Viksit Bharat, Innovation and Sustainable Development
Bharat Dahiya
Director, Research Centre for Sustainable Development and Innovation, School of Global Studies,
Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand
Towards Viksit Bharat @2047
On 15 August 2022, from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clarion call for ‘Viksit Bharat’ or ‘Developed India’ by 2047 CE when the nation will celebrate the first centenary of its Independence. This notion provides a long-term vision for
the holistic and sustainable development in the country during the ‘Amrit Kaal’ or ‘The Era of Elixir’– a 25-year period spanning from 2022 to 2047.
The idea of Viksit Bharat by 2047 presents a vast canvas on which every Indian could paint the picture of their dreams. To every citizen – and particularly to the youth, this long-term vision provides much needed inspiration for developing new innovations and multi-dimensional
pathways towards sustainable development, as called for by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and beyond.
Innovation and Sustainable Development
Innovations are understood as new ideas, knowledge, products, methods, applications, behaviours, strategies, processes, and more. Innovations may either be totally novel globally, or the introduction of existing ideas as ‘new’ to a particular geographical context. Sustainable
development is a multifaceted process that could help with (a) meeting the needs of both the current and the future generations, and (b) conserving the life-supporting ecological systems that Mother Earth has provided us. Innovation and sustainable development are twin processes that have an almost inexhaustive potential to propel a country to new levels of holistic progress and quality of life. Innovations are an expression of a society’s ingenuity in head-on tackling contemporaneous problems and challenges. They provide a much-needed spurt of creative energy to advance economic and societal progress. Thus, innovations empower countries with the prerequisite self-confidence to work towards a brighter future. This is particularly significant for a civilisation like India, which in 1750 CE ‘produced about 25 percent of the world industrial output’ that declined to two percent by 1900 CE (Clingingsmith and Williamson, 2004).
The Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General (2023) has identified six entry points and levers regarding sustainable development worldwide:
- (i) Human well-being and capabilities
- (ii) Sustainable and just economies
- (iii) Sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition
- (iv) Energy decarbonization with universal access
- (v) Urban and peri-urban development
- (vi) Global environmental commons
Working towards sustainable development requires contextually suited policies, strategies, plans, investments, multi-stakeholder partnerships, accountability mechanisms, technological advancement, digitalisation, and innovation systems.
Holistic and Sustainable Development in India In an ancient and living civilisation that India is, the idea of holistic and sustainable development
will inevitably include spiritual, cultural, social, environmental and economic dimensions. This is because, since time immemorial, Bharatiya Sanskriti, or Indian Culture, is soaked in spirituality. Mother India has given birth to several spiritual traditions, which have nourished the
souls of the people of India and beyond. Such spiritual traditions have also orchestrated time and place specific frameworks and models of holistic progress and sustainable development.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba (1926-2011 CE), considered as the ‘Avatar’ of Kali Yuga, called for and assiduously worked on such a holistic and comprehensive idea of development. Throughout His divine mission, Sri Sathya Sai Baba efficiently and effectively led the creation, design and implementation of innovative and pioneering sustainable development projects even before the term ‘sustainable development’ was formally used by the United Nations in 1980.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s holistic and sustainable development work focused on ‘Educare’, ‘Medicare’, ‘Sociocare’, and ‘Spirituality and Service’.
- Educare: Provision of ‘Value-based Integral Education’ through the establishment of Sri Sathya Sai Arts and Science College (for Women), Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh (1968); Sri Sathya Sai Arts, Science and Commerce College (for Men), Whitefield, Karnataka
(1969); Sri Sathya Sai College of Arts, Science and Commerce College (for Men), Prasanthi Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh; Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (deemed university, 1981); and multiple schools with pro bono education services (SDGs 3, 4, 5
and 11). - Medicare: A General Hospital in Puttaparthi (1956); a General Hospital in Whitefield (1976); two Super Speciality Hospitals, one each in Andhra Pradesh (1991) and Karnataka (2001); a Mobile Hospital for remote areas (2006); and Telehealth facility for patients living far from the facilities (2007), where medical services are provided free of cost (SDGs 3, 9, 16 and 17).
- Sociocare: Water Supply Project for 1.25 million people of Anantapur district (1995), for one million people in 320 villages in Medak and Mahabubnagar districts (2001), and for 690,000 people in East Godavari and West Godavari districts (2007). These projects
continue to serve people and meet targets under SDGs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 11 - Spirituality and Service: Sri Sathya Sai Baba elaborated the five human values of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace), Prema (Love), and Ahimsa (Non-violence). He rejuvenated the old concepts and traditions of spirituality (Adhyatmikta) and service (Seva) and developed their new forms adapted to the contemporary context, such as Sai Bhajans, Gram Seva, and Sevadal.
These ground-breaking projects continue to act as ‘lighthouses of inspiration’ for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and various Sai organisations to develop innovative programmes and projects for sustainable development.
Innovation and Sustainable Development for Viksit Bharat @2047
The large population (1.4 billion), the diverse geography, and the urgent need to provide livelihoods to and improve the quality of life for each and every citizen pose unique challenges of sustainable development in India. Nevertheless, the country has a young workforce, and its
demographic dividend will reach its peak in 2041.
What India needs now is innovation systems that can work on (a) understanding the problems in the local, sub-national and national contexts, (b) developing appropriate innovations, and (c) tackling the multifarious development challenges. Such innovations systems are essential not
only at the national and state (i.e., sub-national) levels, but also at the local (e.g., urban and regional) level.
While national and state (sub-national) level innovation systems may be led by designated agencies, local innovation systems may be led by universities in partnership with (pro)active stakeholders from the public sector, businesses, non-profit sector, and the communities. Such
local innovation systems may harness traditional wisdom, local knowledge and creativity, and local resources to develop innovations that are rooted in Indian culture and spirituality. For example, Tarun Bharat Sangh, a non-governmental organisation founded in 1975 and led by Rajendra Singh, helped build 8,600 village ‘johads’ (water tanks) and other water conservation structures to recharge groundwater. Rooted in traditional wisdom and local culture, this programme has revived five rivers (viz., Arvari, Bhagani, Jahajwali, Ruparel, and Sarsa) in Rajasthan and brought water back to over 1,000 villages. The people of India urgently need to develop and implement such innovations for achieving sustainable development outcomes and building Viksit Bharat by 2047.
References:
Clingingsmith, David and Williamson, Jeffrey G. (2004) India’s De-Industrialization Under British Rule: New Ideas, New Evidence. Discussion Paper Number 2039. Harvard Institute of Economic Research. Available at SSRN.Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General (2023) Global Sustainable Development Report 2023: Times of crisis, times of change: Science for accelerating transformations to sustainable development. United Nations, New York