As I sip my coffee on 15th August, 2022, I wish to see a few changes around me as a common citizen.

As
the day gets started, my daughter and her few friends go to school where children of vulnerable and
disadvantaged groups. My wife goes to work at a place where, women are now equally represented at
all levels. The streets of my locality and the city are clean, green and well maintained with public
services and security. The village where I come from has got new roads, infrastructure, hospitals and are
now endowed with amenities that I find in the city. There is a stable and transparent government at the
centre free of corruption and red tape. People are able to lead a prosperous life. The international
scenario is also in favor of India. India now is a global power.

Though my dreamy India is yet a reality, yet these are the realities that New India must aspire for every
citizen. While some of us are fortunate, isnt it true that there are many still facing poverty, illiteracy and
lack of accessible affordable health care. Social and economic justice is one of the features mentioned in
the Preamble of our constitution. Have we been able to realize them? Secularism is also one of the
features of the basic structure of our constitution. Isnt it our fundamental duty to ensure that we live
up to this valuable tenet. Politically, India has proved to be a vibrant democracy. But are our political
parties really incorruptible? India can boast of a young demographic dividend. But it is also true that
unless we are able to place them under gainful employment, their potential will go waste. New India has
many goals to reach and many aspirations to fulfil.

Religion pervades every aspect of Indian societys life. And India is uniquely successful in being able to
knit different communities into one single fabric of Team India. Yet communalism like a weed always
keeps showing up. The recent mob lynchings across country, communal riots in west Bengal depict the
need that we still have a long way to go before we eliminate this hatred that has always proved to be a
bane throughout history. Within the religion itself, caste has also created so much disparity in the
history of India. The new India must ensure that it seeds tolerance among citizens and diversity is
respected across communities. It must make citizens aware of their fundamental duty to promote
brotherhood across cultures.

Women have bore the brunt of the customs and traditions more than anybody else.
The presence of patriarchy, Triple talaq, female foeticide and banning of menstruating women from
religious places of worship are things that New India must fight against. Their empowerment, autonomy
in household spending is necessary for many other reasons like child nutrition. The labourforce
participation of women has seen a drop with their increase in education levels. The
presence of glass ceilings across organizations also hampers their career growth. It is
time India put all efforts to provide them equal opportunities as envisaged in the
Directive Prinicple of State Policy.

India has been a