India with her varied incarnations is an old civilization and an extremely complex society.

Her glorious past, natural beauty, resources, vast size and above all her unique geographical location has always given her the pride of place in the world. With the ups and downs of history it has retained its vibrancy. My vision of India 2020AD is a visionary's agenda full of hopes and resolve to work towards it. As understanding of the historical traditions is very important in order to form a concrete futuristic vision of nation like India. India has a long history and as it is understood presently, it has covered a span of five thousand years since the period of its first known civilization. During all these times a long steam of immigrants, representing different ethnic strains and linguistic families, have merged into its population to contribute to its diversity, richness and vitality. A country of India's dimension is bound to have its share of problems and failings. However, the vibrant nation sets about overcoming its shortcomings, protecting its culture and enriching the material as well as cultural life of its people. So, obviously I visualize an all around growth and development of India. 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 be 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 an enforcement by law all the time. In economic field, I hope India will make great progress. Agriculture will make a rapid advance, generating enough surplus 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 all its 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 and each aspect of the Directive Principles of our Constitution will be fulfilled. 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. For thousands of years India had to beat the burnt of foreign invasions. The fortitude of the Indians has withstood successfully all the onslaughts. Yet it is widely believed that there is no serious strategic thinking or planning in India. In this matter, India is generally

inward looking country and this tradition has been shaped by our geography, history, culture and civilization. The otherwise humane and noble pacific image of India is often taken for sheepishness. We do not look ahead or plan ahead our strategic realities. We only not look ahead or plan ahead our strategic realities. We only react to threats. A few of our unfriendly countries have taken advantage of it by launching a protracted low intensity war on several fronts. I hope that by 2020 India will develop long term defensive strategies. In some of the areas like software technology, genetic engineering and space, although India has made rapid advances, we still have to be dependent on the developed nations for several technologies. I have a vision that in coming times, India will emerge as one of the world leaders in science and technology. our development in this field will also take care of our real needs and will reach to the common people. Our developed industrial and scientific base will also be able to check brain-drain. It will also help in protecting our environment and sustaining our resource base. India's policy has always been one of brotherhood and co-existence. yet our borders are surrounded by hostile war-hawks. Unless a nation is able to defend its borders and integrity, all other developments are of no use. We do have several proven instances of internal disturbances. be it Kashmir or the North-East we have dangers all around. 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, SouthEast Asia, S. Africa, 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 in 2020 AD may sound life 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. India once upon a time mockingly and on occasions disrespectfully referred to as The Land of the Snake charmers, Elephants and Beggars, The Land of a Million Gods etc., with the advent of time has undergone a stark metamorphosis & is now being referred to using flattering epithets such as The Silicon Valley of the East, The Cradle of the IT industry & The Worlds Outsourcing Hub; clearly signaling Indias arrival on the big stage in a big way. With a GDP growth rate of 7.6% in the year 2008, second only to the industrious Chinese, even after the dreadful & economically debilitating recession, India has proved to the world in no uncertain terms that it is a force to reckon with. Thus, India has come a long way since those early

reformatory years after independence, but it has an even longer way to go A lot of change has taken place up until now - 2009, a lot remains to be changed 2020. However, I shall be pragmatic and thus know for certain that 11 years is too short a time for any drastic & widespread changes. However, I still have a visiona vision of a prosperous India in the year 2020. Lets begin by contrasting the lives of two average adolescents, an Indian and an American, living in different countries, in different times; in order to highlight the hypothetical paradigm shift in attitude, perception towards India & its Diaspora : Circa 1990: Meet Rohit Sharma, a 19 year old second year engineering student residing in the hyper kinetic city of Mumbai. Rohit dresses in faded Levis jeans, the current fashion trend a rage in the West. He prides himself in his collection of branded sneakers, much to the chagrin of his parents. Wrigleys spearmint gum & Marlboro are his preferred choice of chewing gum & cigarettes. He eats out at the newly opened McDonalds outlet down the street. He spends his spare time watching saucy Western soaps such as the Bold and the Beautiful and checking out the latest Michael Jackson music videos on his new Philips television set. A bright kid, Rohit, aspires of settling down the USA someday; with plenty of dollars in his bank account and a Ferrari sports car in his garage. Now, cut to circa 2020:

Meet Andy Carter, a typical American 19 year old living in Chicago, Illinois. Andy starts his day with an hour of Yoga followed by Idlis (his mother uses MTR ready mix!) for breakfast a real craze in the west. He always remembers to have a spoonful of Chyawanprash after his sumptuous South Indian breakfast. He wears the latest eco-friendly cotton kurtas and Kolhapuri chappals, the hottest fashion trend. He rides to college on his swanky Hero mountain bike. He studies Hindi at college as he believes it will give him an edge over the countless others who will soon apply for jobs in the rapidly developing country of India. His favorite professor in college is Dr. Ram Prasad. If things go well for Andy, he hopes to get into IIT,Powai, the best engineering institute in the world and then move onto the prestigious IIM, Ahmedabad for an MBA. Andys mother is hooked to the Indian soaps (dubbed in English) a refreshing change from those regular run-of-themill Western soaps! In fact Andy himself is a Shahid Kapur and A.R. Rahman fan. He plays cricket with his friends and M.S. Dhoni is his all time favourite sportsman! Andy has already visited India twice once on a holiday to Varanasi with his parents (they converted to Hinduism 2 years ago!) and once on his Infosys scholarship. His essay onIndias fifth moon mission Chandrayan V won him the prestigious Infosys scholarship. The year 2020 sees the ever-burgeoning population of India, a factor that has grossly hampered Indias overall development over the years, pegged at 1.15 billion with an annual growth rate of 1.57% (2008), come down to a more manageable level through the cohesive and more pro active efforts of both

governmental & non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Indias average life expectancy estimated to be 69.25 years (2008) also goes up by at least 1 % attributable to a steady rise in the standard of living especially in the rural areas, greater advances in the healthcare sector with its benefits reaching the grassroots levels, that is, the rural poor and increased availability of life saving drugs, among other crucial factors. The infant mortality rate (IMR) that stood at 34.61 deaths/1000 live births in 2008 falls to less than 20 deaths/1000 live births. For a society obsessed with the male child, female infanticide has been a stigma we have been unsuccessful in eradicating. Thus, by the year 2020, female infanticide becomes a thing of the past. As far as literacy is concerned, there are more English speaking individuals in India than there are in the UK & USA combined no mean achievement! However, illiteracy along with poverty and unemployment, that all go hand in glove, still remains a major concern that needs urgent attention. The year 2020 thus, witnesses an increase in the literacy from 65.38% in 2001 to probably 69-70% , with an annual increase in the literacy rate in the vicinity of 2-2.5%. This however, can only be achieved my devoting greater time, capital and effort to the spread of primary education, especially in the rural areas. Meanwhile, when Andy visits India, he is astounded by the rapid industrial, technological and economic development that is taking place without damaging the environment and compromising on the requirements of future generations a rather commendable feat.

Large scale construction of broad, well laid roads (sans the pot holes!) and railway lines, airports, harbors and ports have made travelling and transport very easy. The metropolitan cities continue their frenetic development, with skyscrapers and other major buildings dotting the skylines. The vehicles run on eco friendly, energy efficient fuels. Traffic jams and pollution are brought down to more tolerable levels. Andy reads about how the divisive forces of communalism, casteism etc. have almost become a thing of the past after the Government of India has passed a path breaking law that requires all Hindu Priests, Muslim Clerics, Christian Padres etc. to study (& pass exams !) all religious books and preach only the common universal tenets of humanity ! Terrorism and insurgency perpetrated by both internal and external elements has reduced to a great deal, courtesy the sterling work carried out by an able, transparent and corruption-free Government of India between 2010-20, that has ensured that peace and prosperity reach various pockets of the nation. India is now a military superpower, boasting of a highly skilled, motivated armed force. Her military prowess becomes unmatched, with countries such as the USA, Russia andIsrael requesting India to aid them design complex defense systems etc. The year 2020 also sees the inception of a South Asian Economic confederation comprising of India and its neighbors (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) These countries were devastated during the recession of 200810. India, managed to survive and thereby, became a magnet

for foreign investments. The others have hence, joined in to share the benefits. Consequently, terrorism has almost been obliterated as these nations have finally seen sense. Peace thus, became their only way out of poverty. As far as the cultural scene goes, Andy already a Bollywood buff, is thrilled to see Indian cinema win widespread acclaim, appreciation and awards all across the globe. Hollywoodnow begins to adapt Indian movies/scripts; instead of the other way round! Indian authors, poets, painters and sculptors scale great heights; making the nation proud ! The year 2020 finally witnesses a renaissance in Indian sports, with India finishing in the top ten of the Olympics! Indian sportsmen perform consistently in the international arena, bringing laurels to the nation. Finally India excels at sports other than Cricket. Hockey, Football, Tennis and Golf along with shooting & athletics become Indias more popular sports. The result India = Sporting Powerhouse ! Lord Macaulay once remarked while addressing the British Parliament in 1835, I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such high caliber Yes, that is what India was ! Although we have come a long way since then, we still have a lot to achieve as a nation. I, thus, sincerely hope that my vision for a prosperousIndia in the year 2020 turns into reality. After all, the sky is the limit