My Reflections

India is an economic bright spot and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. India is also one of the most unequal economies. One third of world's poor live in India. It produces talents who can compete head to head with the talents anywhere in the world. At the same time Indian schools and colleges produce graduates who are unemployable due to poor quality of education. India is attracting people from far away countries for health care at the same time Indians in large number do not get basic health care facility. The expensive health care is single major factor which pushes people down the poverty line. Indian villages especially villages beyond 5 KM of district head quarters lack basic infrastructure very badly. The public schooling system has improved but the quality of education remains a challenge. These contradictions make India a land of paradoxes. Anirudh Krishna, in his book ‘The Broken Ladder’ diagnoses the causes and effects of economic dispari...

Seventy plus old man Ram Sevak (name not real) is sitting and swaying due to sleepiness. He has a bundle wrapped in dirty clothes. The old man's struggle for survival is manifested from disheveled head to toe appearance. He has no sleeper in his feet, has bare minimum rag on his feeble body. To get rid of drowsiness he starts rubbing tobacco on his palm. Once rubbing is done, he puts the tobacco under the lower lip. He is still unable to overcome sleepiness. He loosens his dhoti at waistline and takes out coins. He counts it several times absent-minded. What is there in your bundle I ask approaching him. He opens his eyes, lift his head and replies. It's paan, betel leaves, 20 rupiah saikda( 100 pieces for Rs. 20). Do you grow it yourself, I ask. I brought it from Darbhanga town this morning, he says. Darbhanga town is 15 km away. The old man must have covered good part on his bare feet. How many have you already sold? I am still to find a customer, he responds without counte...

Struggle of a dark horse Umar was practising mathematics sitting on rug of gunny sack in cnadle light outside his hut made up of hay. It was middle of April but heat wave had started blowing early.  Bugs were whirling around the candle falling on mathematics book and Umar’s notebook. But he was totally engrossed in his study unperturbed by mosquito bites without noticing the bugs and cries of siblings inside the hut. The half yearly examination of ninth class was going on. He had his last paper tomorrow. Umar was stuck proving a theorem on cyclic quadrilateral. The mathematics teacher, his favorite Raj Kumar Babu had emphasized on this theorem and he expected a question on the theorem tomorrow. There was a gush of air which put out the candle. He again lighted it and tried to concentrate. The wind again blew off the candle.  He closed his book, wrapped his rug and moved inside the hut to study. There came storm followed by rain. There was a heavy downpour and his...