“India is the only country trying to become a global economic power with an uneducated and unhealthy

[Banglar Bir]

PLEASE WATCH AND UNDERSTAND WHATS HAPPENING IN OUR REGION.

 

[4GTejasBVR]

“India is the only country trying to become a global economic power with an uneducated and unhealthy labour force” – Amartya Sen

On 6 November Amartya Sen visited LSE to discuss his new collection of cultural essays Country of First Boys with Nicholas Stern. Before taking the stage in the packed Old Theatre, he spoke to Sonali Campion and Taryana Odayar about the Indian government’s approach to development, Kerala as a model for universal education and healthcare in India, and his faith in democracy.

SC: You have said that looking at the end point of a debate is not an ideal way of understanding the wider discussion. This seems relevant in relation to economic policy today, where developing countries aspire to high and continuous growth. What’s your view on the current Indian government’s manner of pursuing growth?

AS: Let me make a clarification first. The point about the end point not being the only issue asks what were the counter arguments that were considered? What were the different points of view that may or may have not have been aired, even if the end point is correct? That only becomes relevant when you agree with the end point. In the case of the policy as it stands now, that is not the case. I think the end point is wrong. The argumentation process is wrong as well, but there are two distinct issues here.

India is the only country in the world which is trying to become a global economic power with an uneducated and unhealthy labour force. It’s never been done before, and never will be done in the future either. There is a reason why Europe went for universal education, and so did America. Japan, after the Meiji restoration in 1868, wanted to get full literate in 40 years and they did. So did South Korea after the war, and Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.

The whole idea that you could somehow separate out the process of economic growth from the quality of the labour force is a mistake against which Adam Smith warned in 1776. It’s an ancient danger, and he might have been right to think that the British government at the time did not pay sufficient interest in basic education for all. Unfortunately that applies today to government of India as well. It doesn’t acknowledge the relevance of the quality of human labour.

That is the foundation of their mistake, their conclusions therefore are wrong. For example, they are trying to go suddenly for everything to be done by cash, which is meant to be an experiment. In one of his first interviews after winning the Nobel Prize this year Angus Deaton said this is purely an experiment, but it’s an experiment with the lives of the poor. And I’m afraid I agree with him, and his scepticism towards it. There was a reason why someone as intensely keen on the market economy as Adam Smith thought the government has to make the country fully literate, this is something the government can do. America is meant to be very anti-government but every American has a right to primary school education paid for by the government, you’re picked up from your home by government buses, delivered to your state school and educated there.

India is trying to be different from America, Europe, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Singapore, China – all of them. This is not good way of thinking of economics. So foundationally, the government’s understanding of development underlying their approach is mistaken. Having said that, the previous government was terribly mistaken too. But one hoped there might be a change, and there has been, but not for the better. All the sins of the past government have been added up.

SC: Do you see the current challenges to secularism in India as a threat to the country’s economic progress?

AS: Recently Raghuram Rajan, governor of the Reserve Bank (of India) said that economic goals require a tolerant economic climate and I think he is basically right. I’ve done no independent research on that, my dislike of the lack of tolerance is because it is terrible for human beings and the society, but I respect Rajan enough to think he is also right.

TO: In your essay ‘A Wish A Day for A Week’ you ask the goddess to grant you seven wishes and the goddess tells you her plea is inferior to the power of the Indian people. Has your faith and optimism in the power of the people and faith in democracy ever wavered?

AS: No – the goddess’ thoughts were not entirely independent of my thoughts! It hasn’t. But you have to recognise that if the Chinese decide that things are going wrong they can make changes quickly. In 1979 they privatised the agriculture with enormous success. China in the 1980s grew faster in agriculture than any country has ever grown. And they privatised quite a lot of other industries with great success. But they also eliminated universal health insurance for all, by simply abolishing the thing, and the Chinese health progress faltered. In fact between 1979 and 2004 India steadily reduced the gap between itself and China in terms of life expectancy. There was a 14-year gap to begin with, it fell to six or seven years. Not that India was doing anything right, but the Chinese were doing more things wrong. But then the Chinese recognised the issue around 2002. By 2004 they had changed it. By 2009 they could bring in a scheme of universal healthcare and by 2012 they are well in the 90s in terms of percentage coverage of health insurance. China is able to do that if ten people at the top are persuaded.

In India, ten people is not sufficient. You have to carry the population. Against the blast of propaganda that happened in the general elections last year – fed on one side by the activism of the Hindutva Parivar, and the other side by the gigantic money of the business community – it is slow to correct ongoing deficiencies. It is very fast when there is a crisis. So if there is a famine threatening, India could stop it straight away. If there is the threat that a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal would kill a million people, they can move two million people away from the coast because all the Indian apparatus comes into force. But if you want to change the system, spend more money in state schools, state hospitals, provide health coverage for all, that requires convincing the people. The rhetoric has been so badly distorted in India that most vocal Indians – which tend to be upper classes – don’t even recognise how bad the healthcare is for the bulk of the Indian population.

So I have never wavered my faith in democracy as the most stable way of doing things, on the other hand – are there big changes in which the non-democratic system of China can bring about much more quickly? Yes.

SC: India has a lot of lessons to give the rest of the world and vice versa, but you write about how India can learn from itself – could you tell us more about that?

AS: Look at Kerala’s policy for universal education and universal healthcare. The Communist Party first come into office in 1957, they declared their policy in 1960. 1963 I’m in Delhi teaching in Delhi School of Economics and people ask me “Do you think it’s feasible?” I said “absolutely feasible”. Primarily for one economic reason, namely that you need far less money than you would need in, say, Britain to provide that level of healthcare and education.

This argument is not very sophisticated but on the other hand it could make a dramatic difference between life and death. Many of my colleagues at Delhi School of Economics said that I’m just leading people up the garden path, as an economist I should criticise, because Kerala was the third poorest state in India then. How could they afford it? And my claim was the economic argument. Also there being externalities and the “public good feature” as economists call it. I was certain that on top of that, for reasons which we began with, that the policies would also stimulate economic growth and development. In the latest round of national sample survey, if you put the urban and rural together, Kerala has now the highest per capita income in the whole of India. I would have thought some people who thought I was leading people up the garden path would say that they were mistaken. Have I got such statements? I’m afraid I have not! Am I happy that my expectations have been fulfilled? Yes, very happy indeed. Not for myself, that’s a trivial thing. But the fact that a people-friendly education and health policy could make a difference, not only to their lives – which happened immediately, life expectancy shot up in Kerala straight away – but also ultimately on economic growth.

Amartya Sen is Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, at Harvard University. He is the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics and an honorary fellow of LSE.

Very outdated view. Am sure this generation kids are well educated in India than their own families. India suffered a lot after independence. Literally started nothing when compared to our problems and population. Here we are today exporter of worlds best minds to many top countries and companies.

Mr. SEN is a old liberals of India who think only the western education is called education. Unless you get degree in Oxford like University you not educated. Sad news but impressive is that very successful stories in India is not due to the Govt of the day. It's due to our own skills efforts and work. Hope every Indians agree with me here. In China and Western countries Govt gives them huge subsidies for educational purposes. In UK if you are Barbour and not successful and now you want to become a doctor then no problem UK government will take care these course and get you placed somehow. In this regards I agree our Indian Politicians must look into our kids education rather sending there kids abroad and loot our poor people.

Am sure that our aspirations to become a world powerful countries is not just a aim but commitment to bring back our glorious past we lost in times. We must be a super power its our birth right nothing less. If you sit inside closed wall because u can't afford to go out and explore then you will be the biggest looser. Problem is just another day in our lives we need to think out of box solution and move ahead.

Long live our motherland. All Indians have one thing in their mind. Even the poor living under the poverty line will tell Mr. Sen that how proud we are and about our nations ambitious to be a global leader . Once again.

Keep out Congress from India. #MakeIndiaGreatAgain

 

[ohmrlobalobayeh]

After visiting this forum and reading some of the surmises by 'think tanks' , one would think that India is sinking into some kind of cesspool , whereas Pakistan is the Quom par any comparison and is the land of gold .....but hey , I'm in a pakistani forum , what else could I expect

Thus, u should go into Bharat Ra**k forums and revel in the company of your fellow bharatis instead of being here in PDF- the whole place's full of delusional folks who gives self-consolatory and 'self-patting-in-the-back' reassurances to themselves all day.

 

[india2050]

Thus, u should go into Bharat Ra**k forums and revel in the company of your fellow bharatis instead of being here in PDF- the whole place's full of delusional folks who gives self-consolatory and 'self-patting-in-the-back' reassurances to themselves all day.

all that is ok ....but why is someone from isingapore pimping for quomi folk ...lol ...mysteries of the world ,i suppose

 

[ohmrlobalobayeh]

all that is ok ....but why is someone from isingapore pimping for quomi folk ...lol ...mysteries of the world ,i suppose

ya im pimping for 'quomi folk'(<= wtf is this?) jsut for pointing out an honest observation.

Guess i hit some sore spots and thanks- i had a good one.

 

[911]

The biggest problem is the habbit of adjusting ourselves. Unless we start to look at the problems whether small or big, equally, nothing is going to change. Another thing is people here mostly are happy with status quo, there is no instinct of getting better or improving ourselves unless there is something to follow in that direction. That something for now is the concept of developed country, created by west. To lead as one of the major global powers will require a major cultural change, which hopefully will occur slowly with time own its own.

 

[ALexxy87]

India has to ensure power, housing , health and education to the poor.
Why still 300 million have no access to electricity I dont understand. We have huge coal reserves and they must ensure electricity to every household. Environmentalists can move to devloped countries and show their concerns there.

There is zero health security for the poor. Why healthcare is getting privatized more and more? The doctors are using taxpayers money to study in govt. medical colleges and then migrating to europe/us or joining private hospitals which ruin the poor and the lower middle class economically. They are traitors.

Govt schools are also losing relevance. While the govt primary schools where the poor study teach in vernacular medium. Job oppertunities require extertise in english language. The govt. schools must be converted to english medium from where poor children can become equally competent to the students of the private schools by virtue of their hardwork.

You have got some good points, though I disagree with some.
Health and education are one of the basic rights of a human being...unfortunately they have become one of the most profitable businesses in our country.
With the volume of the existing population, and with the rate it is growing, it is impossible for the existing infrastucture to cover whole of them, and in some hypothetical scenario, if we could get the infrastucture even USA has, then also it would not be adequate. So there is a mamoth task ahead, probably mjch more than the amount we have made till independance...and there is no short cut, most importantly it will have no immediate effect in ballot box/evm.
If you compare the number of government hospitals before independance and now,you will be ashamed of. Anywhere government could not establish a credible and competent healthcare chain, rather they are encouraging the private organisations to take their post. For e.g. in the area I am posted, there is only one govt established CT scan facility in a sub division which covers almost 300 villages, and more... there is no facility of emergency surgery except cesarian section... so you have to run to any Medical college hospital which is around 60-100kms away.
Now a days a new form of 'tamasha' has started in the name of RSBY. There is no proper advertisement, and hey! the coverage is Rs-750 a day....less than normal medicine bill we have to pay for even cough and cold.
Dont blame the doctors, IITs, NITs, govt law colleges are also heavily subsidised...how much does they return to the nation? If you actually go to any govt hospital,at least try to understand in which condition they have to work.

 

[Cyberian]

Keep crying.

Why would I'd be crying? Its not Pakistan that currently holds third of the poorest people on Earth.

 

[gslv mk3]

Why would I'd be crying? Its not Pakistan that currently holds third of the poorest people on Earth.

India isn't a low HDI country with a per capita GDP of $5000 & doesn't have literacy as low as 58%.

Don't try hiding behind absolute numbers, it wouldn't help you.

 

[Cyberian]

India isn't a low HDI country with a per capita GDP of $5000 & doesn't have literacy as low as 58%.

Don't try hiding behind absolute numbers, it wouldn't help you.

India's Nominal GDP Per Capita is $5,000? What baqwas are you uttering now? Are you one of those 26% Indians who lives on less than $1.90 a day?

 

[gslv mk3]

India's Nominal GDP Per Capita is $5,000? What baqwas are you uttering now? Are you one of those 26% Indians who lives on less than $1.90 a day?

No, Pakistan's GDP per capita is $ 5000. India's per capita GDP is $6200.

Ever heard of PPP, doofus ?

 

[Cyberian]

No, Pakistan's GDP per capita is $ 5000. India's per capita GDP is $6200.

Ever heard of PPP, doofus ?

Don't give me any of your PPP baqwas, that's only for you lot.

By the way, what kind of Human Development are you having in India that the country has ended up with third of the poorest people on Earth?

I dont think people suffered such extreme poverty even under a thousand years of Islamic Empire and a hundred years of the British Empire compared to what people are suffering today under the democratically elected Hindu extremist Government in India.

 

[gslv mk3]

Don't give me any of your PPP baqwas, that's only for you lot.

By the way, what kind of Human Development are you having in India that the country has ended up with third of the poorest people on Earth?

I dont think people suffered such extreme poverty even under a thousand years of Islamic Empire and a hundred years of the British Empire compared to what people are suffering today under the democratically elected Hindu extremist Government in India.

Haha retard, get a grip of reality. Stop being an absolute idiot & learn what PPP & HDI is all about.

 

[Mr.Nair]

Worlds 3rd largest electricity producer-India
Worlds biggest consumer of gold-India
Which is the second biggest producer of coal,cement-India
Which the country on top most remittance figure-India
Who is one of the largest importer of arms-India
Where is the largest oil refinery in the world-India
Which country of having largest gdp growth rate on major economy-India
Which country is one of the largest road/rail network-India
Which country send Mars probe and only country in the world on 1st attempt-India
Which country is the world top producer of milk,banana etc-India
.....
and the list goes on.Yes India is a very poor country !

 

[Cyberian]

Haha retard, get a grip of reality. Stop being an absolute idiot & learn what PPP & HDI is all about.

I think now that you've gone bonkers, this is where we go our separate ways. Don't forget to feed third of the world's poorest people living in India tonight before you go to sleep.