India, one of the largest democratic countries in the world, entered its 75th  year of Independence on 15th August 2021. Soon after Independence, India was labeled as an underdeveloped and backward country. The country developed with a sluggish growth rate till 1980, but after the new economic reforms, introduced in 1991, India emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Once an importer of food grains, India has now become one of the largest producers of food grains, vegetables, and fruits. Undoubtedly, there is a remarkable improvement in the infrastructural facilities, with the development of a large network of roadways, railways, aviation, rural electrification, and information and technology.

However, despite its impressive growth, India's performance on Human Development Index (HDI) remains very poor. According to the Human Development Report of 2020 published by the United Nations Development Programme, India ranks at 131st position in the Human Development Index, among 189 countries of the world. Though India's longevity has doubled from 33 years in 1947 to 69.7 years, the quality of life is very poor, as still a major part of the population is deprived of basic amenities like clean drinking water and proper sanitation facilities. Even after 75 years of Independence, large numbers of Indians struggle to live a dignified life. The gaps between the haves and the have-nots have widened to an alarming proportion. As per the India Inequality Report 2021, released by the Oxfam, “the top 1% of Indians bag 73% of the country's wealth, whereas, from 2006 to 2015 the wealth of ordinary workers increased by an average rate of 2%.” The number of billionaires has increased from 9 in the year 2000 to 101 in 2017, reflecting increasing inequality. According to Prof. Amartya Sen, “Indian democracy is seriously compromised by the extent and form of social inequality in India, particularly since democracy stands not just for electoral politics and civil liberties but also an equitable distribution of power. Social inequality in India has diminished in recent past, new imbalances have developed, including heightened economic inequality and the growth of corporate power.”

The Indian education system is one of the biggest in the world, with AIIMS, IISC, IITs, and IIMs amongst the world's best educational institutions.  However, only a small percentage of Indians have access to a high-quality education, but a vast majority of Indians are deprived of quality education. The employability of a large number of students coming out of higher education institutions is far from satisfactory. Violation of political freedom, widespread corruption, extensive gender inequality, increasing threats to our ecology and environment, and sustainability of our economic and social lives can be counted as some of the major failures.

The State should develop a model of inclusive growth and development to promote equitable distribution of income and opportunities so that the people of our country will be free to make their social, economic, and religious choices.
India's vast natural resources, aesthetically rich art, and literature, diverse cultures, races, religions, regions, languages, castes, demographic dividend, the simple and eco-friendly lifestyle of indigenous people, Ayurveda, Yoga, and strong value system, are some possible areas of exploration and research.