Employment, income and poverty... Developed India discussed in Niti Aayog meeting

Niti Aayog Meeting: Some excerpts from the vision document on developed India were presented in the meeting of Niti Aayog. An attempt has been made to explain what should be necessary to make India a developed nation by 2047 and how India will move towards this. In the meeting, PM Modi has called for setting a target to eliminate poverty from villages. The PM believes that districts should become the carriers of development. It is important to define what developed India is. This is an India that will have all the qualities of a developed country with a per capita income that is equal to the high income countries of the world today. This is an India whose social, cultural, technological and institutional characteristics will mark it as a developed nation with a rich heritage and which is capable of working on the frontiers of knowledge.

India has set a target to become developed by 2047

The World Bank defines high-income countries as countries whose annual per capita income is more than US$14005 (in 2023). India has the potential and aims to become a high-income country by the centenary of its independence in 2047.

However, being a developed nation, a developed India cannot be limited to a monetary attribute. It must indicate a good quality of life for individuals and enable a society that is vibrant, culturally rich and harmonious.

Some of the characteristics of a developed India would be as follows.

1. In a developed India, every citizen will have quality housing, universal access to high-quality services including 24x7 pure drinking water and electricity supply, high-speed broadband and banking facilities.
2. A healthy life with high life expectancy and access to world-class and affordable healthcare services.
3. Meaningful education and skills for all with universal literacy and multidisciplinary, lifelong learning.
4. Full employment and prosperous livelihoods, being part of the global workforce, and living in a society with job and entrepreneurial opportunities.
5. Increased use of technology across all sectors, including advanced technologies such as AI-enabled medicine, education and agriculture.
6. State-of-the-art infrastructure, including public transport, DPI and telecommunications.
7. The country should become a leading global economy in a developed India. Become a driver of global economic growth, a magnet for global talent, trade and capital. Its cities and markets will be among the world's largest and top business and financial centres.
8. There are global business champions of Indian origin in manufacturing, services, agriculture, R&D and innovation and Indian companies are pushing the boundaries of innovation, technology and scale.
9. There should be a vibrant rural economy with rural living standards at par with urban areas. Average rural incomes (both agricultural and non-agricultural) should be at par with the country's per capita income.
10. Become an inclusive and democratic development role model for the world, a key player in global forums and a catalyst for dialogue and peace.