Five hundred years ago, India was known to the world as the ‘Golden Bird’ (Sone ki Chidiya), the most prosperous land in the world. Education, science and technology, trade and commerce, manufacturing and agriculture flourished. But some two hundred years later, things began to go wrong. All the centres of science, trade and education began to collapse. Our culture was forgotten. Our wealth was looted and plundered. And soon, we were slaves to the British empire. The Golden Bird had left its nest. Indians were ridiculed, stereotyped as ‘snake-charmers’, street magicians, ‘fakirs’ and ‘rope-trick’ performers, a so-called magical feat where one would make a coil of rope stand erect and climb it.

But today, in the 21st century, all that has changed. The land of the rope-trick performer is now being spoken about as the next superpower of the world. What has happened now? Let us analyse some basic factors which have a significant impact on our national identity:

1. Education: We are today the 3rd largest educational sector in the world. There are more than 18000 institutions in India who are imparting education to our population. The day is not far when our IITs and IIMs will have campuses in London, New York and Frankfurt.

2. Literacy: This factor is a direct outcome of our educational sector. To put it in perspective, India has improved its literacy ratio from as low as 39% in 1980 to 75% in 2010! (Source: www.wikipedia.com)

3. Infrastructure: Every year, more than 70 billion US Dollars are spent on upgradation of airports, railways, roads etc. This is touted as the largest in the world.

4. GDP: GDP has increased from 4% in 2000 to nearly 8% in 2010, currently the 4th largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity.

5. The Middle Class: Middle class citizens are the backbone of any economy, and contribute to the social and political growth of the nation. The current middle class strength of India is around 5% (50 million). By 2025, this figure is expected to go as high as 41% (583 million!).

The list goes on. Apart from these, India is also the 2nd largest IT employer in the world, and has the largest IT exports in the world (80%). The second nation is China, with only 25% exports. Our defence is considered the best in the world. We have the largest standing army in the world and the 4th largest air force. Around 60% of our population is under 25 years of age, giving us a massive human resource.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. The rate of our development is simply staggering. Apart from the very successful ICC Cricket World Cup and the Commonwealth games held in our country, the Formula 1 race track in Delhi is being touted as the best circuit in the world by ace drivers like Vettel and Button. The recent economic downturn in the US and the Euro Zone countries has prompted thousands of people from the west to move towards India for gainful employment. The entire scenario is ironical. The same people who ridiculed our culture and tradition a few years ago are now forced to seek employment in our country. Large trans-national companies have shifted their manufacturing and research outlets to India. On an evening stroll down Brigade Road in Bengaluru or IT Park in Chennai, one is likely to bump into a person of German or South-East Asian origin. It is easier to locate a Sushi Bar or a Mexican Deli in Bengaluru than an Iyengar Bakery. It seems that the Golden Bird truly has returned to its nest once again. Perhaps this is the ‘Great Indian Rope Trick’ after all!

Aditya Vishwanath IIK Young Contributor 10th Standard FAIPS - DPS