Skip to main content

State of the Indian Union

The world's largest democracy and second most populous country has emerged as a major power after centuries of colonial barbarianism which virtually bankrupt the country. After independence in 1947, India tried centralized planning and controlled economy. Government controlled quota regime which says what and how much has to be produced constrained the economic growth and investment.

The economic reforms started in 1980's produced a burgeoning urban middle class and has made great strides in fields such as information technology. Its large, skilled workforce makes it a popular choice for international companies seeking to outsource work. India launches its own satellites and plans to send a spacecraft to the moon. India also boasts a massive cinema industry, the products of which are among the most widely-watched films in the world.

As a country of over a billion people with one-third of the population under the age of 15 and median age just under 25 it has the best assets for development and prosperity. But the vast mass of the rural population remains illiterate and impoverished. 4 out of 10 people over the age of 15 are illiterate. It is higher in the rural areas. Their lives continue to be dominated by the ancient Hindu caste system, which assigns each person a fixed place in the social hierarchy.

India is a nuclear weapon state and it has continued conflict with Pakistan and border disputes with China.

Services are the major source of economic growth which accounts for more than half of India's output with less than one quarter of its labor force. About three-fifths of the work force is in agriculture and their living conditions didn't changed much.

As the fourth largest and second fastest growing economy in the world, India is an economic powerhouse that continues to expand at an unprecedented rate. Over the last ten years, its GNP grew around 7 percent per year – solidly outpacing its population growth of approx. 2 percent annually. While much of the population currently remains in the agricultural and allied sectors, but India is both a source of new talent and an attractive market, as millions of young and educated graduates enter the economy each year, helping transform the Indian economy into one of the global major players.

Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Your comments here.

Popular Posts

Effects of Colonization in India

Some people still have the illusion that the British Raj was not all that bad. But in reality is that the British Colonial rule as against the interests of the common people of the Indian sub-continent and it destroyed the education system, economy, ancient monuments and livelihood of the people. One can trace the education system in India to third century B.C. Ancient days, the sages and scholars imparted education orally. After the development of letters it took the form of writing. Palm leaves and bark of trees were used for education. Temples and community centers often took the role of schools. When Buddhism spread in India , education became available to everyone and this led to the establishment of some world famous educational institutions Nalanda, Vikramshila and Takshashila. These educational institutes in fact arose from the monasteries. History has taken special care to give Nalanda University , which flourished from the fifth to 13th century AD, full credit for its e...
15 comments
Read more

Laws of Behavior Change

The Four Laws of Behavior Change is from James Clear’s Atomic Habits. These laws form a sequential loop that helps to make new behaviors more likely to start, stick, and repeat. Atomic Habits offers practical, science-backed strategies for building good habits and breaking bad ones through small, compounding changes. Habits form through a four-step loop: cue (trigger), craving (motivation), response (action), reward (satisfaction). Habits can be optimized or inverted to build good habits or break bad ones Law 1 : Make it Obvious (Cue) triggers awareness by designing visible prompts in your environment or routines. This starts the cycle, as unnoticed cues lead to no action. Law 2 : Make it Attractive (Craving) builds motivation by linking the behavior to dopamine-boosting anticipation. It amplifies the cue’s pull, turning notice into desire. Law 3 : Make it Easy (Response) lowers friction so the action flows naturally from craving. This ensures the craving leads to actual perform...
Post a Comment
Read more

Objectivism

Objectivism is a philosophical system developed by Ayn Rand. It emphasizes objective reality, reason, individualism, and laissez-faire capitalism. Objectivism states that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals gain knowledge through reason and sensory perception. Objectivism asserts that the moral purpose of life is the pursuit of one’s own happiness through rational self-interest. Objectivism supports capitalism as the only moral social system because it protects individual rights and freedom without government interference. Key principles of Objectivism include: Objective reality Reality exists independently of consciousness or beliefs. Facts are absolute and do not change based on individual perceptions or feelings. This principle rejects supernatural explanations and insists on accepting reality as it is. Reason Reason is the only means of gaining knowledge. It involves relying on logic, evidence, and sensory perception rather than emotions, fai...
Post a Comment
Read more

Medicines of Ancient India

Ayurveda as a science of medicine owes its origins in ancient India . The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word Ayurveda is the science of life or longevity. Ayurveda constitutes ideas about ailments and diseases, their symptoms, diagnosis and cure, and relies heavily on herbal medicines, including extracts of several plants of medicinal values. Ayurveda was formally organized into eight sections or branches called Astanga (eight-armed) Ayurveda. They are Kayachikitsa Tantra(Internal Medicine), Shalya Tantra(Surgery) - Shalakya Tantra( Ears, eyes, nose and throat), Kaumarabhritya Tantra ( Pediatrics ), Agada Tantra( Toxicology), Bajikarana Tantra( Purification of the genetic organs), Rasayana Tantra( Health and Longevity), and Bhuta Vidya( Spiritual Healing). Ancient scholars of India like Atreya, and Agnivesa have dealt with principles of Ayurveda as long back as 800 BC. Their works and other developments were consolidated by Charaka who compiled a compendium of Ayurvedic prin...
2 comments
Read more

History of India - The British Raj

British India or British Raj is the term used to refer to the period of direct British imperial rule of the Indian Subcontinent which included the present-day India , Myanmar , Bangladesh and Pakistan from 1858 to 1947. Much of the territory under British control during this time was not directly ruled by the British, but was nominally independent Princely States which were directly under the rule of the Maharajas, Rajas, Thakurs and Nawabs who entered into treaties as sovereigns with the British monarch as their feudal superior. The British abolished the British East India Company and replaced it with direct rule under the British Crown in 1858. In proclaiming the new direct-rule policy to "the Princes, Chiefs, and Peoples of India", Queen Victoria promised equal treatment under British law, which never materialized. Many existing economic and revenue policies remained virtually unchanged under British Raj. But several administrative modifications were introduced...
7 comments
Read more

Towards Independence

After many years of struggle and resolutions, Indian National Congress finally passed a resolution which asks for complete independence for India . On August 8, 1942 the Quit India Resolution was passed at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee which demands complete independence from Britain . It proposed that if the British did not accede to the demands, massive civil disobedience would be launched. At Gowalia Tank, Bombay , Gandhi urged Indians to follow non-violent civil disobedience. He told the masses to act as an independent nation and not to follow the orders of the British. His call found support among a large number of Indians. It also found support among Indian revolutionaries who were not necessarily agree to Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence. Within the Indian independence movement there was a concept of an armed force fighting its way into India to overthrow the British Raj. During the Second World War, this plan found revival, with a number...
5 comments
Read more

The Pause Principle

The Pause Principle is the practice of intentionally stopping and reflecting before acting. Pausing is a deliberate and strategic act that enables clarity, awareness, and better choices. It is a simple concept with profound implications for leadership, learning, and life. In a world addicted to speed, the idea of slowing down can feel like a failure. We praise hustle. We reward reaction. We glorify multitasking and speed as if they were synonymous with effectiveness. But the best decisions, the most powerful conversations, and the most transformative moments don’t come from speeding up. The term was coined by Kevin Cashman, a leadership coach and author of The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward. The term captures the essence of a powerful paradox: slowing down can speed up your effectiveness. When we pause, we engage the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for complex thinking, empathy, and decision-making. In contrast, reacting impulsively often activates t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mathematics in Ancient India

The first appearance of evidence of the use of mathematics in the Indian subcontinent was in the Indus Valley Civilization, which dates back to around 3300 BC. Excavations at Harappa , Mohenjo-daro and the surrounding area of the Indus River , have uncovered much evidence of the use of basic mathematics. The mathematics used by this early Harappan civilization was very much for practical means, and was primarily concerned with weights and measuring scales. By 1800 BC, Indian mathematicians were discussing the idea of infinity, pointing out that "if you remove a part from infinity or add a part to infinity, what remains is still infinity." By about 400 BC, Indian mathematicians were doing more work on the idea of infinity. The Surya Prajinapti defines five kinds of infinity: an infinite line beginning from an endpoint, an infinite line going directions, an infinite plane, an infinite universe, and the infinity of time. Lot of progress was made in geometry as a result ...
2 comments
Read more

Rise of Indian Nationalism

In India , the decades after the First War for Independence (1857) were a period of growing political awareness, manifestation of public opinion, and emergence of leadership at national and provincial levels. Gloomy economic uncertainties created by British colonial rule and the limited opportunities that awaited for the increasing number of western-educated graduates began to dominate the rhetoric of leaders who had begun to think of themselves as a nation despite differences along the lines of region, religion, language, and caste. Dadabhai Naoroji formed East India Association in 1867, and Surendranath Banerjee founded Indian National Association in 1876. Indian National Congress is formed in 1885 in a meeting in Bombay attended by seventy-three Indian delegates. The delegates were mostly members of the upwardly mobile and successful Western-educated provincial elites, engaged in professions such as law, teaching, and journalism. They had acquired political experience from regio...
16 comments
Read more

The Backwards Law

The Backwards Law is the idea that the more you pursue or cling to something, the less likely you are to get it. Whether it’s happiness, love, success, or even sleep, the act of striving can feel like chasing a mirage. Conversely, when you let go of your desperate need for it, you often create the conditions for it to come to you naturally. It’s a counterintuitive principle rooted in the interplay of desire, resistance, and acceptance. We live in a world that constantly tells us to strive, to push harder, and to never give up on our goals. We are taught that success, happiness, and love are things to be pursued with relentless effort. What if the very act of chasing something is what pushes it further out of reach? It’s the counterintuitive idea that when you desperately want something, you are subconsciously signaling to yourself that you don’t have it, thus reinforcing a feeling of lack. This feeling of lack often leads to behaviors that are counterproductive to achieving your des...
Post a Comment
Read more