India must become a knowledge republic as it charts its way forward

The comment is emotional, but not far from the truth. Once India gained independence, there was no particular lofty ideal that captured our national imagination. In an environment of resource constraints and weak economic development, it is difficult to organize priorities, let alone give a unified direction to a country. Our journey after independence could have been better. Eventually, India has come out of those traps and has expressed itself as a leading nation globally. There has never been a better time to make a choice at this crossroads and chart your nationhood. Knowledge has an important role in building our republic. What is the meaning of knowledge? It represents our collective willingness to learn and apply that learning, our ability to learn and create systems of learning, and the knowledge we have acquired as a civilization. The next frontier of our development must be fueled by knowledge. Here are three reasons.

First, India’s undeniable strength that will continue to be at least in the near future is its young demographic profile, which offers a wealth of talent pool. We must double down on investment in this talent through education, strengthen avenues for research and innovation, and continue policy reforms that lead to profitable pursuits, including entrepreneurship. We have to make our domestic environment competitive so that we do not lose our talent in global markets. We have to reach self-reliance instead of importing solutions. We can no longer be just an agricultural, manufacturing or service economy. Our talent can export ideas globally. We have to become a knowledge based economy.

Second, the world is grappling with many challenges. Some of the most notable phenomena we are facing are ecological crisis in a time of better living standards, rising inequality in a time of greater wealth creation, depression and loneliness in a time of rising population, and the replacement of humans with machines in a time of rapid innovation. lose to This paradoxical nature of our modern development is posing more questions than answers. For example, we cannot stop climate change without addressing the endless human desire to consume. Multilateral efforts without fundamental thinking are tantamount to suppressing the symptoms rather than tackling the cause. These challenges are compounded in a complex field of diplomacy in which state and non-state actors are affected by global problems while pursuing their own self-interests. India has emerged as a responsible power and reliable partner on the world stage. It could lead global efforts in radical thinking for problem-solving. India should adopt knowledge diplomacy in the interest of itself and the world.

Lastly and most importantly, we are a civilization that has given the highest regard to knowledge as a virtue. The richness of India’s languages, the vastness of scriptures, the learning of ancient universities and the living tradition of India sage There is evidence of the nation’s respect for knowledge. The search for the country is the search for knowledge. There is a legend that Alexander met Yogi When he reached the Indian border for the attack. intrigued by the winner Yogi and tells him that he wants to conquer the world. Yogi replies that he has conquered the desire to conquer the world.

The search for truth and learning have been essential to Indian life. Teachers, gurus and wise men have a special place in the Indian heart. It affects our family and social life. The typical Indian parent views education as a ticket to professional success and saves significantly to support their children’s education, unlike in many countries who spend less personal money on it. Indian society’s reverence for knowledge should be acknowledged and leveraged in policy making and nation building. India is a knowledge society.

The knowledge republic we should aim for should include a knowledge economy and a knowledge society, and use knowledge diplomacy. To be a knowledge republic as a unifying objective of nationalism is a worthy alternative.

It is rightly said that if we don’t know where we are going, any road will take us there. Incidentally, the traditional Basant Panchami festival and Republic Day coincided this year, symbolically telling us that the worship of wisdom could pave the way for a modern republic. Our civilizational past is speaking to our modern nation. We are again at a crossroads. We must choose our path and move forward.

Suresh Prabhu and Sahil Agarwal are former Union cabinet ministers and co-founders and CEOs of Rishihood University, respectively.