By: Zia Darakshan
In a developing country like India, when we talk about transformation of the socio-economic landscape to move from good to great, the vision for change has to come from the top. The communication has to be crystal clear explaining not just what needs to be done, but it also needs to explain why the change is needed. In this journey of transformation, it is imperative to create a culture of experimentation and leverage the advanced technology tools to realise the transformation vision.
This encapsulates the revolutionary essence of the Viksit Bharat campaign. For the first time, the mass transformation process driven by this campaign is empowering every citizen of the country, involving them in the change. It’s heartening to note that this transformative journey, initiated in every socio-economic sector, embodies a ‘we, not me’ approach, fostering collaboration and creating two-way communication. Throughout the campaign, in addition to raising awareness about welfare schemes, there is a natural pursuit of a digital-first mindset. This serves as an integral step towards seamless transformation, contributing to the vision of achieving a developed nationhood. It’s worth emphasizing that the use of the right technology is crucial in facilitating this transformative process.
In other words, the unprecedented mega awareness campaign, Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, is currently underway. It aims to spread knowledge about government welfare schemes tailored for various sections of society across the country, triggering a transformative journey to make India ‘Viksit’ (developed) by 2047—the 100th year of its independence. The transformation journey is on the right trajectory, with dedicated efforts through the Viksit Bharat campaign to turn every citizen into a knowledge bank, especially regarding the availability and access to welfare schemes.
Essentially, knowledge possesses the power to drive every citizen, irrespective of their location, to script socio-economic growth and fuel the journey of the country to move from good to great. In a recent exclusive interview with India Today, Prime Minister Modi emphasized, ‘Hum GYAN pe dhyaan denge, GYAN ko sammaan denge, toh Viksit Bharat banega’ (If we focus on knowledge and respect it, we will become a developed nation). GYAN, he explained, stands for Garib (poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmers), and Narishakti (women empowerment).
The awareness about government welfare schemes is of paramount importance to achieve the desired socio-economic impact. Despite these schemes being tailor-made to address the socio-economic needs of various population segments, a significant portion of the targeted audience shows a reluctance to avail themselves of the benefits. Notably, a knowledgeable society that is well informed about government programmes for their welfare, serves as a cornerstone of a thriving and sustainable economy. It is the knowledge gained through awareness that triggers innovation, encourages research and development, particularly in Science & Technology and helps the government to deliver high quality governance wrapped in layers of high- level security. Consequently, this knowledge acts as a seed capital instilling a sense of empowerment in the citizens.
In this context, the Viksit Bharat Sankalp yatra (VBSY) becomes a fertile ground for this seed capital to germinate into a knowledge economy. The consistent Viksit Bharat campaign is poised to garner global attention, as it invites mass participation from all stakeholders to explore their capabilities and achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047—a developed nation with a US$ 30 trillion economy. Remarkably, India is currently the 5th largest global economy, and has set a mission to become the world’s 3rd largest economy by 2027.
Let me borrow some facts in the context of transformation in the higher education sector as the Viksit Bharat initiative has put the country on a pedestal to take-off for a turbulence free journey to land as a developed nation in 2047. Over the past decade, there has been substantial expansion in socio-economic infrastructure through policies and schemes like Samagra Shiksha, the growth of universities, IITs, IIMs, Medical and Nursing Colleges, and skilling programs such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The numbers speak volumes—today, the Indian higher education system comprises 1,113 Universities/University-level Institutions, 43,796 Colleges, and 11,296 stand-alone Institutions, accommodating 4.33 crore students. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education has steadily risen to 28.4.
It is worth mentioning that policies like Digital India and Startup India are enabling youth to become job creators. India is home to over 100 unicorns with a total valuation upwards of US$ 340 billion and has emerged as the world’s 3rd largest startup ecosystem.
In this journey of transformation, it is imperative to undertake the Viksit Bharat campaign in a mission mode. There is a need to have special focus on youth as this whole process is going to create their future. They need to be encouraged by allowing them to channelize their innovative ideas and contribute to the country’s vision of moving from good to great and achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The author is a freelancer.
Courtesy: PIB Srinagar
