Evaluating a good society is not merely based on the means of wealth. According to Jeffrey Sach’s theory, it considers a holistic framework- involving going beyond economics, social inclusion, environmental stewardship and government functioning.
In 2015 India’s economy became the world’s fastest-growing major economy (surpassing China). The long-term growth prospects of the Indian economy is positive due to its young population, corresponding low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates, and increasing integration into the global economy. Even though this will enhance the international reputation of India, it is much more complex than this. We have to address social inclusion in the context of this, the economic growth is being tailored by those with vast opportunities- mostly the rich. As a result, with the increase in economic growth, the gap between the rich and the poor widens. As a country, we need to aspire towards lowering the gap between the rich and the poor. Although the government can initiate redistribution of income for social welfare if the rich are taxed too heavily this could potentially discourage effort and enterprise. Thus this can lead to a decline in productivity as well as breakthroughs in research and development. In India, many of the rich are trying to get involved in charity work however they are not realising that this is unsustainable. Instead, we must come up with a more self-sufficient way of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty. For instance, many non-governmental organisations in India are striving to educate and train them with the skills needed to run an enterprise. With the training, their skills and expertise in their field will increase, hence keeping them more self-sufficient and not dependent solely on charities.
Social inclusion is critical towards shaping a good society. It is essential that wealth is not only spread in certain religious groups and others are being discriminated against. In India, there are countless paradigms which hold biased views against religious groups due to generalisations, but in actual fact, not everyone is representative of that. Additionally, this includes wealth being shared between men and women which is key to a fair, equal society. In recent times, due to exposure to social media and modernisation, women are being placed in the limelight and are finding their position in society. However, in my opinion, I strongly believe that a good society should be self-aware that they are abiding by their country’s cultural and religious norms. Women are considered to be the goddess of the house in our culture as they are meant to carry out their duties with great pride such as taking care of the household and prayers. This is more of my personalised view but I am certain that many others also agree with this viewpoint. Social inclusion also involves the fact that there should not be a disparity between those living in urban versus rural areas, however, in India, this remains an ongoing problem. Majority of my family members live in Mumbai which is our country’s financial capital. We are from Kutch in Gujarat and over there, there is a lack of such prosperous opportunities. Nonetheless, all in all, in Kutch despite there not being many avenues for growth, it is still a good society in terms of carrying out the diversity of our culture with the vibrant colours, patterns and hospitality.
Environmental stewardship is also undeniably key to a good society. In India, the general public is quite uneducated about its importance- educating individuals will be the driving factor for change. Campaigns such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan put in place by the government are improving the situation of our country, but it is uncertain how much this will be able to alter our mentality. Hence, government intervention in improving society is pivotal. Undeniably, in India, there is a high prevalence of corruption due to money minded politicians. Furthermore, media is trying to curtail their actual perspectives and are presenting them with bias, confusing the country’s citizens even more. In terms of the environment, if we break physical systems of biodiversity, we will lose out immeasurably. This alludes back to one’s position on the environmental philosophies continuum- ecocentric, anthropocentric or technocentric. It also brings us to the question- why was humanity developed- to be at the centre or just one of the entities? Perhaps those grounded by religious views which shape an ecocentric approach, like me, have a spiritual connection with flora and fauna, through vegetarianism. In contrast, individuals who seem shaped more by Nurture as opposed to Nature on the approaches to psychology spectrum may hold an alternative viewpoint.
A good society also requires an emphasis on rejoicing in small acts of gratitude, spreading the pursuit of happiness which is important towards our presence on Earth.
