Siddharth Roy
(siddharth01.roy@gmail.com)
India, i.e., Bharat, has been under British rule for about 200 years. Due to the relentless efforts of our freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 was enacted, which transferred power to India, and we were able to achieve independence from the British Raj. The journey of Bharat till achieving independence was not easy and demanded sacrifices of countless freedom fighters who always dreamt of a British-mukt Bharat. They dreamt of a land where all the Indians can live according to their own free will, a motherland which can nourish their aspirations. Their will thrived, and we got independence. Born from the ashes of colonial rule and the pain of partition, the newly formed republic faced a daunting array of challenges, from economic instability and widespread poverty to social fragmentation and political uncertainty. Many observers at the time, like Winston Churchill, were sceptical of India’s ability to survive as a unified, democratic state.
Since India’s independence, it has successfully addressed significant challenges to remain a united nation. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a key role in integrating princely states like Junagadh, Kashmir, and Hyderabad, and later, Goa was integrated through Operation Vijay. Economically, India focused on growth and poverty alleviation with the Nehru-Mahalanobis model and five-year plans. A major food shortage in the 1960s due to the U.S.A. withdrawing the PL 480 scheme was overcome by the Green Revolution, led by M.S. Swaminathan, where high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds were used to ensure food security. The country also tackled land reform issues through Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan-Gramdan Movement, leading to the abolition of the Zamindari system and implementation of robust tenancy reforms. Despite external threats and wars with neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan, India maintained its national integrity.
15th August 2025 marks the 79th celebration of India’s freedom, and we are well poised as one of the top 5 economies of the world. Let us first look at the economic achievements of India. The British crown looted $45 trillion from India; from raw materials to the Kohinoor Diamond, the British took all. Thumbs of Indian weavers were cut off, peasants were crushed and India was de-industrialised. At the time of Independence, India’s per capita income was only Rs 230. There was poverty and widespread hunger, and the task was to lift itself, and it did. There was rapid industrialization and three successful revolutions took place, i.e., the green (increased food grain production), white (dairy development) and blue (aquaculture production) revolutions. India currently is the world’s largest producer of milk and pulses. Moreover, India ranks second in the production of rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton and farmed fish. Also, India opened itself to the world, globalised its economy, and privatised its banks, and now Bharat stands as the 5th largest economy in the world and is moving towards becoming the 3rd largest. India’s per capita income rose from $2.89 at the time of independence to $1,980 today. India’s share in the global GDP is 3.28%. Seven decades back, India was an import-dependent country, and now India, through the Make in India initiative, has made a mark globally. Now let’s look at the geopolitical achievements of India. India successfully navigated the Cold War and became a political force for decolonisation. In 1971, India liberated Bangladesh from the clutches of Pakistan and also de-hyphenated Israel and Palestine. India also struck strategic partnerships and trade agreements with the Gulf countries, Russia, the USA, the EU and other countries around the world. Now India is one of the leading voices in multilateral forums, the leader of the global south and an essential partner country to major powers. India is seen by world powers as a face of peace and the loudest cheerleader of counter-terrorism. Whenever terror struck India, it showed the world that it is capable of defending itself. Operation Sindoor and Uri Surgical are bright examples of India’s deterrence towards terror attacks. Moreover, India has taught the world tolerance and the spirit of brotherhood. It has people speaking 22 scheduled languages and 20,000 dialects and practising different religions, but still Bharat remains as strongly united as ever.Its success as a secular state has surprised many. Coming to the healthcare sector, the life expectancy at the time of independence was only 32 years, and there was rampant spread of communicable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. Until the early 1990s, every day around 500 children were getting paralysed. India fought polio and declared itself polio-free in 2014. Today India’s polio eradication is a case study of healthcare success for the world. India also eradicated smallpox and is running one of the largest vaccination programmes under Mission Indradhanush. At the time of independence, India’s maternal mortality rate was 2000 deaths per 100,000 live births, and now it has come down to 103 deaths per 100,000 live births. Also, the life expectancy has increased to around 70.9 years compared to 32 years at the time of independence. Today India is called the world’s pharmacy, with it exporting medicines to more than 200 countries and regions. Coming to the space sector, India decided to go to space just 17 years after independence. INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) was set up in 1962 for space research, and the first rocket was launched in 1963 from Thumba in Kerala. Today India is a well-established space power and force to reckon with in the space sector, with it reaching Mars and the Moon’s south pole. India unfurled the tricolour in space, showcasing its dominance in this field. Moreover, India became a nuclear power in 1974 after Operation Smiling Buddha. Later on, through Operation Shakti in 1998, India solidified its position as a nuclear power. And lastly, in the education sector, India has excelled and made a huge leap. The literacy rate at the time of Independence was around 12%, and now it has increased to around 77%. Government initiatives like Samagrah Siksha Abhiyan, PM Shri, PM Poshan, Digital India and National Education Policy 2020 were key drivers in India’s literacy growth. Free education was made a fundamental right under Article 21A, and the Right to Education Act was also implemented. India has also expanded its educational infrastructure. At the time of independence, India had only 28 medical schools, 4 dental colleges and 33 engineering colleges, but now there are over 618 medical schools, 323 dental colleges and over 6000 engineering colleges. India has become the world’s biggest talent pool, and big companies strive to get Indian doctors, engineers and experts for their company. India is home to around 1.4 billion people and is rooted in its culture and values. It is also home to the world’s youngest population, with 62% of them belonging to the 15-59 age group, displaying a strong demographic dividend. India is the world’s largest democracy and has the world’s largest diaspora population, enhancing its soft power diplomacy capability.
India is moving briskly towards joining the $5 trillion club and becoming an indispensable global power, i.e., a Viksit Bharat. As India celebrates its 79th Independence Day, we Indians feel proud of the way India has progressed over the years. While hurdles like poverty, inequality, and social disparities persist, the nation’s achievements in agriculture, industry, space exploration, and healthcare demonstrate its resilience and unwavering spirit. The story of modern India is one of continuous evolution, a testament to the collective efforts of its people to build a better future, making it a compelling example of what a determined nation can achieve.