The mention of development brings to our minds, sprawling cityscapes, flyovers, speeding cars, smooth flowing traffic, top-of-the-class urban amenities, posh lifestyles and so on. How often have we seen this translated into reality in India? Only in a few pockets in the metropolitan areas; For example M.G Road in Bangalore. Living in cities is a trial for most of the inhabitants; we all complain about pollution, traffic, overcrowding and power cuts. Can our cities, which are the engines of the economy, the representatives of the levels of development of a country, ever come close to achieving the ideal? Are there natural hurdles, which are insurmountable and out of our control?
Category: India and the world
Can India be called a developed country?
The 21st century is pegged to be the Asian century; India and China are expected to be at the helm of it, as the next superpowers. The United States of America under its president Donald Trump is protesting against India’s self-declared status as a developing country at the World Trade Organization. It has also stripped India of certain trade benefits, which the U.S.A makes available to developing countries (under the Generalized System of Preferences). India is a part of G20, a grouping of countries having great influence on world affairs. India has recently overtaken France to be the 5th largest economy in the world. India seems to be steadily marching towards being a global leader in the coming years. But is there another side to India’s growth story? Continue reading “Can India be called a developed country?”
Was India ahead of the West in practicing democratic values?
The word ‘democracy’ is derived from the Greek word ‘demokratia’ meaning rule by the people. Democracy took birth in the city-state of Athens in ancient Greece, around 460 BC, Cleisthenes being considered the father of democracy. This form of government existed along with others such as, monarchy, oligarchy and tyranny. In contemporary India, the democratic form of government or more specifically, republics were already in existence for few centuries. In India, the advent of Aryans occurred around 1500 B.C, marking the beginning of the Vedic Age. Soon, they began settled agriculture and kingdoms called tribal republics called ‘Janapadas’ rose to prominence. Continue reading “Was India ahead of the West in practicing democratic values?”
