Chronicle Year Book 2023

India is a country with a vast population and diverse culture. However, it is grappling with wide range of social issues that pose significant challenges to its development and stability. These issues are complex and multifaceted, affecting different segments of society like women, child, elderly etc. in different ways.

According to the United Nations, social justice can be defined as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth to all the citizens without any discrimination on the basis of race, caste, gender, religion, place of birth, etc. Social justice involves access to resources, equitable distribution of resources, recognising diversity, ensuring participation of all and respecting the fundamental human rights. For ensuing social justice and empowerment, state shall ensure that each and every citizen has access to all resources and opportunities, especially historically marginalised and deprived communities.

According to Socio Economic Caste Census, 2011, India consists of 2.68 crore Person with Disabilities (PwDs), 10.4 crore elderly, 27.1 crore victims of drug abuse, etc. Special policy directives are required to ensure social justice for these communities. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was created in 1988 for implementing various programmes/schemes for social, educational and economic development of the marginalised. The Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Minority Affairs were created in 2006 and 2008 respectively.

Due to extensive programs and policies of these ministries there has been considerable improvement in the conditions of the Women, Children, SCs, STs, Transgender persons, and Senior Citizens. Programs like Jan Dhan Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Jan Aushadhi Yojana, Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Garima Greh, etc. have significantly improved the social development metrics of these sections, yet India is far from achieving high levels of human development and empowerment.

Challenges faced by these communities cannot be easily empathized with, and hence people from these sections must be included in policy making. Policy measures centered on changing mindsets, making infrastructures friendly and ensuring universal social security must be framed. These policies must have quantifiable targets and there should be proper performance audit to ensure its effectiveness.

Though the modern legal and judicial system in India emerged during the British Rule, yet India has centuries old legal systems in the world. It has been able to evolve like a living entity, constantly adapting to changing times. The total sanctioned police force strength in India is 26,23,225 and there are 16,955 police stations.

Women make up 12% of police force in the country. Over 672 district courts and 25 high courts in India dispense justice to millions of people. Supreme Court is the highest judicial forum in the country with a sanctioned strength of 34 judges.

Indian Constitution has established an integrated judicial system with the Supreme Court at the top, the high courts below it and a hierarchy of subordinate courts below the HCs. This system of courts aims to ensure timely justice to all the citizens in the country.

Yet, Indian law and justice system has been marred by complexity of laws, conflict of interest, expensive and delayed justice, high pendency of cases in judiciary, continuation of outdated laws, etc. Judicial reforms are needed for ensuring last mile delivery of justice.

Children are the hope and future of India and women are the carrier and protector of future. Women and children represent 67.7 per cent of the country's total population. Empowerment of women and development of children are intrinsically linked to each other. Health and nutritional status of children is linked to the welfare and wellbeing of their mothers. Women in India got adult suffrage in 1947.

The first Five Year Plan focussed on the development of ‘Mahila Mandals’ and women education was put at centre stage under the third Five Year Plan. Women related metrics have significantly improved since independence, as according to the NSO’s Household Social Consumption: Education report, the countrywide female literacy stands at 70%.The maternal mortality rate has declined to 97 per lakh live births from in 2018-20 as compared to 130 in 2014-16. The infant mortality has declined from 145 per 1000 births during independence to 27 per 1000 in 2021. Notably, GER in higher secondary has made significant improvement from 53.8% in 2021-21 to 57.6% in 2021-22.

Poverty is a condition that deprives people of a minimum standard of living and hunger is the state which deprives people of adequate quantity and quality of food, causing undernourishment and malnutrition. Often, it is poverty that leads to hunger, causing a vicious cycle of poverty, hunger and malnutrition.

After Independence, India adopted novel goals of improving the lives of millions of poor people in the country through economic prosperity. Land reforms were enacted and laws were passed to prevent alienation of land. Programs such as Food for Work, Integrated Rural Development, housing for the poor, etc. were enacted for economic and social development of the poor. The goal of ‘Garibi Hatao’ was adopted in 1970s (5th Five Year Plan period). Providing subsidies on food and basic necessities, access to loans, improving agricultural techniques, promoting education, etc. prevented food scarcity and helped millions of people to come out of poverty. After the liberalization reforms of 1991, the pace of poverty alleviation increased.

According to the United Nations, India lifted 271 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2016. Green Revolution and White Revolution improved access to food and nutrition in the country.

Even after years of development and achievements, 25% of India’s population lives in poverty, and about 15% of the population is malnourished. Thus, efforts are required to end poverty in all its forms and end hunger and malnutrition.

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” - Nelson Mandela

Education is one of the most important tools for fostering economic development and bringing social transformation. Education, along with skills, is a prerequisite for reaping the great demographic dividend that India possesses.

The education sector in India is expected to reach to $4 billion by 2025. India has 37 million students enrolled in higher education in about 1000 universities. Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education has reached 27 per cent in 2020. The country now has become the second largest market for e-learning after the US. India is witnessing a digital shift in its education sector, with the onset of online classes, digital heavy curriculum and also the great digital divide that India possess.

India is the second most populous country of the world with more than 1.3 billion people. Good Health provides person freedom from illness and expands ability to realize one's potential. Ensuring access to good quality primary healthcare to each and every citizen is the duty of the state. Initially health received low priority in the Five Year Plans and Health being a state subject led to every state having its own plan. The primary healthcare sector became more accessible, affordable and acceptable with the launch of Community Development Program. India, since independence has made long strides in the health and healthcare sector. Life expectancy has increased to 69.5 years for men and 72 years for women. Over the years, healthcare infrastructure has gradually improved at a slow pace. The role of private healthcare sector in improving the quality of health services cannot be neglected.

The process of acculturation and assimilation of minorities is linked to the emergence of modern states. The modern Indian state adopted the principles of a modern democracy with the enactment of the Constitution in 1950s. The Constitution consists of the provisions for assimilation of minorities. Article 29 and 30 of the Constitution provides for protection of interest of religious as well as linguistic minorities. As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3% of the total population of the country. Muslims constitute 14.2%; Christians 2.3%; Sikhs 1.7%, Buddhists 0.7%, Jain 0.4% and Parsis 0.006% of the population. These six communities have been notified as minority communities under Section 2(c) of the NCM Act, 1992.

Almost 9% of India’s population consists of Schedule Tribes (STs), according to the Socio Economic Caste Census, 2011. The total number of individual ethnic groups notified as Scheduled Tribes is 705. Ninety per cent of tribal population resides in rural areas and 10 % in urban areas. These communities are generally characterized by geographical isolation, presence of a distinct culture, relative economic backwardness.

Owing to their historical isolation, they enjoyed autonomy in management of land, forest and its resources. With the advent of colonialists and passage of various regressive policies like Land Acquisition Act (1894) and Indian Forest Act (1927), these tribes were deprived of their traditional rights over land, forest and other natural resources. After independence, the primary responsibility of the government was not just to ensure restoration of these Rights but also to conserve the forest and use it efficiently for the development of the country. Various policies were formulated to address tribal issues of illiteracy, social alienation, mainstreaming tribal culture, ensuring healthy lifestyle and at the same time conserving the tribal ethos and practice along with using forest resources for national development. The struggle to balance these aspects still continues.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) shows that the urban unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above declined from 9.8 per cent in the quarter ending September 2021 to 7.2 per cent one year later (quarter ending September 2022). PLFS FY21 shows that formal vocational/technical training among youth (age 15- 29 years) and the working population (age 15-59 years) have improved in FY21 over FY19 and FY20.

India faces various economic issues that affect its development and growth potential. Government of India has implemented various initiatives to address these issues through infrastructure development projects, credit availability and investment promotion.

The performance of the agriculture and allied sector has been buoyant over the past several years, much of which is on account of the measures taken by the government to augment crop and livestock productivity, ensure certainty of returns to the farmers through price support, promote crop diversification, improve market infrastructure through the impetus provided for the setting up of farmer-producer organisations and promotion of investment in infrastructure facilities through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

AGRICULTURAL CROPS

The Indian agriculture sector has been growing at an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent during the last six years. It grew by 3.0 per cent in 2021-22 compared to 3.3 per cent in 2020-21. In recent years, India has also rapidly emerged as the net exporter of agricultural products. Agricultural crop drive not only food distribution and consumption, but also fuel, manufacturing, and virtually every other industry. Basically agricultural crop has been divided into six categories viz. Food crops, Feed crops, Fiber crops, Oil crops, Ornamental crops, and Industrial crops.

Financial inclusion is defined as the process of ensuring access to financial services such as timely and adequate credit availability, insurance coverage, access to payment systems and formal banking services etc. to the vulnerable and low income groups at an affordable cost. It brings the low income groups within the purview of formal financial sector and protects their financial wealth and other resources.

The Government of India, RBI, IRDAI, PFRDAI etc. have made concerted efforts to promote financial inclusion as one of the important national objectives. Nationalisation of Banks, promoting Small Finance Banks, Payment Banks, co-operatives and regional rural banks, priority sector lending targets, formation of self-help groups, Business correspondents, provision of door step banking, Basic Savings accounts, etc. are aimed at promoting financial inclusion.

Even during the pandemic, digital financial services have seen an upturn due to the increased usage of digital platforms by small merchants and peer-to-peer payments. One of the biggest drivers of financial inclusion in the country has been the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana under which more than 46.25 crore accounts have been opened.

Financial literacy, lack of reliable internet connectivity, complexity of financial products, lack of affordable insurance, preference for cash payments, lack of branch penetration, lack of trust towards business correspondents etc. are the primary hindrances to Financial Inclusion. A robust financial system must also be inclusive to ensure the national objectives of creating a $5 trillion economy.

The Indian Banking and Financial Sector comprises of commercial banks, insurance companies, non-banking financial companies, co-operatives, pension funds, mutual funds and other smaller financial entities. The Financial sector is dominated by banks as commercial banks account for more than 64% of the total assets held by the financial system in India.

Banks were nationalized in 1969 and 1980 to ensure balanced regional growth as the banking system was concentrated in urban centres. At present, there are 12 public sector banks, 21 private sector banks, 45 foreign banks, 43 regional rural banks, 1454 urban cooperative banks and more than 103000 rural cooperative banks. Also, advancement in technology has improved the access to mobile and internet banking services.

During FY16-FY22, bank credit increased at a CAGR of 0.62%. As of FY22, total credit extended surged to US$ 1,532.31 billion. During FY16-FY22, deposits grew at a CAGR of 10.92% and reached US$ 2.12 trillion by FY22. Bank deposits stood at Rs. 173.70 trillion (US$ 2.12 trillion) as of November 4, 2022.

According to India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra), credit growth is expected to hit 10% in 2022-23 which will be a double digit growth in eight years. As of November 4, 2022 bank credit stood at Rs. 129.26 lakh crore (US$ 1,585.09 billion).

Taxation helps the government in redistribution of income, resources and wealth and building socio-economic infrastructure such as roads, schools, health care institutes as well as maintaining law and order and the judicial system. The development of a nation to a large extent depends upon the mobilization of revenue and its spending. India has built a stable tax system and has robust tax collections over the past years.

Initiatives such as faceless assessment, faceless appeals, e-way bill, taxpayer’s charter, reducing corporate tax etc. has modernized tax system yet there are issues that need to be addressed. Improving tax compliance, widening tax base, improving administrative efficiency, overcoming deficiencies in GST, easing tax filing, improving financial literacy etc. would help in making the tax system robust and tax collections.

In April-December 2022, global stock markets declined because of geopolitical uncertainty. On the contrary, the Indian stock market saw a resilient performance, with the bluechip index Nifty 50 registering a return of 3.7 per cent during the same period. Global macroeconomic uncertainty, unprecedented inflation, monetary policy tightening, volatile markets, etc., resulted in hurting investor sentiments, leading to a downbeat performance of global capital markets in FY23.

Life insurance premium for unit-linked products (ULIPs) witnessed a gradual growth for the last three financial years, while premium for traditional products grew in double digits in the previous fiscal. Traditional products registered a growth of 10.15% year-on-year in 2021-22, with premium of Rs 5.92 trillion, compared with Rs 5.38 trillion in 2020-21. ULIPs grew 10.24% YoY, with premium rising from Rs 0.91 trillion in 2020-21 to Rs 1 trillion in 2021-22. The share of unit-linked products in total premium was 14.48% in the previous fiscal.

Commerce and Industry refers to an economic activity that is concerned with manufacturing of goods, extraction of minerals or the provision of services. Manufacturing sector is a principal indicator of economic development of a nation. The policymakers realized the need for a well-developed manufacturing sector to propel India towards an industrialized nation. This led to the formulation of centralized Five Year Plans by the Planning Commission which increased the contribution of manufacturing sector from 8.98% (1950-51) to 14.23% (1965-66) of India’s GDP. The period between 1951 and 1965 witnessed an increase in industrial production by 2.8 times, which was largely due to the complimentary character of the public and private investment and stability in the prices of products in this period.

Industry holds a prominent position in the Indian economy, accounting for 31 per cent of GDP, on average, during FY12 and FY21 and employing over 12.1 crore people. In FY23, the Industry sector witnessed modest growth of 4.1 per cent compared to the strong growth of 10.3 per cent in FY22. This is likely on account of input cost-push pressures, supply chain disruptions and the China lockdown impacting the availability of essential inputs and slowing the global economy.

Infrastructure is the back bone for any economy. The extent and quality of infrastructure determines the ability of the country to utilize its comparative advantage and enables cost competitiveness. Given the strong backward and forward linkages and the positive externalities that infrastructure generates, it can be a vehicle for social and economic transformation.Transport and Power are the most critical components of infrastructure as they play an important role in connecting and augmenting the backward and forward linkages of an economy.

India is world’s third largest producer and third largest consumer of electricity. India has witnessed a significant transformation from being an acutely power deficit country to a situation where demand is being fully met. India has also made remarkable strides to ensure universal access to electricity for every household.

Safe, efficient, competitive and world class transport system and efficient power systems are vital for the economic growth and welfare of nation. In order to achieve the GDP of $5 trillion by 2024-25, India needs to spend about $1.4 trillion over these years on infrastructure.

Minerals are defined as homogenous, naturally occurring substances with a definable internal structure. They play an indispensable role in development of a country as agriculture and industry have strong dependence on mineral deposits. The total volume of workable mineral deposits is an insignificant fraction i.e. one percent of the earth’s crust.

India is endowed with huge resources of many metallic and non-metallic minerals. Since independence there has been a pronounced growth in the mineral production both in terms of quantity and value. India produces as many as 95 minerals which include 4 fuel, 10 metallic, 23 non-metallic, 3 atomic and 55 minor minerals (including building and other materials).

Energy is a vital ingredient for economic development as every sector of economy- agriculture, industry, transport - commercial and domestic needs input of energy. India is a major force in the global energy economy. Energy consumption has more than doubled since 2000, due to growing population and a period of rapid economic growth. Over 80%of India’s energy needs are met by three fuels – coal, oil and solid biomass. Coal has underpinned the expansion of electricity generation and industry, and remains the largest single fuel in the energy mix.

‘The ballot is stronger than the bullet.’

- Abraham Lincoln

The electoral system is a political device through which the modern states create a sense of involvement and participation amongst their citizens and associate themselves in the formation of a genuine representative government. The credibility of any democracy depends upon its ability to conduct free and fair elections. After India attained Independence in August 1947, the first General Elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas were held between October, 1951 and March, 1952 with universal adult suffrage.

‘We must recognize the fundamental rights of man. There can be no true national life in our democracy unless we give unqualified recognition to freedom of religious worship and freedom of education.’

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

In India, Fundamental Rights have evolved over time. The Right to Privacy judgment has opened the contours of Fundamental Rights, thereby widening the scope and understanding of the concept. The Fundamental Rights have intrinsic value and hence in true sense reflects the picture that individuals possess basic Human Rights independently of any Constitution by reason of the basic fact that they are the members of the human race. Their purpose is to withdraw certain subjects from the area of political controversy and to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as Legal principles to be applied by the courts. They are also considered as a limitation on the power of the state.

‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.’

- Helen Keller

Co-operative federalism is defined in terms of federal-regional co-operation and interdependence, especially with reference to the schemes of development, predominantly financed by the federal government and administered primarily by provincial governments. It has become a norm in all federations around the world. For India though, the concept is still in its infant stage. Events like replacing Planning Commission with NITI Aayog, passage of GST, project SATH-E, programmes like Aspirational Districts inducing sense of healthy competition amongst states are few but important steps promoting the notion of co-operative federalism in India.

‘The village is the cell of the national body and the cell-life must be healthy and developed for the national body to be healthy and developed.’

- Sri Aurobindo

Rural development is imperative in India as majority of population lives in villages (almost 69%) and also it lags far behind in development mainly due to historical reasons. Hence, post-independence, the priorities of the government have been to revive ancient rural model of self-sustained economy.

To ensure proper development, various programmes like Community Development Programme (CDP) and National Extension Service (NES) were launched but they failed miserably due to poor mobilization of people by district administration. The failure of district administration in ensuring developmen led to the urge of reviving the ancient notion of the third tier of administration in villages i.e. Panchayats.

First step was with the establishment of Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) to study community development programme. It recommended panchayati raj institutions at the local level and since then various committees and their recommendations finally led to the passing of 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts resulting into the formation of Panchayati Raj Institutions.

As per the Socio Economic Caste Census 2011, 31.1% of the Indian population is concentrated in urban areas. India ranks third in the world with regard to urban growth (first China and second U.S.A.) even though it stood second in the size of population.

Desire for an urban way of life and quest for better living has accelerated the pace of urbanization and the municipal institutions have been finding it difficult to face the challenges posed by the urbanization.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, thus has been entrusted with the responsibility of countering the ills plaguing urban areas like overcrowding, waste disposal, pollution, traffic congestion, growth of slums, housing needs etc. The policy, measures and schemes thus are built on the theme of ensuring ‘sustainability and prosperity for all’.

‘Rights of true citizenship accrue only to those who serve the State to which they belong.’

- Mahatma Gandhi

Citizenship has been defined as full and equal membership of a political community. Citizenship denotes the link between a person and a state or an association of states.It is also about citizen-citizen relations and involves certain legal and moral obligations of citizens to each other and to the society. Citizenship Amendment Bill and the nationwide protests have brought the notion of citizenship back into news. In India, Article 5 to Article 11 of the Constitution talks about various aspects of citizenship. Apart from it, Citizenship Act, 1955 and its various amendments list down the manner in which citizenship could be acquired and revoked in the country.

‘The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.’

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have emerged as a major player in the development of the country by supplementing the efforts of the Government. These organizations advocate community participation for provision of basic social service, promote interests of poor, protect environment and create awareness about basic human rights. Thus they work to build better, inclusive, sustainable and resilient community.

India has a long history and tradition of voluntary action based on the concepts of daana (giving) and seva (service). Providing services to the sick, needy and destitute is a part of Indian cultural heritage and way of life.

During the second half of the 19th century, self-help emerged as the primary focus of socio-political movements resulting in establishment of numerous organizations like the Friend-in-Need Society (1858), Prathana Samaj (1864), Satya Shodhak Samaj (1873), Arya Samaj (1875), the National Council for Women in India (1875), and the Indian National Conference (1887).

A firm foundation for voluntary action was laid in India with establishment of the Servants of India, a secular NGO, in 1905. Mahatma Gandhi reinvigorated civil society in India by stressing that political freedom must be accompanied by social responsibility.

After independence, the Government of India increased its presence in social welfare and development but recognized the potential for civil society to supplement and complement its efforts. This is evident in the first Five-Year Plan; establishment of the Central Social Welfare Board in 1953 and decentralization initiatives of government.

Finally, the Association for Voluntary Agencies for Rural Development (AVARD) was founded in 1958 and People’s Action for Development of India around 1970s. With community participation as a defined component in a number of social sector projects during the 1970s and 1980s, NGOs began to be formally recognized as development partners of the state.

Self-help groups are community based informal microfinance institutions. The origin of concept of SHGs can be traced back to project ‘Grameen Bank (1976)’ launched by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Professor of Economics in Chittagong University of Bangladesh who wonNobel Peace Prize in 2006 for the same. India had adopted Bangladesh’s model in a modified form.

In 1970, Late Ila Bhatt, founder member of ‘SEWA’ (Self Employed Women’s Association) in Ahmadabad, had developed a concept of ‘women and micro-finance’ which was followed by numerous other NABARD- sponsored groups. In 1991-92 NABARD started promoting self-help groups on a large scale which was the real take-off point for the ‘SHG movement’.

In 1993, the Reserve Bank of India also allowed SHGs to open saving accounts in banks which gave a major boost to the movement.

Currently, NABARD led Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Program - which is the largest microfinance program in the world - touches 13.8 crore households through more than 112 lakh SHGs with deposits of over Rs.37,477 crore and annual loan off-take of more than Rs.58,000 crore and loan outstanding of over Rs.1,03,289 crore.

The government began a formal programme - Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana - to encourage self-help groups in 1999 but the programme failed to achieve its aims and was revamped by National Rural Livelihood Mission.

SHGs are an initiative to inculcate responsibility, sense of ownership, self-confidence and self-esteem in people by building their capacity, giving them a channel to function and providing them access to larger pool of resources. Thus they contribute in self-employment, rise in income level, women empowerment, self-reliance, poverty alleviation and improved standard of living.

India has made significant strides in the field of science and technology in recent years, emerging as a major player in the global technology arena. However, the country still faces a number of challenges in this field, ranging from lack of funding to inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of skilled personnel.

By linking science more closely with society, it aims to ensure that citizens are kept informed of developments in science. It also underscores the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of the remarkable, fragile planet and in making our societies more sustainable.

Humans have always been greatly affected by the developments in new technology. It is a prevailing fact that new information technology not only benefits programmers, database managers, hardware engineers and network analysts but it also benefits the common user.

Also, the new developments in science never stop and it continuously evolves as per the need and the betterment of the human being. The World Science Day 2022 has been observed with the theme- ‘Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development'.

The Indian space sector has been globally recognised for building cost-effective satellites, launching lunar probes and taking foreign satellites to space. The global space economy is estimated at ~US$ 423 billion. Currently, India constitutes 2-3% of the global space economy and is expected to enhance its share to >10% by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 48%.

The current place of prominence which India enjoys had humble beginning during late 1960s when INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) was initiated under the leadership of Dr. Sarabhai and Dr. Ramanathan.

Making rapid strides in multiple space domains, India has created several significant milestones in space technology. Indian institutions engaged in space research have demonstrated their technological prowess, earning global recognition for the country. In recent years, India has concentrated more on complex application satellites and advanced rockets.

Over the past two decades, private enterprises such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Arianespace have revolutionised the space sector by reducing costs and turnaround time in other spacefaring countries. However, in India, private enterprises have been limited to being merely suppliers to the government’s space programme.

The optimal utilisation of space technology can revolutionise the delivery of governance services; enhance developmental efforts; create a vibrant ecosystem for start-ups and private enterprises and inspire the young populace with scientific curiosity and encourage them to pursue a career in STEM. Being one of the few spacefaring countries, India is increasingly encouraging private sector participation through various reforms that are expected to help India achieve a market share of more than 10% in the global space sector by 2030.

India has the second largest military in the world being the sixth largest military spender in 2020. India is also one of the largest importers of conventional defence equipment and spends around 30% of its total defence budget on capital acquisitions.

Today India’s Armed Forces are well-equipped and are growing stronger with scientific and technical support of Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO) which was set up in 1958. It aims to make the country self-sufficient in technologies needed for defence. It is actively engaged in well planned projects in the field of science and technology, it also supports saving of foreign exchange as indigenisation in armament technology is the major motive of DRDO.

At present, DRDO is a network of more than 50 laboratories located in different cities of the country. The DRDO specializes in the following fields − Aeronautical Engineering; Electronics; Armaments; Engineering system; Combat vehicles; Missiles; Advanced computing and simulation; Life science; Special materials; Agriculture; Training, etc.

India is experiencing a rapid health transition with a rising burden of NCDs surpassing the burden of communicable diseases like waterborne or VBDs, TB, HIV, etc. The NCDs like cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and other NCDs are estimated to account for over 60% of all deaths, making them the leading cause of death. NCDs cause considerable loss in potentially productive years of life. Losses due to premature deaths related to heart diseases, stroke and diabetes are likely to increase over the years.

This disease burden impedes economic growth by reducing labour supply, decreasing productivity and income, and diminishing savings and investment (as a result of both reduced earnings and higher medical expenditure).

Non-communicable diseases now account for two-thirds of the total mortality in India and are projected to account for an estimated 75% of the total mortality by 2030. According to a study, in the years between 2015 and 2030, NCDs will result in macroeconomic costs of $3,158 per capita, equivalent to a 7% annual tax on the country’s gross domestic product.

Childhood malnutrition (stunting, wasting and overweight), anaemia, intimate partner violence (IPV), tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, trans-fatty acids (TFA), variable access to safely managed water and sanitation, outdoor air pollution and household (indoor) air pollution and hypertension (raised blood pressure) all contribute to a considerable fraction of burden of disease and result in premature and preventable deaths.

Biotechnology deals with the application of biological knowledge and techniques pertaining to molecular, cellular and genetic processes to develop significantly improved products and services. Biotechnology products and processes have ensured ease of living, improved healthcare, agriculture output and created livelihood opportunities, etc.

India is one of the most sought-after destinations for biotechnology and has been growing rapidly with generous investments from foreign, supportive government policies, experienced workforce, and increasing demand. India’s biotechnology industry is in an excellent position to transition into Bio-economy.

India is among the top 12 destinations for biotechnology in the world, with approximately 3% share if the global biotechnology industry. The biotechnology industry in India is a key contributor to India’s vision of reaching a $ 5 Trillion Economy by 2024.

The biotechnology sector in India plays a key role in the global vaccine market, as the leader in the global supply of DPT, BCG, and measles vaccines, and is also a key contributor of 70% of WHO’s vaccines (essential Immunization Schedule).

India is also one of the first countries to have a department dedicated to the Biotechnology industry. Moreover, the Department has also set up BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) which is a not-for-profit agency to strengthen and empower emerging Biotechnology enterprises to undertake strategic research and innovation, by handholding them from ideation to the commercialization of their products/ technologies.

Efforts to promote research in nanotechnology in India began early in the millenium. The “NanoScience and Technology Initiative” started with a funding of Rs. 60 crores and reached USD 250 million with launch of Nano Mission in 2007.

The funding spanned multiple areas like basic research in nanotechnology, human resources development, infrastructure development and international collaboration. Multiple institutions like Department of Information Technology, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Department of Biotechnology provided the funding.

National Centers for Nanofabrication and Nanoelectronics were started in Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

Nanotechnology has potential to improve and revolutionize many technology and industry sectors. The development of Nano science in India has huge potential to help the country in addressing societal challenges and simultaneously achieve economic advantages through growth in the nanotech-based industrial sector.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop responsible nanotechnology governance, encourage the development of appropriate products targeted to help meet critical human development needs.

“Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.”

- Stephen Hawking

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of machines to perform cognitive tasks like thinking, perceiving, learning, problem solving and decision making. Artificial Intelligence was mentioned for the first time in 1956 by John McCarthy and ever since it has been a term which intrigues people all over the world.

AI can help in solving societal needs by increasing access and affordability of quality healthcare; enhancing farmers’ income, increasing farm productivity and reducing wastage; improving access and quality of education; and providing smarter and safer modes of transportation and better traffic and congestion problems.

From SIRI to self-driving cars, from banking to farming, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is progressing rapidly. While science fiction often portrays AI as robots with human-like characteristics, AI can encompass anything from Google’s search algorithms, email spam filtering, weather forecasts, autonomous weapons to IBM’s Watson. However, there is skepticism looming large across the scientific community regarding the unintended effects of AI.

In India, the software boom started in the late 1990s. India’s ICT industry contributed around 13% to the country’s GDP and is expected to contribute 20% of GDP with $1 trillion by 2025.

According to the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), India’s technology industry recorded its highest-ever rate of growth by reaching $227 billion revenue in 2021, from $200 billion in 2020. All subsectors of the technology industry, including IT and business process management, IT-enabled services, engineering research and development, hardware, software products, and e-commerce recorded double digit growth in 2021.

The Indian telecommunications sector is the second largest in the world, with 1.2 billion subscribers. India’s mobile economy has been driven by widespread adoption, with wireless subscriptions representing 98 percent of telephone use.

According to Deloitte, India is expected to reach 1 billion smartphones by 2026, from 750 million currently.

India has also emerged as the second largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world. India also has 788 million broadband subscribers. India scored 49.74/100 in the Portulans Institute’s Network Readiness Index, improving its ranking from 88 in 2020 to 67 in 2021 out of 130 countries surveyed.

Environmental issues are a significant concern for the planet's health and well-being. Addressing these issues requires a collective effort from individuals, governments, and corporations to reduce their impact on the environment and promote sustainable practices that can help protect the planet for future generations.

The concept of Sustainable Development was first mooted in 1987 in Brundtland Commission Report. Development is considered as sustainable when it is able to meet the requirements of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs.

The United Nations member states adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Sustainable development embraces the idea that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Biodiversity defines the enormous variety of life forms on earth. It is the totality of genes, species and ecosystems on our planet. India is one of 18 mega bio-diverse countries in the world. With only 2.4 per cent of the earth’s land area, it accounts for 8 per cent of the world’s biodiversity.

It is home to over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals. The unique geography and climate of India has resulted in a variety of ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, desert, coastal and marine ecosystems which nurtures the biodiversity of India. Four of 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots – The Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the North-East, and the Nicobar Islands are found in India.

Forests are an important resource for the socio-economic development India. They provide vast resources for economic and industrial development, are a source of direct employment for the rural communities and are home to the tribal cultural heritage of India.

As per the State of Forest Report 2021, the Total Forest cover in the country is 7,13,789 sq. km which accounts for 21.71% of the total geographical area of the country. The increasing forest cover plays a crucial role in the maintenance of natural ecology and economy as well as soil, water and environmental conservation.

The contamination of the physical and biological components of the environment due to pollution adversely affects the ecological security of India.

Pollution of land, air, water, and oceans has been a longstanding issue in the country. According to a new Lancet study, pollution led to more than 2.3 million premature deaths in India in 2019.

Only a tiny fraction of wastewater is treated and almost 70% of the surface water resources of the country are unfit for consumption. Chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides pollute the agricultural land whereas untreated municipal solid waste is dumped on landfills, which degrades the quality of soil and environment in the surrounding regions.

India’s developing economy and diverse society highly is vulnerable to the detrimental effects of Climate change on the environmental resources. Rapid population growth, and need for exploiting more resources for economic development, has placed a strain on country’s environment. Degradation of the natural resource base, increasing industrial pollution, erratic nature of monsoon, unsustainable agriculture, soil erosion, degrading land and forests continue to worsen despite efforts made by the government for their preservation.

From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without urgent action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly. India is progressing decently in achieving its Paris Climate Agreement target but more needs to be done with respect to switching to environment-friendly transportation, preserving flora and fauna, etc. to be immune to the impacts of climate change.

India has engaged with the international community and continues to drive efforts to address the issues of climate change but it is crippled by the lack of adequate funds and interdependence on other countries for its resource needs. Still the country has ramped up its efforts in overcoming the adverse factors that drive climate change. India’s higher commitments in the Glasgow summit are an example of its capabilities.

India is a country with rich marina and river water resources, possessing 4% of world’s water resources. There are 12 large and more than 400 small and-medium rivers in the country. The total catchment area of large rivers is 25.3 lakh km2.

Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basin is the largest river basin in India, with catchment area of about 11.0 lakh km2. India has 690 BCM of total utilisable surface water resources and 433 BCM of utilizable ground water resources. Apart from being sources water, some river basins comprises of exploitable resources of oil and natural gas.

The total water demand in the country is expected to be 1093 BCM by the year 2025.

Therefore, efforts need to be made to increase the utilizable quantity and manage demand by conservation, improving efficiencies and increasing supply sources like Measures must be taken.