It is the season of digital spectacle. From Smart Cities to the National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM), the Union government never misses an opportunity to announce a grand plan for “transforming urban India.” Glossy dashboards, artificial intelligence claims, and billion-dollar contracts are flaunted as if technology alone can rescue India’s cities.
India’s wellness industry is booming, with PWC estimating its size at ₹490 billion, growing at a compound growth rate of around 16%. Fitness centres, yoga studios, Zumba dance classes, personal trainers, health food, and athleisure clothing proliferate. A section of the population is really taking their health and fitness into their own earnest hands, even as another section is feasting on newfound prosperity and growing obese.
The Indian population is growing, and the country is demonstrating strong growth potential. In this scenario, a lack of financial inclusion can be one of the major challenges faced by the government.
eTaal (Electronic Transaction Aggregation & Analysis Layer) is an initiative by the Government of India, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NM-SHE) is an initiative launched in 2014, as one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and falls under the observation and implementation of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The Himalayan ecosystem is one of the largest resources of snow and ice and remains a vulnerable ecosystem due to the consequences of climate change and developmental issues.
Unorganised Workers are mostly engaged as home-based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers, etc. As per the e-Shram portal, there are over 30.51 crore unorganised workers registered, as on 31 December 2024. Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan Dhan was introduced in the Interim Budget 2019.
How many stampedes need to occur, bridges need to collapse, fires need to devastate public places, cities need to get flooded for the nation to act to reform the crippled and crippling systems? Adverse events occur with such regularity that the public accepts them with resignation and cynicism. Many suffer silently, believing that it is God ordained fate. And, the well-off accept that they cannot insulate themselves from these uncivilised living conditions in spite of their wealth.