The crab mentality

Considering India’s breathtaking growth in the last two decades, many prophecies and predictions have already avowed that India will be the next super economic power by 2050. But we cannot be completely blown by these declarations that blatantly ignore India’s massive flaws in social sector. Various empirical studies have demonstrated that GDP growth alone cannot achieve the broader objectives of inclusive growth and social development. And, India is the burning example as its outstanding economic growth has had microscopic impact on its social indicators and thus, India has very little chances to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. 

 

As per the UN Human Development Report 2011, India embraces the most pitiable 134th position among 187 countries in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI). Sadly, India’s rank is way behind the ranks of least developed countries, including war-torn Iraq as well as the Philippines. The report further revealed that there are more multidimensional poor people (421 million) in just eight of the Indian states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) than in the 26 poorest African countries (410 million). It clearly indicates that India has the world's largest number of multidimensional poor which is more than half of the total population (612 million). The Global Hunger Index report reveals that India is likely to be considered as a nation where hunger is 'alarming'. In the same line, the HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) Survey Report, 2011 shockingly divulged that there has been no decline in the number of malnourished children since 1998, which continues to be above 40 per cent. Even Nobel laureate Amartya Sen recently showed his concern over the fact that India is seriously lagging behind China in every aspect of human development. Sen pointed out that China allocates 2.3 per cent of the government expenditure on healthcare, as compared to India’s relatively abject 1.4 per cent which is directly relevant to China’s much greater health achievements. Consequently, China has much higher life expectancy than India. The Lancet, one of the world's leading general medical journals, also recently published that more than 16.8 lakh children below the age of five years died of infectious but preventable diseases in India in 2010. In the same year it was also revealed that India belonged to the top five nations that collectively accounted for 49.3 per cent of 7.6 million children who lost their lives before reaching the age of five. And the escalating gap of sex ratio worsens

the scenario.

 

If India really wants to chase its dream of being the next super economic power, it has to take immediate actions to eradicate all the social problems. Or else, India's social laggardness would keep the economic growth aloof from millions at the bottom.