As India gears up for this year's general elections, intellectual cells of political parties will be busy evolving ideas and creating campaign slogans to tout their vision for our country.
As India hasn't witnessed a large-scale development project beneficial to its entire population since the launch of the golden quadrilateral in 2001, it's imperative for the next prime minister to conceive and execute meaningful development projects that can propel our country into high growth mode and catapult it into the middle income league in a decade. Also needed is a radical digression from the past to create an equal opportunity and meritorious society to benefit future generations.
History is replete with narratives of presidents and prime ministers who transformed their nations and made a positive impact on their citizens' lives. Abraham Lincoln for example is remembered even today for his pivotal role in preserving the American Union.
Indians are thankful to their first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, for cementing parliamentary democracy. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is praised for modernising Britain by stripping away business regulations and subsidies, while US President John F Kennedy is widely credited for placing man on the moon.
It's time for India to have such a transformational prime minister - one who will modernise India's cities, solve agriculture and water woes, break the shackles of casteism, bring about a manufacturing revolution and improve government efficiency. Such an agenda can decisively alter economic fortunes of millions while simultaneously revamping the social fabric of our country. Here are five ideas that can help accomplish this goal.
Decongest state capitals: India's state capitals are congested. And they are 3-5 times more populated than the next largest city in any state. In addition, migration from smaller cities and villages by people in search of jobs and better living is expected to inundate and overwhelm state capitals in the coming decade. This will have a deleterious effect and place an enormous burden on a single city in several states, leading to severe congestion, environmental degradation and deteriorating living conditions.
Moving government business to new state capitals is the best way forward and one that is essential to solve the rapidly escalating urbanisation crisis.
Link river waters: Although a plan to link Ganges with Cauvery was first proposed in 1972, no prime minister has seriously considered this proposal thus far, ostensibly for want of funds and because of the likely impact on environment. Now is an opportune time for doing so.
More than ever, we need such a plan to solve India's myriad agricultural problems, bring food inflation under control and provide adequate drinking water to our population. A recent government study estimates that it would cost about Rs 10 lakh crore to link 37 rivers across India. It's plausible to devise a 10-year plan to adequately fund and complete such a project.
Lay foundations to rid India of reservation: 21st century India more than ever needs to be an equal opportunity and meritorious society. Today's youth are not looking for privileges or handouts but a fair chance to educate themselves, earn a decent living and provide for their families. Reservation was conceived as a temporary measure after Independence to overcome past injustices against various sections of society. Unfortunately, political parties have hijacked it for completely different reasons. It's time for a requiem and goodbye.
The new prime minister must consider reducing reservation in education and jobs by 1-2% every year, which will help banish casteism from our society by 2030.
Unleash a manufacturing revolution: India had a green revolution in the 1960s and at the end of the last century a services revolution that was led by information technology, banking and telecom sectors. Now there is a desperate need to find meaningful employment for its young population.
Making land easily available, junking restrictive labour laws and creating a small business innovation fund are necessary conditions for labour-intensive manufacturing to take off in our country. It needs to unleash a manufacturing revolution so that youth of today and tomorrow can be gainfully employed and productive in society.
Shrink government: It's of paramount importance to bring a semblance of order to government finances. This is especially needed because we have moved from a permit raj regime to a clearance raj environment since liberalisation, hurting business sentiment and confidence in our economy. India has a bloated bureaucracy and many loss-making public sector companies are surviving on government funds. It's time to reduce the size of government and its role in our economy. A leaner and efficient 21st century central government is a must to reinvigorate our economy and rejoin a high growth path.
Indeed India requires a number of incremental reforms for private investment to return. It also needs to ease business rules so that entrepreneurs can innovate, incubate and flourish. Government does have a major role to play in building infrastructure and creating a wholesome business environment for industries and opportunities for citizens.
As political and business leaders across the world wait with bated breath for the formation of India's next government, its citizens also eagerly await a consequential prime minister.
As India hasn't witnessed a large-scale development project beneficial to its entire population since the launch of the golden quadrilateral in 2001, it's imperative for the next prime minister to conceive and execute meaningful development projects that can propel our country into high growth mode and catapult it into the middle income league in a decade. Also needed is a radical digression from the past to create an equal opportunity and meritorious society to benefit future generations.
History is replete with narratives of presidents and prime ministers who transformed their nations and made a positive impact on their citizens' lives. Abraham Lincoln for example is remembered even today for his pivotal role in preserving the American Union.
Indians are thankful to their first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, for cementing parliamentary democracy. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is praised for modernising Britain by stripping away business regulations and subsidies, while US President John F Kennedy is widely credited for placing man on the moon.
It's time for India to have such a transformational prime minister - one who will modernise India's cities, solve agriculture and water woes, break the shackles of casteism, bring about a manufacturing revolution and improve government efficiency. Such an agenda can decisively alter economic fortunes of millions while simultaneously revamping the social fabric of our country. Here are five ideas that can help accomplish this goal.
Decongest state capitals: India's state capitals are congested. And they are 3-5 times more populated than the next largest city in any state. In addition, migration from smaller cities and villages by people in search of jobs and better living is expected to inundate and overwhelm state capitals in the coming decade. This will have a deleterious effect and place an enormous burden on a single city in several states, leading to severe congestion, environmental degradation and deteriorating living conditions.
Moving government business to new state capitals is the best way forward and one that is essential to solve the rapidly escalating urbanisation crisis.
Link river waters: Although a plan to link Ganges with Cauvery was first proposed in 1972, no prime minister has seriously considered this proposal thus far, ostensibly for want of funds and because of the likely impact on environment. Now is an opportune time for doing so.
More than ever, we need such a plan to solve India's myriad agricultural problems, bring food inflation under control and provide adequate drinking water to our population. A recent government study estimates that it would cost about Rs 10 lakh crore to link 37 rivers across India. It's plausible to devise a 10-year plan to adequately fund and complete such a project.
Lay foundations to rid India of reservation: 21st century India more than ever needs to be an equal opportunity and meritorious society. Today's youth are not looking for privileges or handouts but a fair chance to educate themselves, earn a decent living and provide for their families. Reservation was conceived as a temporary measure after Independence to overcome past injustices against various sections of society. Unfortunately, political parties have hijacked it for completely different reasons. It's time for a requiem and goodbye.
The new prime minister must consider reducing reservation in education and jobs by 1-2% every year, which will help banish casteism from our society by 2030.
Unleash a manufacturing revolution: India had a green revolution in the 1960s and at the end of the last century a services revolution that was led by information technology, banking and telecom sectors. Now there is a desperate need to find meaningful employment for its young population.
Making land easily available, junking restrictive labour laws and creating a small business innovation fund are necessary conditions for labour-intensive manufacturing to take off in our country. It needs to unleash a manufacturing revolution so that youth of today and tomorrow can be gainfully employed and productive in society.
Shrink government: It's of paramount importance to bring a semblance of order to government finances. This is especially needed because we have moved from a permit raj regime to a clearance raj environment since liberalisation, hurting business sentiment and confidence in our economy. India has a bloated bureaucracy and many loss-making public sector companies are surviving on government funds. It's time to reduce the size of government and its role in our economy. A leaner and efficient 21st century central government is a must to reinvigorate our economy and rejoin a high growth path.
Indeed India requires a number of incremental reforms for private investment to return. It also needs to ease business rules so that entrepreneurs can innovate, incubate and flourish. Government does have a major role to play in building infrastructure and creating a wholesome business environment for industries and opportunities for citizens.
As political and business leaders across the world wait with bated breath for the formation of India's next government, its citizens also eagerly await a consequential prime minister.
The writer is a money manager.
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