By Mohan Kumar It was in May 2020 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion demand for an Bharat which was ‘Aatmanirbhar’.It is crucial to know what this was about and what it did not mean.
Although an approximate definition of the word would be without doubt’self-reliant’, this isn’t the kind of self-reliance India was allegedly a believer in and was practicing in the beginning of its independence up to the late seventies and eighties.
It is simple to define what it isn’t.
It is definitely not autarchy; it’s definitely not inward-looking, and it certainly is not halting imports and producing every product in India.It is perhaps more sensible to think of “Aatmanirbharta” as self-reliance 2.0.
In this context of Self-Reliance 2.0 The PM clarified that instead of being self-centered, India will open up even more to the world beyond with its motto: ‘Vasudhaiva Kumbakam”, meaning that our Earth is just one family.
Modi added that Aatmanirbharta will be built upon five pillars: economy infrastructure technology, demography, technology and demand.The PM explained the reason of the concept of Aatmanirbharta by declaring that it will be a way to prepare India to participate in the global supply chain, and it is a war India cannot afford losing.
There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic played an important role in India’s drive for Self-Reliance 2.0.Consider the simple example of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and N-95 masks.At the time of the epidemic, India was not making any N-95 masks.In the present, India manufactures at least 200 masks of N-95 every day at the very least.
More impressive is India’s record of vaccination of its massive population.When Covid was first discovered in 2020, virtually everyone believed that India would ever be able to fully vaccinate its population , and that the process would require years.
However, in July 2022, approximately 18 months following the initial vaccinations, India completed two billion doses of vaccines for its citizens.
The tale of the process by which this was made possible is worthy of an analysis that will examine important issues like public-private partnerships as well as Centre-state cooperation.
Not to forget, creating awareness among citizens and gaining their consent in this process.
Indeed the WHO and other agencies have acknowledged the importance of India as a model for best practice.in India will be replicated world over.In proving that Self-Reliance 2.0 is not just for Indians The country has also shipped a significant quantity of vaccinations and PPE kits to all over the world.
The most recent data from the MEA website speak of the number of 240 million (approx) vaccines that have been distributed in 101 countries which includes developing, developed and least-developed nations.The tale of India as the drugstore of the world is so well-known to need a repeat.Everything of this is true Aatmanirbharta working.
The Co-WIN platform that India used to administer vaccines to its vast population was awe-inspiring.
Co-WIN is basically an IT cloud solution to plan, implement monitoring and monitoring Covid vaccination in India.
In July 2021, India made the decision to make the platform accessible to all countries for use.As part of the Co-WIN global conclave held in July 2021 142 countries expressed an interest in taking it up.This is Aatmanirbharta working.
The conflict in Ukraine has had a major impact not only in Europe however, most importantly, it has affected the least developed and developing countries.In particular the war has affected the prices of food, energy and commodities prices negatively.
The wheat shortage in particular is likely to impact Africa as well as the Middle-East in a significant way.
In these times it is reassuring to know that the position of India in terms of the security of its vast populace is not a problem.This is yet another sign of Self-Reliance 2.0.Not only was India capable of giving away food grains and lentils to over 800 million of its citizens as part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, India was also able to export modest quantities of food grains to low-income countries that required it.Also, Aatmanirbharta at work.
Another incredible successful story of Aatmanirbharta is the story of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) which is a centralised government-backed digital payment gateway that is used in India.
To appreciate the importance of UPI Consider the following: India accounted for the most of digital transactions worldwide in 2021 with a staggering 48 billion, which is a figure that is three times larger than China’s 18 billion and at least six times larger than all the transactions of the US, Canada, the UK, France and Germany together.The voices in the US are advising us that we should learn from India that is leapfrogging into the future.Another time, Aatmanirbharta at work.
The above doesn’t suggest that everything is perfect.India faces monumental challenges with regard to eradication of poverty, job creation and investment in health/education/skills of its vast population.
However, the lesson is clear: India is unique and it is the only “Indian” design that can be beneficial to India as well as Indians.This is why the importance of Aatmanirbharta.
In the end, as we’ve seen”Aatmanirbhar Bharat” is not just beneficial for India as well as the world in general.
(Dr Mohan Kumar is a former Indian Ambassador, who is a full-time professor at the moment.The opinions expressed are solely personal.)
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