The foundation of India's future will be the transformation witnessed by it in the last 10 years, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, stressing that the country has progressed while carrying forward its traditions and values. Jaishankar was addressing an interactive session organised by Delhi University's Miranda House College here on the theme 'Future of India'.
Referring to the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the efficiency and scale at which COVID-19 vaccines were manufactured in India, the minister said the country has in the last decade taken tremendous strides in different fields and has achieved a strong position in the global arena. "The transformation that India has made in the last 10 years will build the foundation on which the future of the next 25 years will be decided," the minister said highlighting developments like digitalisation, work on education, closing the gender gap, skill development, start-up culture, and the increasing reach of welfare schemes among citizens.
He stressed that India as a democracy has not only worked on upholding its values but also delivered its benefits to all segments of society. The foundation on which the future of Bharat is being built are democracy, talent, technology and tradition, Jaishankar said.
The External Affairs Minister said the work done in the past decade reflects how much India has delivered as a democracy. "Don't take democracy as given. We have to nurture it and build it. In many countries of the world democracy is not available," the minister said adding that when a society is indifferent to its people, democracy doesn't flourish.
Speaking about India's position on the global stage, Jaishankar emphasised that the world recognises Indian talent and there is a demand for it in the global market. He said that India has progressed while carrying its traditions and values and the Indian modernity is based on Indian values.
The minister also spoke about the low ranking of India on the world democracy index, noting that for a long time, world politics has been dominated by some countries that have their own agendas and political bias. "They have taken the right to judge others and when we counter their narrative, there is agenda and political partiality. So we have to look at the index keeping this intent in mind," he said
On the issue of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the minister said what happened in Israel on October 7 last year was a terrorist attack that should be condemned, but there are pressing matters such as the hostage issue and the need to create a humanitarian corridor that need to be addressed as well.
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