<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>One of the humankind’s greatest adventures of the past century has been the transformation of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> from a colonial, agrarian economy into a modern, industrializing, knowledge-based economy within the frame work of a liberal and secular democracy. The commitment of the leaders of our national movement to the idea of an independent <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-linguistic, and multi cultural democracy was one of the great acts of human faith in the 20<sup>th</sup> century that continues to give hope to human kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>As the country jubilates about how fast the new economic giant is growing, we could perhaps devote a small bit of our time too think also about what <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> can do for the world today, and what it is actually doing right now.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>We have made decent progress in several areas during the last 60 years. In these years we have produced world class scientists, engineers, politicians, journalist, bureaucrats and doctors. There is an equally convincing set of data to show that we have long way to go in certain other areas<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No doubt, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> has succeeded in feeding a population that has almost trebled since independence. But in terms of living standards India have not fared satisfactorily and have lost out to those Asian countries with which we were on equal an equal footing in the 1950s.At the time of Independence many studies showed that with its abundant natural resources and effective rule of law, India was more likely to achieve better growth than that achieved by many far eastern countries. Myopic political interference, red tapism, and lack of accountability nurtured a large public sector, which became insufficient and an import-competing enterprise. In turn, the public sector failed to supply adequate infrastructure. Apart from this the government’s inadequate investment in the areas both education and health resulted in the neglect of human capital, which increased the intensity of poverty.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>The time has come to fulfill the promises made at the dawn of <st1:city w:st="on">Independence</st1:city> and prepare ourselves to meet the challenging tasks ahead, to build a vibrant and modern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> filled with peace, prosperity and happiness.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p>
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