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Book Summary: Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani

The book presents ageneralists view of post-independent India. UnlikeIndia Unbound, this book

focuses primarily on post-independent India and takes a more pragmatic approach towards

understanding problems of contemporary India. The best parts of the book is the interesting

contradictions which the nation went through (love/hate relationship with English language, fear of

technology and neglected urban development).

Overall, the book is divided into four set of ideas, that have arrived, that are in progress, that are

still being debatedand finally, that haveyet to become part of public debate.

I have highlighted the best sections of the book in bold.

Ideas that have arrived

1. Realization of power of human capital (two billion arms to work instead of a billion mouth to feed)

2. Embracing that entrepreneurs work for the society instead of exploiting it (from Nehrus contempt for

bania civilization to Manmohans love for businessmen who aresource of confidence

and optimism for India Inc.)

3. Language controversy and accepting English as ligua franca

Nehru wanted Hindi to be official language, but due to Tamil Nadus resistance the declaration was

delayed till 1965, and in 1965, the riots erupted again, ultimately, both English and Hindi were

accepted as official languages. For education, it was decided to follow three-language formula (Hindi,

English and a regional language). Despite of the fact that we have an English-language based

economy, a political education policy which tried to suppress English teaching in government schools,

destroyed future of several (specially poor) children. Over time, specially due to outsourcing,

liberalization and private schools, the attitude towards English has changed.

4. Understanding computers are enablers instead of job eaters

The fear (among labour unions) that technology would destroy jobs was so great that for

computerization of banks, computers were referred to as Ledger Posting Machines. Slowly,

computerization exchanges(NSE, NSDL and NCDEX) and IT companies changed the perception

completely.

5. Positive attitude towards globalization

From the initial fear of globalization (leading to colonialism) to globalization (which provides more

opportunities, improves standard of living and eliminates poverty)

Ideas that are in progress

People are already aware about these and completing them is now a matter of time.

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1. Better schools

Government repeatedly missed their self-declared deadlines for attaining 100% literacy but with mid-

day meal and strong preference for education among parents, things are changing for good.

2. Better cities

Just after independence, our leaders hated cities, for them, they were a symbol of colonial past.

Politics regularly favored rural development (to the extent that states showed their urban areas as rural

to get funds from centre) despite of the fact that India was urbanizing at a rapid pace. Badly planned

urban agglomerations (and slums) are a consequence of these bad policies. The cities that were built

(Chandigarh, Dispur, Durgapur etc.) were more of symbolic importance to the leaders who failed to

view the cities as centre of commerce and innovation.

3. Better highways

Despite having inherited a huge rail infrastructure from British raj, the additions to that were minimal

(till Konkan Railway project was started in 1990s), similarity the improvements made to roads were

equally insignificant. Author praises NDA for Golden quadrilateral but laments the fact that there is a

huge gap between announcement and implementation.

4. Single markets

Better infrastructure and better laws (like VAT) which moves towards unified market are important

(internal globalization of India) and moves like area-based tax exemptions hurts the economy (since

they penalize states which have focused on infrastructure).

Ideas in battle

Citizens and politicians are aware but afraid to talk about these.

1. Economic reforms

courtesy of 40 years of socialist era and populist policies (like disel subsidies), its still tough for

politicians to talk about reforms

2. Labour reforms

Archaic complicated labour laws has complicated and prevented job creation (even NERGA

violates 37 laws). Unfortunately, no one is willing to fix them. Steps like NREGA are retrogressive.

3. Higher education

Author laments the fact that too much political control (like reservation and MHRD interference) has

been a major hurdle for Indian universities. A cultural preference for white-collar jobs promotes

theoretical knowledge over vocational training.

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Ideas to be anticipated

The ideas which havent received their share of public debate.

1. ICT (Information and Communication Technology)

E-governance, digital conversion of govt records (primarily land) and national ID system.

2. Health care

While rural India is still suffering from diseases like TB, malaria (due to poor health care), the urban

India is already in a grip of lifestyle diseases (obesity, diabetes). The twin problems have to be

handled simultaneously.

3. Social security (or lack thereof)

While India should not follow the western model of welfare state (which has already drained the

treasuries of most western countries), the assumption that the trend of children taking care of their

parents at old age will continue is equally invalid. Therefore, author criticizes laws which makes it

mandatory for children to support parents and favors contribution based pension schemes

likeNPS and suggests that these should be made available to unorganized sector. Author also notes

that while the pension fund of US, UK, Australia, South Korea and even European Parliamentarians

invests in Indian stocks, Indian EPFO buys low-return government bonds instead.

4. Environment

When the western countries were growing, they were able to slowly outsource their industrial

pollution to the third world (through colonization and then globalization), since that option is simplynot available anymore for the developing world, they have to develop while taking care of

environment.

5. Energy

India had three major revolutions Green (which made Haryana, Punjab and west U.P. prosperous),

White (which made Gujarat, Maharashtra and A.P. prosperous) and IT (which impacted educated

population across the country primarily in south), the time has come for a fourth revolution in biofuels

can positively impact M.P., Rajasthan, Bihar and east U.P. . A public-private partnership oriented

energy grid from which people can buy as well as sell power to can not only reduce power shortages

but will also encourage adoption of renewable sources of energy.

[ashishb's note: I find it weird that the issue of internal and external security is completely missing

from the book despite of heavy losses of life to regularterror strikes.]