How do you react to India’s low ranking (124 out of 173) on human development index (HDI)?
Can we as Indians—whether in government or outside—feel a sense of embarrassment, if not shame, that for all our achievements—and we have many—our masses are so poorly educated and so unhealthy! The more the privileged feel a sense of shame, and the more we apply pressure on decision-makers, the quicker and better our response to our educational and health performance will be. We should not just go on waiting for pressure from below—from the lower castes, as in South India. We should simply be politically wiser—and ask ourselves whether a country with its masses as illiterate and unhealthy as India’s can ever be a power on the international stage, respected and revered by all. Don’t we want India to be viewed and recognised as a major power? How relevant are human development indicators for a big and heterogeneous country like ours. It is sad that India does not have a better health and educational record on the whole. The averages matter even for a heterogeneous country like India, fo
