Page 11 - The Indian EYE 081922

The Indian Eye
OPINION - INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL AUGUST 19, 2022 11

Women wearing sarees in the colours of the National flags walk the ramp during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations organised ahead of the 76th Independence Day,
at the Country Club, Begumpet, in Hyderabad on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

and 7,416 higher secondary schools Muslims 35.4 million (9.8%), Chris- revolution taking place in the arena erty line, estimated by the World
in India apart from 498 colleges and tians 8.3 million and Sikhs 6.86 mil- of technology, digitization and in- Bank at 140 million which is 10%
27 Universities. lion (1.9%). In 2022 the estimated novation spearheaded by young In- of the population, (b) the formal
population is 1090 million Hindus dian companies. The government’s and informal sectors may not able
Today there are 1.6 million
schools, 42,343 colleges and a thou- (79.80%), 200 million Muslims Atmanirbharta crusade has given an to absorb the large number of ed-
impetus to it.
ucated young who are passing out
(14.23%), 31.2 million Christians
sand Universities. More than 250 (2.3%), 23.7 million Sikhs (1.72%), Latest research of the Indian of colleges (2022 estimate is 10.76
million children are going to school 9.6 million Buddhists (0.70%), 5.1 economy in the last ten years by million), (c) external and internal
today in India and close to 40 million million Jains (0.37%) and 9.1 mil- analyst Ruchir Sharma has a few factors will keep haunting the policy
are enrolled in our Universities. lion (0.66%) other religions and 3.3 exciting revelations. In 2011 India establishment in its effort to achieve
India survived a devastating
once in a century pandemic of Covid million (0.24%) religion not stated. had 55 Billionaires with a cumula- double digit GDP growth rate which
is the need of the hour for India. Be
There are two million Hindu tem-
tive wealth of US $ 256 billion which
19 and its economy contracted by ples, 300,000 active mosques, 8,114 was then equivalent to 13.5% of In- that as it may India also has sever-
7.3% in the financial year 2020-21. Jain temples a few of them abroad, dia’s GDP. Ten years later in 2021 al advantages - (i) a median age of
It may be some consolation that this more than 125 Buddhist temples, India hosts 140 billionaires with the less than 30 years, (ii) a strong and
contraction was lower than in other monasteries, stupas and pagodas, cumulative wealth US$ 596 billion focussed government, (iii) grow-
major economies. As per latest avail- some 35 Jewish synagogues etc. At equivalent to 19.6% of the GDP. ing market, and, (iv) an innovative
able estimates the growth rate of the time of independence many pre- Sharma adds that 110 of these are Indian youth. If India persists with
GDP for 2021-22 is pegged at 8.7% dicted that India will splinter into new Billionaires created during the its pursuit of building and consoli-
which has to be seen in the context pieces based on caste, creed, tribe, course of just last decade. At the dating its infrastructure, keeps the
of 7.3% contraction in the preceding language, culture etc., but she has time of independence India was the society cohesive and harmonious,
year. remained in one piece and stronger sixth largest economy in the world. stabilizes predictable consistency in
India is bound together as a
great nation by the strength and than ever. In 2021 it retains the same position policy formulation and implemen-
which is no mean achievement with
tation, a brighter future can be en-
stability of its democracy, the rule FUTURE PROSPECTS India’s population having more than sured for its future generations.
of law and a breath taking diver- In the last ten years, despite a quadrupled.
sity of its populace in terms of re- sliding down of growth rates since Ambassador A. R. Ghanashyam is
ligion, language, culture, climate, 2016 till the economy picked up this Notwithstanding the above, a retired Indian diplomat who has
history, geography and more. At the year and a significant unemploy- there is no room for complacency served as Ambassador of India to
time of India’s first census in 1951 ment burden haunting policy mak- because (a) India still have a large Angola and High Commissioner of
Hindus were 305 million (84.1%), ers in the country, there is a quiet population that lives below the pov- India to Nigeria

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