes to the neighborhood, we give it scarce respect. We notice excessive waste that get accumulated around waste-bins and empty plots being used as dump yards.
Of course, first we should make sure that there are enough waste-bins in each locality. Corporation should appoint a coordinator from within each community, who would give them feedback on the no. of waste-bins required etc. Secondly, our Government should look at innovative methods like this solar-powered compressing waste-bins that can not only accommodate more waste (per bin), but can also message authorities when full.
5. Economic independence – Each and every person in our society (except minors) should be economically independent. Especially, women. That will prevent subjugation and crimes (esp. against women). I guess we have come a long way in educating girls, and in cities women equal men in the work-force. But, in small towns and villages, women are not given equal rights to work. We need more SHG’s(Self Help Groups) for women in rural areas that will impart skills and create a dependable income stream for them. Economic independence also triggers education and incubates business ideas for future small start-ups for building the village Eco system of India.
Overall all of the above needs a deterministic approach towards execution and constant metrics driven follow up and monitoring…. It is immaterial as to who holds the helm of power, the citizens of our country should ask sticky questions to their chosen leaders, related to the achievement of the above metrics.

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