In Our Opinion | 2024’s greatest takeaway: The nation wants a system that cares

There’s a bigger failing that’s frequent to the destiny of the sewer staff and the fireplace victims: Disrespect for the sanctity of human lives. Outbreak after outbreak, together with a number of this yr, has uncovered that the nation’s buildings are tinder packing containers. Equally, a big physique of reportage has proven that sanitation staff undergo ignominy, even because the nation marked 10 years of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The apathy in direction of primary facilities and safeguards obligatory for dignified residing manifests in a number of different methods. From failure to plan cities in ways in which all sections of individuals have first rate residing circumstances to the rot within the examination system, the nation’s policymakers don’t appear to be working in direction of a system that cares. Sab ka saath, sab ka vishwas appears a lofty slogan, however just for the papers, when caste violence continues in a few of the nation’s faculties. Drives to harness the demographic dividend seem meaningless when younger college students take their lives, unable to face up to the cutthroat competitors. The claims that the nation is on the trail to a developed standing, a Viksit Bharat, seems shallow when college students in its prestigious establishments commit suicide – a minimum of eight college students took their lives within the nation’s IITs this yr. A yr dogged by instances of grotesque violence in opposition to ladies has ended with the rape of a younger pupil in Madras.

India is a comparatively younger nation on the transfer, and that would clarify a few of the pangs. The nation has created ready establishments – the Election Fee, the Reserve Financial institution of India, the Judiciary, the CAG, a few of the nation’s universities are among the many shining examples of post-Independence India’s tryst with democracy and growth. The issue, nevertheless, is that the system is simply too high down, too bureaucratised, and but, understaffed at factors the place it issues. Many faculties wouldn’t have sufficient academics. Air pollution monitoring boards are quick staffed. There’s a marked rural-urban skew within the distribution of docs and healthcare centres. Municipalities are underfunded and undermined.

At the same time as the federal government claims to present premium to decolonisation, management, and never governance and welfare, stays the overarching leitmotif of most establishments. Organising an examination, conducting a hearth security take a look at, monitoring air pollution or assessing security of medication, even ladies’s security are bureaucratic workout routines — packing containers to be ticked, with scarcely any consideration to element.

India, by all accounts, is poised to develop into one of many main economies of the world in 2025. Nevertheless, the nation continues to do scant justice to its human capital – not simply by neglecting ability growth and failing to offer sufficient productive jobs, but additionally but additionally by residing in denial about good residing circumstances.

From controlling air pollution to creating productive jobs to creating cities, cities and villages protected to creating positive there are not any railway accidents, there’s one crucial – a system that cares for individuals and is kinder to them. That needs to be 2024’s greatest takeaway.

We want in 2025 individuals have a higher probability to satisfy their aspirations, breathe higher air, and their houses, workplaces and public areas are protected. We want for a systemic with empathy constructed into it.

A Very Joyful New Yr

Kaushik Das Gupta