Home » Languages » English (Sr. Secondary) » Essay on “India Becoming a Superpower” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Essay on “India Becoming a Superpower” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

India Becoming a Superpower

A potential superpower is a state or a political and economic entity that is speculated to be , or to be in the process of becoming, a superpower at some point in the 21st century. Presently, it is widely considered that only the United States currently fulfills the criteria to be considered a superpower. States most commonly mentioned as being potential superpowers are Brazil, China, the European Union (a supranational entity), India and Russia, based on a variety of factors.

Several media publications and academics have discussed the Republic of   becoming a superpower. Is India really shining? Is it really on the path of becoming a superpower? Optimistic Indians would assert an affirmation but it is time one had a reality check India is surely marching ahead, but are all the Indians marching ahead or is it just a small fraction of the population doing so? India can surely boast of a growth rate of around 8-9 per cent, but one needs to ask if this growth is trickling down to the lower strata of the populace.

Sixty three years ago in 1947 when India got independence , the question then asked was ‘ will India survive’? today, India’s economic profile has changed. At over a trillion dollars, it is a force to reckon with not just in Asia but in the entire world. With its new currency symbol to be internationalized soon, India now flexes its financial muscle.

Soon after independence our nation was in turmoil. Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, tragic partition rendering millions of people homeless tribal invasion in J&K coupled with problem of consolidation of five hundred princely states, to build a new nation was a mammoth task. After going through different phases of lows and highs, the doubtful query ‘will India survive’ has been replaced by more hopeful query, will India become a superpower?

Today India is recognized as an emerging powerhouse by the world community. Form a nation known to the world as a county of snake charmers to a front line developing nation , image of our country has undergone a dramatic change. The  pace leading to full transformation may be slow but consistency will lead to the desired goal. The key to the extraordinary resilience lies in India’s stable and successful democratic institution. India, a home of several religions and several hundred spoken languages is a garland of multitude of diverse communities woven together in a common thread of democracy. Unlike other European nations whose unity is based on a common languages and largely a common faith. India presents a picture of unity in diversity. With multiple of democracy in India was always in doubt. Despite abstruse dislike and mistrust between the two major communities  of the nation, India has emerged as multicultural democracy.

Withhold economic reforms India’s GDP is on a sustained growth path. India has become third largest economy in Asia to keep its high rate of growth. Despite the growth story, India has yet to cross over many plateaus before it becomes a superpower in league with big nations. I shall discuss here some of the core issues that if not attended to with strong political will and time bound action may rock the boat of country’s economic rejuvenation.

Escalating Population

India is second most populous country in the world, with over 1,210,193,422 people more than a sixth of world’s population. Already containing 17.31 per cent of the world population, India is projected to be populous country by 2025 surpassing China. India occupies 2.4 per cent of the world’s land and supports 17.5 per cent of world’s population. It seems the Govt has stopped all efforts to control the population explosion. Fearing public unrest and possible loss of vote bank after Sanjay   Gandhi the successive Governments abandoned  family planning programmes if at all some programme is being executed it is only as tokenism without political will.

Increasing Unemployment

India is facing massive problem of unemployment. The incidence of unemployment is much higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The incidence of unemployment amongst the educated is higher than the overall unemployment amongst the educated is higher than the overall unemployment. Economic reforms may have given a boost to industrial productivity, but the boom has not crated enough jobs. India’s performance on this front has fallen short of target in the past. India’s labour force is growing at a rate of 2.5 per cent, but employment is growing only at 2.3 per cent. The country is faced with the challenge of not only absorbing new entrants in the job market (estimated at seven million people every year), but also clearing the backlog. Unemployed youth is likely to translate his frustration into criminal and illegal activates.

 Poverty Concerns

Poverty as measured by the new international Multi- dimensional poverty Index(MPI), about 645 million people or 55 per cent of our country’s population is poor as measured by composite indicator made up of ten markers of education, health and standard living achievement levels. MPI attempts to capture more than just income poverty at household level.

It is comprised of ten indicators: years of schooling and child education; child mortality and nutrition(health); and electricity, flooring, drinking water, sanitation, cooking fuel and other assets. This may be a gimmick of the Western Countries to project themselves as superior to other developing countries but certainly the indicator denote quality of life of the citizen of a nation. India needs faster pace of growth to achieve these standards for its teaming millions who are yet untouched by the Country’s economic renaissance. India’s number of millionaires grew by 51 per cent to 126700 in 2009 according to Merill Lynch and    consultants, boosted by buoyant economy which grew 8.6 per cent in the last fiscal quarter. But increasing wealth has not trickled down to the common man. Newly built multi storied buildings  symbol India’s growing economic power stand in contrast close to the slums presenting a pathetic picture of inequality. Poverty eradication still seems far away.

Literacy Issue

Literacy in India grew to 74.04 per cent in 2011 from 12 per cent at end of British Rule in 1947. Although it is more than five fold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84 per cent. India currently has the largest illiterate population of any nation on earth. India’s literacy rate is increasing only sluggishly. Besides low literacy rate there is a wide gender  disparity in the literacy rate.

Health Concerns

Great improvement has taken place in public health since independence, but the general health picture remains far from satisfactory. The government is   paying increasing attention to integrated health, maternity and child care in rural areas, but the efforts on health front needs to be intensified with spread of health awareness through education through education and mass movement.

 Extensive corruption

The license raj in India from 1950s to 1980 sowed the seeds of corruption in the socio- economic structure of our country. Nexus between politician and business community and criminals is known to all. In recent times criminalization of Indian politics has assumed alarming proportions. Some parliamentarians face criminal charges, including human trafficking, embezzlement, rape and even murder. Candidates with criminal records win election on the strength of their ‘Bahubali’ status. Paying to get a job done is a common phenomenon experienced by majority of our countrymen. In recent time food adulteration has stolen limelight in the news Channels, even fruits and vegetables are not left  to grow normally, toxic injections are administered for their quick growth.

Tons the tons of synthetic milk and milk products are confiscated every other day by the HEALTH Department officials but the perpetrators of these crimes who play with the health of unsuspecting masses are set free without any exemplary punishment. There is a parallel flourishing market of spurious in the country. Spurious medicines, beverages , cosmetics, good items all are sold without fear as greasing palm to get away is very easy. Scarcity may be the mother of corruption in general , but what do you say about politicians who have been found sleeping with currency notes under the mattresses and those who wear currency notes garlands made up of taxpayers’ money and those who accept bribe for raising questions in the parliament and those who openly accept    bribe in the name of party Fund. ‘yatha Raja, tatha Praja’

Terrorism and Insurgency

India is faced with terrorism and insurgency both form across the border and from within. Partition of India and Pakistan was a parting gift from the British Empire before leaving the country forever. First it was large scale invasion by the ‘Kabailis’ in J&K, then widespread armed insurgency in Kashmir after disputed state election in 1987. Terrorism and insurgency has left more than 53000 people dead till July 2009. Several militant groups backed by ISI of Pakistan are operating in Kashmir. Many a times the militants have targeted people in other cities and towns of the country in suicide attacks. Mumbai attack was an example of their immaculate planning and preparedness to terrorize the entire nation.

There has been proliferation of militant groups in recent times, with as many as 33 identified in J&K . currently the country is facing most significant challenge form Islamist fundamentalist groups. If India is facing terrorist attacks form the militants trained from across the border, threat from across the border, threat from the Naxalite groups within the country  is no less. Maoists are killing people in several districts of the country.

Half hearted approach  to tackle their insurgency and lack of political consensus on this issue has encouraged them to attack paramilitary forces and common people at will. Unfortunately these Naxalite groups have tacit support of some politicians. With more and more successful attacks, the Maoists’ menace has already grown big.

Competitor China

China which is India’s competitor in becoming superpower is empowering its youth by opening up high number of universities, imparting education and teaching English. India, on the other  hand, is still fighting implementation of quotas for students and faculty. Meanwhile, students with potential have to resort to continuing education in private universities which often fail to meet the required standards.

Gender Bias

Gender inequalities, female feticide and the treatment meted out to Women in rural areas, child marriages, continuing practice of dowry and sati take away the leftover sheen from the Shining India. The major divide between the rich and the poor, lack of proper rural infrastructure even basic amenities like potable water, toilets, two meals a day, suggest that India has a long route to tread   in becoming a superpower.

Upsurge of Regionalism

A strong wave of regionalism is threatening  the social fabric Nav Nirman Sena (MNS),. A Maharashtra based political party is operating on the motto of ‘Bhumiputra’ (son of the soil). Division of state population on the basis of birth and language is most unfortunate trend fraught with danger of disintegration and civil strife. If virus of this trend is transmitted to other states it will cause irreparable damage to ‘unity in diversity’ 

Social Security

According to a recent survey around 400 million persons in India are in the working age group, less than 7 per cent are in the organized sector and 93 per cent of the worker s are unorganized. While organized sector workers have sufficient and reliable access to social security in the form of protection under the law against loss/ stoppage of income on account of illness, disability, old age, death, maternity, the unorganized sector which has been contributing more in GDP in the last five decades is deprived of sufficient and reliable access to promotional and protective social  security. As the average number of the senior citizens increases the concerns about social security will become more pronounced.

Monsoon and Agriculture

Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and village industry account  16 per cent of GDP and despite a steady decline of its share in GDP, is still the largest economic sector which plays a significant role in the overall socio-economic development of the country. Slow agriculture growth is a major area of concern is tow- third of country’s population depends on rural employment for living. Monsoon plays a crucial role in agriculture production. Due to lack of adequate irrigation system, increased dependence on monsoon has tremendous impact on  Indian agriculture; failure of monsoon, as we have seen in the past, has the capacity to destabilize the entire economy of the country.

Any country on a growth trajectory has to face several hurdles created by external and internal factors during transition period. It largely depends on the collective will power of the citizens who face these changing’s and overcome all obstacles that may come in the way of their country becoming a superpower. However, going by the slogan, ‘man mai hai vishawas pura hai vishwas hum hongay kamyab aik din’,   we shall overcome someday.

 

 

About

The main objective of this website is to provide quality study material to all students (from 1st to 12th class of any board) irrespective of their background as our motto is “Education for Everyone”. It is also a very good platform for teachers who want to share their valuable knowledge.

commentscomments

  1. calis says:

    mmm India is not going to be able to get rid of those problems……good essay

  2. Rajendra R Gupta says:

    Also need to declare cultural socialised pattern with overall movement to 3-tier system for security and selfreliancy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *