BEYOND 2020

Source:goodreads

1. India 2020 is about to become a reality. Are we ready? In 1998, Dr

Kalam and Y.S. Rajan published the now iconic India 2020, a vision
document for the new millennium that charted how India could become
one of the top five economic powers in the world by 2020. Sixteen years
later, as the year 2020 approaches, it is time to take stock of how much
India has achieved and what lies ahead.

In many ways, India s growth story in the twenty-first century has been
hamstrung by missed opportunities and slowdowns in project
execution; but it has also been marked by new opportunities and
emerging technologies that make faster and more inclusive growth
viable. A renewed policy focus is now needed for agriculture,
manufacturing, mining, the chemicals industry, health care and
infrastructure to invigorate these sectors and boost economic growth,
argue Kalam and Rajan. Alongside, education, job creation, emerging
technologies, biodiversity, waste management, national security and the
knowledge economy are some of the other vital areas that we need to
build on as we look beyond 2020.

India can still make it to the list of developed nations in a decade.

Beyond 2020 provides an action plan for that transformation.

2.

Beyond 2020 has fifteen chapters with extensive details on how to take the
nation from present scenario to progress by pushing through missions on
industries, services and agriculture. Each chapter of the book is accompanied
by a number of graphs and statistics to support the data.
The authors feel that the crying need in the country is not a shortage of plans,
but arriving at the correct methodologies to implement the plans and figuring
out how to reach the benefits to the people for whom the plans are intended.
The book defines roles and actions of various people such as the panchayat
leaders, members of the Legislative Assembly, members of Parliament,
ministers, the judiciary, media, the corporate sector, the opposition,
regulatory bodies, opinion makers, activists and intellectuals, students and
youth, agriculturists, doctors and health professionals.
The initial chapters of the book highlight the great achievement for a country
as large as India to have successfully eradicated polio, but at the same time it
also mentions that to maintain a polio free status is an equally challenging
task. The book then progresses to tell that in many ways, India s growth story
in the twenty-first century has been restricted by slowdowns in project
execution; but it has also been marked by new opportunities and emerging
technologies that make faster and more inclusive growth viable. The eminent
scientists believe that learning that must be done from missed opportunities in
order to move towards a brighter future. A lot of emphasis in the book is laid
on improving education, job creation, emerging technologies, biodiversity,
waste management and national security. A renewed policy focus is needed for
agriculture, manufacturing, mining, the chemicals industry, health care and
infrastructure to invigorate these sectors and boost economic growth, argue
Kalam and Rajan.
Over the last sixty- seven years, successive governments have been committed
to achieve the national goal of universal education and have steadily increased
the budgetary allocation for education. However, 35 per cent of our adult
population is yet to achieve literacy. ‘Education for every Indian’- one of the
many chapters in the book rightly throws light on the inequality of access to
educational resources in the country.

In 1998, Dr Kalam and Y.S. Rajan published the now iconic India 2020, a
vision document for the new millennium that charted how India could become
one of the top five economic powers in the world by 2020. Sixteen years later,
as the year 2020 approaches, the authors came out with Beyond 2020 ,
another book to take stock of how much India has achieved by now and what
lies ahead.
The book successfully points out the problem areas in hindrance of the
country’s development such as inadequate infrastructure, illiteracy, unhappy
conditions of roads, railways, ports, etc and also gives handful suggestions to
improve the same. The book assures that India can still make it to the list of
developed nations within a decade. But for that transformation to take place,
there are a number of reforms that need to be carried out. And the important
thing to remember is that every Indian, each one of us has a role to play as we
look to build an India beyond 2020.
The book underlines that the twenty first century will be India’s if everyone
works hard with a constant commitment and endeavour to better ourselves
and transform India into the country of our dreams. The book ends on a very
positive note charting out the mission in a four point action plan for the nation
which includes making ample water available for both urban areas and
villages, creating an earning capacity for every family, working towards
sustainable economic prosperity and possessing great values.

2. Great book must read for every Indian. The whole book is a SWOT
(Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats) analysis of our country.
The book is carefully classified into chapters which represents various
sectors of the economy. Detailed information of what all has been
achieved in each sector, where we stand today as compared to other
countries and the areas of development.
The book starts with one of the major achievements in the recent times -
India becoming polio free which went unnoticed.
At the end of the book a thorough analysis is given first of the sectors
and lastly what all needs to be achieved by the country as a whole.
The only backdrop of the book, was that the environmental issues was a
bit neglected (though he did highlight to have a sustainable
development at the start) but no plans to maintain the environment
along with the development was highlighted (except for water pollution
and garbage disposal)
More focus could have been given on the government roles and the
initiatives that can be taken by an individual as well.
But overall just loved reading the book sector wise and understand our
pros and cons. (less)