Raju Vernekar
As we are celebrating 72 nd Independence Day, the country seems to be besieged with many disturbing issues such as recent mob lynching, a furore over the introduction of National Register of Citizens (NRC) to detect illegal immigrants, a proposal to scrap article 35A of the Constitution, which confers special status to permanent residents of J &K.
There have been over 40 incidents of mob lynching in 11 states in the last two years and the recent lynching of a youth in Alwar (Rajasthan) on charges of cow smuggling and the lynching of five persons belonging to nomadic community in Dhule in Maharashtra, on charges of child lifting, top the list.
The issues such as caste-based reservations continue to raise heads. While a demand for reservation for Patel community in Gujarat has already been in the news, now the demand for reservation for Maratha community in Maharashtra, has vitiated the atmosphere further. We already have 52 per cent reservations for different communities. One would not know what will be the situation in future with never ending demands for more and more reservations.
Despite claims by the Union Government, rising unemployment rate, not very encouraging GDP rate and soaring prices of essential commodities, is a cause of concern. The recent reduction in GST rates may bring in some relief, but increasing and varying prices of petroleum products, are having cascading effect on the prices of goods due to rising transport cost.
NDA Government has announced a host of initiatives like “Make in India”, “Start Up India”, “Health Insurance Scheme”. Besides we also have schemes like “Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana”. Yet the cases of malnutrition continue to raise head. The recent starvation deaths in Delhi makes us rethink.
Indo-Pak relations
With former cricketer Imran Khan slated to take over as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, It is hard to believe that he will have any control over Pak spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which is in the process of finding newer and newer ways to embarrass India.
As for cross border terrorism, over 138 people, including civilian and military personnel, have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir this year, the figure which is more than double compared to last year. Cumulatively over 40,000 people have died in Kashmir in cross border terrorism and group clashes since 2001.
In the meanwhile in a major move to prevent cross-border smuggling and infiltration the central government is going to replace the existing border fence with a smart one all along the 553 kms international border with Pakistan in Punjab. The present border security fence was setup between 1988 and 1993. It also has cobra wires through which security passes.
Indo-China relations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a meeting early this year, to cool tensions to avert incidents like the Dokalam military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops for 73 days from June to August 2017. The Ministry of External Affairs maintains that Chinese troops are not in Doklam and Indian Army has been on high alert. Recently Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too had a meeting with Army commander of Gangtok-based 17 Mountain Division, tasked with ensuring Doklam’s security. However China has continued construction of road to link the Chinese territory of Yadong to Doklam, in Shaksgam Valley in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).
This year, the I Day is being celebrated, with special tributes to freedom fighters who had contributed a lot and fought for the Independence of India. On the occasion, it is imperative that an appraisal of various issues related to country’s development is made on the occasion of Independence Day.
Economy
Economic activity is expected to stabilize, maintaining annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 7.0 per cent by end of current year and it is projected to increase up to 7.4 per cent by 2020, due to an improvement in the investment climate, partly due to passage of the GST and the Bankruptcy Code and measures to attract FDI.
Inflation and external conditions are expected to remain stable. Supported by RBI’s inflation targeting policy, the dollar-rupee exchange rate has appreciated. Indian Rupee which lingers around Rs 68 per US dollar is expected to be stable with 1 to 5 percent wager room at the height of market volatility. However the biggest medium-term risks are associated with the recovery in private investments which continues to face several domestic impediments including the corporate debt overhang and regulatory and policy challenges, along with the risk of an imminent increase in US interest rates.
GST has now been slashed down to large extent. But earlier lack of uniformity in implementation of GST and demonetisation has certainly contributed to the economic slowdown. Besides, cooperative banks all over the country are in a bad shape. The credit to agricultural sector largely depends upon, district and rural credit cooperative banks. As such it is essential that these banks are strengthened.
Per capita income
Per capita income, or the average income earned per person in India, stood at Rs 1,12,835 for March 2018 as compared to Rs 1,03,870 for March 2017, according to data from the Union Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation. The average income earned grew at the slowest pace in six years in 2017-18, as growth in the economy sputtered.
FDI
The World Bank has stated that private investments in India is expected to grow by 8.8 per cent in Financial Year 2018-19 to overtake private consumption growth of 7.4 per cent and thereby drive the growth in our GDP in 2018-19.
According to Union Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the total FDI investments in India during April-September 2017 stood at US$ 33.75 billion, indicating that government’s effort to improve ease of doing business and relaxation in FDI norms yielded results. Japan, Singapore, Dubai, USA, France, China, Nepal, Malaysia and Canada are some of the nations who have invested in different sectors, including banking, consumer goods, cell phone manufacture etc.
Besides, India has become the most attractive emerging market for global partners investment, as per a recent market attractiveness survey conducted by the Emerging Market Private Equity Association (EMPEA). Annual FDI inflows in the country are expected to rise to US$ 75 billion over the next five years, as per the report by UBS Securities India Pvt. Ltd.
However despite legislations to keep prices of essential commodities under control, the country witnesses abnormal rise even in the prices of vegetables, proving that the government authorities do not have control over market mechanism.
Food grains
The agriculture sector is all set to receive, record food grain production at over 275 million tonnes, on good rains but farmers’ woes may continue if prices crash below the support price. Some states, including Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have announced around Rs 90,000-crore farm loan waivers to save farmers who have been reeling under the stress of low prices. However a “crisis is brewing” in agriculture as farmers income has been hit badly in last two years despite bumper crops. The Government has claimed that efforts are on to reduce the cost of production and double farmers’ income by 2022 by promoting integrated farming in a big way. They are also being encouraged not to just depend on one or two crops, but to go for allied farm activities like poultry, bee keeping, fishery and piggery etc.
Unemployment
As per the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) unemployment rate in the country is in the region of 5.5 per cent, which comprise 6.4 per cent urban and 5.0 per cent rural unemployment. It is maximum–22.8 per cent in Tripura. The unemployment rate in decreasing order is: Haryana-16.8 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir-13.2, Himachal Pradesh-11.8, Rajasthan-10.1, Kerla-9.3 and Delhi-9.0 per cent.
Literacy
Although the schemes like “Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan” (SSA) are being implemented, the literacy rate remains below world average of 84 per cent. SSA, the Central government’s programme for universal elementary education, covers 2.04 lakh primary and 1.59 lakh upper primary schools to ensure universal education throughout the country. The literacy rate which was 12 per cent in 1947, has reached 80 per cent, but the state like Bihar remain the least literate state, with a literacy of 63.82 per cent. It also suffers from a wide gender disparity in literacy rate with a literacy rate of 82.14 per cent for men and 65.46 per cent for women. Kerala with 93.91 per cent literacy rate is the top state, Lakshadweep and Mizoram are at second and third position with 92.28 per cent and 91.58 per cent literacy rate respectively.
Health
In 2017, infant deaths in district hospitals dominated the headlines with nearly 316 infants died in four states. The maternal and childhood malnutrition is the leading cause of disease in India causing 15 % of India’s disease burden,
The Centre’s allocation for health rose 24% to Rs 47,353 crore in 2017-18, from Rs 38,343 crore in 2016-17. This is 1.15 % of country’s GDP. Including the expenditure by states, India spends 1.4 % of its GDP on health, while Nepal spends 2.3% of its GDP on health and Sri Lanka spends 2%. As per National Health Policy (NHP), public investment in health care has to be raised to 5 per cent of the GDP to make an affordable and effective health care system.
India’s ratio of 7 doctors and 1.5 nurses per 1,000 people is much lower than the standard of World Health Organisation (WHO). NHP has suggested increase in utilization of public health facilities by 50 per cent by 2025. Also, over 90 per cent of the newborn should be fully immunized by one year of age by 2025. Besides, there should be reduction in the prevalence of current tobacco use by 15 per cent by 2020 and 30 per cent by 2025. Similarly there should be reduction of 40 per cent in the prevalence of stunting of under-five children by 2025. Access to safe water and sanitation to all by 2020 (Swachh Bharat Mission) and reduction of occupational injury by half from current levels of 334 per lakh agricultural workers by 2020 are other suggestions of NHP.
Population
The population of India continues to grow and it is estimated at 135 crore (1,350,068,946) (male-697,175,603(69.7 crore), female-652,893,342 (65.2 crore). The sex ratio is 945 female per 1000 male and the median age in India is 27 years. Half of country’s population is in age group 0 to 25 years. Currently there are about 51 births in India in a minute. India ranks second in the list of countries by population, next to China. While the total land area is 2,973,190 Km2 (1,147,955 sq. miles), the population density is 450 per Km2 (1,167 people per mi2). 32.8 per cent of the population is urban (439,801,466) and remaining population is settled in rural areas.
The NDA Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a series of welfare measures, but its implementation lives much to be desired. Probably the bureaucracy is required to be more strict in implementation of welfare measures. Then only we can achieve a mission of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, with all round development from Kashmir ti Kanyakumari.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Follow our WhatsApp channel
