Indian Constitution: The Compass and the Horizon of Viksit Bharat

This article explores how the Indian Constitution, with its foundational principles of justice, equality, and liberty, is pivotal in realizing the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. This journey towards 2047 requires collective responsibility to honour the spirit of the Constitution, bridging the gap between its ideals and implementation to ensure the empowerment of every single citizen to build a prosperous, equitable, and resilient nation. The dream of Viksit Bharat has to and will lay the framework for clean, tech-driven, intelligent rural-urban centres having well drainage systems, clean environments, effective policing, democratic administrations and governance with numerous work and education opportunities, delivering just and humane working conditions and decent standards of life for workers, for women and other fellows.

New Delhi’s assertion ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ encapsulating the core ideals and values of the Indian constitution is the guiding torch of its vision ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. Viksit Bharat, translated as Developed India, is a vision for a prosperous, inclusive, and globally respected India that embodies economic growth, social equality, technological advancement, and sustainability. Thus, keeping these aspects in line, it becomes imperative to attempt an exploration of the role of the Indian Constitution in accomplishing the ultimate goal of Viksit Bharat and its ethos. Amidst challenges like political turmoil, linguistic diversity, social inequality, economic instability, and bloody partition, the framers succeeded in drafting a constitution that was clear in its vision to establish a framework where justice, equality and liberty prevailed to establish a system that would cater to the abysmal and acute needs of a varied, afflicted and destitute population.

Sovereignty and Security: The Foundation of Viksit Bharat

The vision of Viksit Bharat will not find an impetus until the foremost concern of our national security and sovereignty is tackled. The preamble of the Indian constitution explicitly underscores India’s sovereignty and that remains the cornerstone of India’s foreign policy. A country dealing with a plethora of challenges in both its internal and external security domains will not rise to develop until it channelizes dedicated efforts in mitigating the threats and dwindles them down to negligible statistics. A country with efficient military capabilities happens to deter and keep its potential adversaries at a far cry. This helps a nation to not just safeguard its political boundaries but also to exercise control and lead its population to a growth trajectory with utmost regard for its security. Ensuring that a country remains sovereign and owes no allegiance to any external power is the primary ethos of the spirit of constitutional sovereignty. In the nascent phase of a newly formed nation, its national security is paramount but down the line, the notion of security expands to include a larger arena of securities that are economic, social and political frameworks. One of the most remarkable aspects of Indian democracy is its ability to thrive in a diverse society.

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Demographic Security: The Engine of Viksit Bharat

India, with over 1.4 billion people, holds the title of the world’s most populous country, has the benefit of engendering the potential of its demographic dividend by appropriate injection of skill set in the working age population and it must be prepared to not only contribute to economic development but also to provide social security, healthcare, and emotional support to its senior citizens. There is a critical requirement for an increased investment in healthcare, housing and pension schemes, since the number of individuals, aged 60 and above, is speculated to grow to 346 million by 2050. For them to live the rest of their lives with dignity and stability, the state must aim for demographic security underscoring its cruciality for achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The preamble of the Indian constitution explicitly underscores India’s sovereignty and that remains the cornerstone of India’s foreign policy. A country dealing with a plethora of challenges in both its internal and external security domains will not rise to develop until it channelizes dedicated efforts in mitigating the threats.

Inclusivity and Welfare: The Spirit of Viksit Bharat

The Indian Constitution is a masterpiece of inclusivity, as it is universal in its application & holds utmost significance in shaping the vision of Viksit Bharat. India, home to multiple religions, languages, and cultures, ensures through its robust Constitution that all groups are represented and protected equally. It safeguards the rights of marginalized groups, empowers women, and ensures that the weakest sections of society have a voice. The justiciable fundamental rights and non-justiciable directive principles provide safeguards for minorities and affirmative actions for marginalized communities thereby enforcing equality and fostering social welfare.

Article 29 of the Indian constitution safeguards the interest of minorities whereas Article 30 provides minorities with the right of establishing and administering educational institutions. The constitution also ascribes a directive principle to promote the educational and economic interests of weaker sections (Article 46). All these provisions ensure that the benefits of growth fulfil the vision of Antyodaya and create a level playing field for every section of the society indifferent of their background. When people are empowered and their basic needs are met, they are less likely to resort to conflict or violence thus, cultivating a productive environment where individuals are liberated and are free to pursue their goals thus contributing to the economic engines of our country and making the idea of Viksit Bharat a reality. The Indian Constitution through its approach attempts to provide its citizens with numerous legal and fundamental rights, guaranteeing equality, freedom, and justice to every individual, irrespective of their background. For India to be a developed nation by 2047, the state has to uplift the downtrodden section of society out of poverty, and empower and impart them with basic skills for both domestic and global opportunities. Economic deprivation limits access to education, skills and opportunities jeopardising their survival in the competitive world.

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To overcome these challenges, enforcement of the paramount ideals of the constitution of India stands significant as it has provided marginalised groups with the provisions of affirmative action to safeguard their interests and rights in this highly unequal society. Article 21A and Article 45, ascribed under the 86th Constitutional Amendment, provide for a basic right and non-justiciable directive for states to provide free and compulsory education to children belonging to the age group of 6 to 14.

The path towards developed India should and will pave the way for a robust economic system and, eminent socio-political atmosphere laden with zenith of the scientific temperament incorporating the spirit of inquiry and rationality.

Socio-Economic Empowerment and Sustainability: The Goal of Viksit Bharat

The Constitution directs the state to strengthen social welfare schemes, ensure equitable wealth distribution, and guarantee fair wages through regular revisions to ensure economic justice. Appropriate enforcement of such prescribed actions is crucial for India’s quest to become Viksit Bharat by 2047. One of the vital aspects of human life is the power to make independent choices. This independence stems from socio-economic empowerment. The Constitution has made people economically potent under Article 16 known as ‘equality of opportunity in matters of public employment’. Along with this, it has given birth to Article 41 through which the State shall, within its economic capacity, make effective provisions for securing the right to work, education, and public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, or other forms of incapacity. Thus, signalling the necessity of inclusivity when fostering the dream of Viksit Bharat to transform the standard of living of ordinary citizens. The idea of Viksit Bharat traverses through significant provisions of the constitution where the ideas of sustainability are incorporated & rooted by the creation of assets that fulfil the needs of the current population without compromising the needs of the future generations with the utmost regard for Article 48A.

The path towards developed India should and will pave the way for a robust economic system and, eminent socio-political atmosphere laden with zenith of the scientific temperament incorporating the spirit of inquiry and rationality. It will foster the virtuous milieu of civil liberties, individual dignity, and utmost respect for the environmental treasury. The dream of Viksit Bharat has to and will lay the framework for clean, tech-driven, intelligent rural-urban centres having well drainage systems, clean environments, effective policing, democratic administrations and governance with numerous work and education opportunities, delivering just and humane working conditions and decent standards of life for workers, for women and other fellows.

The idea of Viksit Bharat will be marked by its citizens’ ability to utilize constitutional tools with collective efforts to bring about social, political, and economic change. This significant reliance on peaceful and participatory constitutional methods strengthens democratic institutions and ensures stability in a country like ours of immense diversity and complexity. The success of the Indian democracy is largely attributed to Indians and their immense faith and belief in their constitution. It must be reiterated that this journey towards 2047 requires collective responsibility to honour the spirit of the Constitution, bridging the gap between its ideals and implementation to ensure the empowerment of every single citizen to build a prosperous, equitable, and resilient nation.

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