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I am optimistic about India, in spite of all the problems. First, almost all the problems are accounted for by the $1200 GDP per capita. It is hard to visualize
by sridharvembu 13y ago
I am optimistic about India, in spite of all the problems. First, almost all the problems are accounted for by the $1200 GDP per capita. It is hard to visualize just how scarce resources are to solve problems when you are that poor. At the municipal level, annual budgets of $20-$30 per capita would be considered good in India, even in a relatively prosperous city (by Indian standards) like Chennai. Lack of hygiene and sanitation are almost entirely explained by that $20 per capita.
If you read the history of cities like New York and London a century and a half ago, they had very similar problems to what a city like Chennai is going through.
Now the reason for optimism: the skill level among young Indians is growing rapidly, thanks to the spread of basic education and growing aspiration among all classes of Indians. That is the foundation on which economic growth is built, and economic growth is the only way we are going to solve our other problems.
- zapf 13y agoNo way man. If your daddy doesn't have money you can't get no education. If your daddy doesn't have money you can't enough vitamins to get the brain or the proteins to get the muscles to work properly. If your daddy doesn't have money you can't even shit with dignity. Without a middle class or a rich daddy, you are basically screwed. When 37% of Indians live below poverty line. I dunno how you think skill and nutrition levels are increasing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India#Poverty_estimates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India#Poverty_estima... To get India going, we need to do all the the article is saying - spend on food, health and eduction. But I would add the state needs to do that, private sector will just screw the poor further - no deliberately, but shit happens. Being optimistic is just that, optimistic.
- sridharvembu 13y agoAll of the problems were much worse 35 years ago. Yet, in spite of all that, India has made progress. I assume you are very young - I am approaching 45, and I am more optimistic now than when I was at 25. I am not just being optimistic, I am putting my money and my time where my mouth is.