My Vision of India - 2020

Each one of us has a vision of what we want our country to be like. A vision is an
expression of our deepest desires. It helps us achieving our goal. Why are we in India so
embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great
nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them.
Why? We are the second largest producer of wheat in the world. We are the second largest
producers in rice. We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote
sensing satellites. Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want
foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with
everything imported? Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance?

The Indian society of my vision will be different from the present one. Hopefully in the
2020 AD, India will rid itself of the discriminating nature of its caste system. There will be
quality in all fields for everyone. There also will be not being some unfortunate customs
like dowry system, child labor as well as discrimination against women or weaker sections
of the society. I hope the society itself will develop a mechanism to promote the well-being
of everyone without having the need of enforcement by law all the time.

In economic field, I hope India will make great progress. Agriculture will make a rapid
advance, generating enough surpluses and providing food for everyone. Certainly the
industrial development will have a balanced look providing work for everyone and at the
same time bringing prosperity and sustained development for our natural resources. And
there will be no more rise of population. The most important part of the human resource
development is meaningful education for all. I hope by that time India will develop an
advanced and relevant education system taking care of the needs of all the aspects of the
society. I am sure India by that time will be able to take care of the health needs of its
entire citizen.

Often our political leaders lack 'political will' and work in a petty and partisan manner.
Still I am hopeful, by that time democracy will be strengthened in India and it will give
rise to true statesmen who will further take ahead my vision of India in AD 2020. Elections
till be peaceful and every citizen will exercise his/her franchise fearlessly. By that time no
politician or political part will be allowed to exploit caste, region, language or ethnicity to
advance their petty political ambitions.

I am confident that by 2020 India will be able to build an arsenal and strategy to remove all
fears of external attack. International relations are not only important for making friends
but also significant for trade, security and communication. India will look forward to
developing greater economic ties with Russia, South-East Asia, S. Africa, and Latin
American countries and also in co-operation with China and geo-economic matters.
Our country will also hopefully achieve friendly ties with Pakistan. Glory of a nation is not
complete unless it does well in sports too. I am hopeful that our country will make a great
advance in sports winning a number of Olympic medals and international laurels. Sports
will be made popular at every stage in India.

My vision of India 2020 is of a country with a well-developed network of roads and

railways with adequate capacity to handle the growth in transport demand. Road traffic
volume will multiply about five-fold, carried on a 70,000 km network of National
Highways. State Highways with at least two way lanes will link most districts. Rural roads
will provide access to the furthest outlying villages. Technological progress will generate
vehicles that are pollution free and fuel efficient. An efficient public transport system will
lead to a reduction in the population of two-wheelers in major urban areas. We also
envisage that connection of major rivers through a network of interlinking canals will
provide impetus to rapid growth of low cost, inland water transport...

My vision of India in 2020 is of a nation bustling with energy, entrepreneurship and

innovation. The country's people will be better fed, dressed and housed, taller and
healthier, more educated and longer living than any generation in the country's long
history. India will be much more integrated with the global economy and will be a major
player in terms of trade, technology and investment. Rising levels of education,
employment and incomes will help stabilize India's internal security and social
environment. A united and prosperous India will be far less vulnerable to external security
threats. A more prosperous India in 2020 will be characterized by a better-educated
electorate and more transparent, accountable, efficient and decentralized government.

Fulfillment of this vision will depend on many things, but most importantly on our self-
confidence, self-reliance and self-determination to make it a reality. For that, we need first
of all to abandon the sense of dependence and the urge to imitate other nations. We need to
rediscover the well-springs of our own native strength, the rich endowments of our shared
culture and spiritual tradition. We must reawaken the dormant Spirit of India.

My vision of India in 2020 AD may sound like a dreamer's agenda but given the glories
posterity of India and its resilience, it can still come true. And in this task we need the right
kind of leaders and solemn commitment on the part of my countrymen.

Thank You