Oct 12, 2009

INDIA and Millennium Development Goals

Let me first tell you something about 'Millennium Development Goals', they are 8 targets or goals to be achieved by 2015, not only by INDIA, but 192 United Nations Member States and around 23 International Organizations agreed to achieve it by 2015. The MDGs are- 1.Eradicate extreme powerty and hunger 2.Achieve Universal Primary Education 3.Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women 4.Reduce Child Mortality 5.Improve Maternal Health 6.Combat HIV/AIDS Malaria and other diseases 7.Ensure Environmetal sustainability 8.Global Partnership for development
It didn't surprise me to find out that India is not on the track of achieving these goals by 2015, for as per the report that tracks the progress made by 68 priority countries, which account for 97% of maternal and child deaths worldwide, only 16 (24%) were on track to meet the MDG compared to 7 of 60 (12%) in 2005. India, however, is not one of them.
India's target under the MDG for mortality of children under age 5 is 38 per 1,000 live births, the number of children who die before their fifth birthday stands at 76 at present, and this is not all but India is lagging behind in all the set goals, as per the article in Times of India.
One of the main reasons I think for this is unawareness of these goals amongst the people. People should be made to aware that something like Millenniium Development Goals exists and India is also the part of it, that means all Indians are part of it. To my surprise I was also one of those sleeping nerds, who was oblivious to MDG, but thanks to Mera India Bridge the gap contest, that made me aware of it.
I wrote this post just to popularize MDG's, and to share my views on how India could hope to achieve it. Let us first look at the developments of India post Independence-
In 62 years, she has seen tremendous growth in various spheres; in spheres that have changed her shape entirely. Five year development plans, initiated by Pandit Nehru, in 1951, was the first step post independence aiming at agriculture growth, and then moving slowly and getting up from its internal conflicts, she started making its marks globally, along with developing herself in areas of education, farming methods, industrialization, transportation, communication. Green Revolution in 1965 had transformed India to a food surplus economy from a food deficit economy, and Economic reforms of 1991 opened up the tracks of our companies to global market.
The first Nuclear Test explosion of India in 1974, executed with no foreign help or assistance was the example of the increasing strength of the country; setting up of educational institutes like I.I.T's and I.I.M's have supported in technological and corporate growth of the country; agricultural growth has made India the second largest wheat producer in the world, producing around 70 million tonnes per year, and more to the developments, privatization has brought a revolution in the field of infrastructure, automobile, airways, telecom, and it is evident with the launch of a unique car 'Tata Nano', that how it is changing the shape of the country.
This list will go on and on with time,but is it true that India is going on the right track of development; isn't it possible that, in this blind path of development, we are also heading to the wrong parallel misleading path in disguise. We feel very proud at our infrastructure, industrial and automotive developments, but the fact is, it is slowly destroying the environment and nature. This is evident by the prevailing problem of Ozone depletion layer in the recent years, and its would-be effect on the coming future generations. More to that, forests are getting destroyed for human growth, mountains are getting cut and converted into roads for human ease, animals and plants are getting used for the human good and luxury, but are humans the only ones living here?
There are various forms of life existing, and yes it is true that only human can use the brain; but this has to be kept in mind, that no one can change nature's laws, for it is the nature that governs each life here and not humans. We, humans, can only make it sustainable for ourselves, by accomplishing our Millennium Development Goals; and if that is not achieved with time, life will again take a dangerously, deadly steep turn destroying humans, and will bring the end of human life like the dinosaur's, millions of years back
We have to maintain environment sustainability, and we have to stop the gradual changes in the temperature of the earth. Automobiles and industries are the main source of poisonous gases in the atmosphere, although certain pollution norms are there, but there have to be certain limit to the number of vehicles for each family, and in the process a limit for number of vehicles in the city. Everybody is happy that economic cars are now available, but industrialists should also consider that a person who could only afford a two wheeler, can now purchase a four wheel by an extra effort, and this increases the number of vehicles in the city, and thus the pollution. Moreover, there should be rules for each industry releasing harmful chemicals, to adopt certain techniques to make it less harmful before dumping them into atmosphere.
Besides, irregular , untimely, and less rainfall is disturbing the farming in the country,and thus all the parameters get affected as 60 % population of the country is farmer, and also it has great contribution in our GDP. But all these things can be controlled if we take care of the surroundings. Common man should be advised through media to be in harmony with the nature, because if we are in harmony in the nature, then all our problems will be solved, and media can play the biggest role in this process, as it is proved scientifically that what one sees can perceive faster, rather than what one reads or listens, and also there is nobody in the country untouched from the media, and therefore it can surely make the difference. There should be programs inspiring people to be in harmony with the nature, to follow nature's laws, that it is only nature that governs one's life and not any other thing.
How we are inharmonious to the nature right now, can be understood in a better way by considering the gender inequality in the country, the preference to boy child, but one does not think that a girl child who was not given birth, would one day have been the mother, had created a new life, and this is what is to be in harmony with the nature; so by killing girl child we defy nature's laws. As per Times of India, country is failing to curb infant deaths, and is not on the track of achieving its set target of the same. This is not possible only with the efforts of Health Personnel, but our country as a whole should understand the importance of giving birth to girl, importance of women in our life, importance of a child for this earth; for it is the child that makes one smile and that is what is being harmonious in nature.
Indian people are overwhelmed by the celebrities of the country, and why not to use this to every possible extent, there should be programs of celebrities explaining importance of women for earth, for India. Youth should be made to understand it in their early ages, that respecting women is a great way to be in harmony with the nature, as she is the creator of life.
But, this has to be made sure that each person should understand nature's laws, and the first step for this should be to add the philosophical touch in the school courses, so as to direct the thinking of a child in the right direction, but the alarming fact of the country is with the literacy rate of 65 %, India has 296 million illiterates, age 7 years and above, as per the 2001 census.
To achieve universal primary education, free camps should be organized by the corporate leaders, bolly-wood actors, and in fact, there should be the fixed income, and if a person earning more than that, then he has to organise such an educational camp once or twice in the year. Now, it is also true that India has more than one lac millionaires in the country, and if that rule is made then there would be 2 lac such campaigns per years, and that could really help in achieving the aim of universal education.
On the whole, the best way to worship nature is to smile, but in the country of 233 million hungry people, how can one afford to smile, and those who are not hungry are smiling with diseases like HIV/AIDS, Malaria or other ones. There should be more NGOs working in the country for the same, and more medical camps should be organized; infact, there is a win-win situation out there, if a person campaigning for election, arrange for a medical camp for those suffering, instead of distributing liquor and food, then he would surely get the vote of the sufferer.
Lastly, the Millennium Development Goals can not be achieved by only youth, or old, or one state or nation, but can only be accomplished with the planned effort of all the living beings on this planet. Although, such planning of all the nations doesn't seem feasible, but each nation can do it's bit, and talking about India populating to more than billion people, can only achieve its set targets if people were made aware of such set targets of the country, for as per my estimation around 50 % of the country's population is unaware of anything like Millennium Development Goals, for it is not only the task of government, or any single organization but of the nation as a whole, and India can only hope to achieve its target before 2015, if people of all ages contribute their bit for the accomplishment of the same.


Lakshmi Rajan said...

We may advance in science, we may advance in technology but then real advancement will come only if we advance tremendously in the human development index... Hope we realize it soon but then the way our beurocracy works ... *sighs*

Chetan Maheshwari said...

@Lakshmi Rajan
yes, human development should be the main concern
thanks for dropping by
keep smiling!

Apurva said...

Given that only 16 out of 68 countries are on track to meet these goals, that indicates that the 2015 time-line may not have been reasonable... However, I do believe that stretch goals are important to set and creates momentum and motivation to go beyond what seems ordinary. However, if the goal is beyond even any vision of achieving, it can become a demotivator. In this case, i think the stretch goal is reasonable and a vision can be had to make it achievable. I think India has been making progress in some areas and more can clearly be done and the pace accelerated. I agree with you that this can not be done by just government, in any country, and I think the people of India will work to make this happen over time....it will be important to measure progress, make visible and aware this progress or lack of progress, set some leaders for the various goals, and hold these leaders accountable..

Chetan Maheshwari said...

you are right, if the set goal is not possible to achieve, it could become demotivator
set some leaders for the various goals and hold them accountable would be the good approach, and in the process would divide the responsibilities to different people, so one grp or one person would be responsible for one thing

thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts