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Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan – Explained with Video

Last updated on December 25, 2023 by ClearIAS Team

Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Mission) is a campaign launched by the Central Government of India which included an Rs.20 lakh crore economic stimulus package and several reform proposals.

As part of the relief measures in the aftermath of COVID-19 , the Prime Minister announced a special economic package and gave a clarion call for “ Atmanirbhar Bharat ” or “Self-reliant India”.

He noted that this package totals Rs 20 lakh crore, including the government’s recent announcements on supporting key sectors and measures by the Reserve Bank of India, which is equivalent to almost 10% of India’s GDP .

Table of Contents

Meaning of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

The meaning of the term ‘ Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is self-reliant India .

In his speech, the Prime Minister observed that to fulfill the dream of making 21st-century India, the way forward is through ensuring that the country becomes self-reliant.

Significance of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

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• Talking about turning a crisis into an opportunity , he gave the example that the production of PPE kits and N-95 masks in India has gone up from almost being negligible to 2 lakh each, daily.
• Remaking that self-reliance is the only way out for India , the PM quoted from our scriptures “ Eshah Panthah ”, that is – self-sufficient India.
• Self-reliance will make globalization human-centric . The definition of self-reliance has changed in a globalized world and it is different from being self-centred. India’s fundamental thinking and tradition of “ Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ” provides a ray of hope to the world. This should be seen in the context of Human-Centric Globalization versus Economy Centralized Globalization.
• Self-reliance does not mean cutting India off from the world. India believes in the welfare of the world and India’s progress is linked with the world. The world trusts that India has a lot to contribute to the development of the entire humanity.
• The PM also stressed the need to be vocal about local products and urged people to buy only local products.

Five Pillars of a Self-reliant India

• Bold reforms across sectors will drive the country’s push towards self-reliance.
• Economy : contemplates not an Incremental change but a quantum leap so that we can convert the current adversity into an advantage.
• Infrastructure : that can be an image of modern India or it can be the identity of India.
• Systems : driven by 21 st -century technology, and that is not based on old rules.
• Democracy : a vibrant democracy that is the source of energy to make India self-reliant.
• Demand : where the strength of our demand and supply chain is utilized intelligently.

The reforms and stimulus measures under the Rs 20 lakh crore package were subsequently elaborated by the Finance Minister in five tranches:

The first tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan – Total Rs 5,94,550 Cr

• Collateral-free loans and emergency credit to restart business including MSME – 3,00,000 Cr.
• Subordinate debt for stressed MSMEs – 20,000 Cr
• Fund of Funds for an equity infusion to MSMEs – 50,000 Cr. It will also encourage MSMEs to get listed on the main board of Stock Exchanges.
• Extended EPF support via government contributions to EPF accounts of eligible establishments – 2800 Cr
• Reduced EPF rates of both employer and employee – 6750 Cr
• Special Liquidity Scheme for NBFCs/HFCs/MFIs – 30,000 Cr
• Partial credit guarantee scheme for liabilities of NBFCs/MFIs – 45,000 Cr
• Liquidity injection for DISCOMs via Power Finance Corp/REC – 90,000 crore
• Reduction of TCS / TDS rates – 50,000 Cr
• Note: The definition of MSMEs changed by enhancing the limits to be considered as an MSME .

The second tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan – Total Rs 3,10,000 Cr

• Free food grains to migrant workers for 2 months – 3500 Cr
• Interest subvention of MUDRA-Shishu loans – 1500 Cr
• Special credit facility to street vendors – 5000 Cr
• Extension of credit-linked subsidy scheme in the housing sector for the middle-income group – 70,000 Cr
• Additional emergency working capital for farmers through NABARD – 30,000 Cr
• Additional concessional credit through Kisan Credit Cards – 2,00,000 Cr
• One Nation One Ration card to enable a migrant beneficiary to purchase grains from any ration shop in the country.
• Affordable housing for migrants and urban poor via a scheme under PMAY and affordable rental housing complexes (ARHC) under PPP mode.

The third tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan – Total Rs 1,50,000 Cr

• Agri Infrastructure Fund for farm gate infrastructure including cold chain and post-harvest infrastructure – 1,00,000 Cr
• Food micro-enterprises with a cluster-based approach– 10,000 Cr
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) – 11,000 Cr for activities in Marine, Inland fisheries, and Aquaculture and 9000 Cr for Infrastructure – Fishing Harbours, Cold chain, Markets, etc.
• Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund – 15,000 Cr
• Promotion of Herbal Cultivation – 4000 Cr
• Extending Operation Greens project from Tomatoes, Onion, and Potatoes (TOP) to all fruits and vegetables – 500 Cr
• Beekeeping initiatives – 500 Cr

The fourth and fifth tranches of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (combined) – Total Rs 48,100 Cr

• Viability gap funding – 8,100 Cr
• Additional MGNREGA allocation – 40,000 Cr

Earlier measures

• Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per health worker
• Free cereals and pulses, gas cylinders to poor families for 3 months
• Direct cash transfer via Jan Dhan accounts to poor women.
• PF credits to low-income workers and advances from EPF.
• Collateral-free lending for Women SHG up to Rs 20 lakhs.
• Revenue lost due to tax concessions – 7,800 Cr
• PM’s announcement in the health sector – 15,000 Cr

Measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India

• RBI enhanced liquidity by Rs 1.37 lakh crores by reducing CRR
• Targeted long-term repo operations of Rs 1 lakh crore.
• Raised the Ways and Means advance limits of the state governments by 60 percent.
• Raised borrowing limits of banks under the marginal standing facility to avail an additional Rs 1.37 lakh crore.
• Special refinance facilities to NABARD, SIDBI, and NHB
• Special liquidity facility for mutual funds
• Moratorium on loan repayments

Other major decisions taken under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

Apart from the above, under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan decisions are also made to reform labour, agriculture, coal sector etc.

Labour sector reforms

• To avoid regional disparity in minimum wages, the National Floor Wage is to be introduced.
• An appointment letter is to be provided to all workers to promote formalization.
• Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) code to cover all establishments engaged in hazardous work.
• Definition of the inter-state migrant worker to include migrant workers employed directly by the employer.
• ESIC coverage will be extended to all districts and all establishments employing 10 or more employees as against those in notified districts/areas only.
• Mandatory ESIC coverage for employees in hazardous industries with less than 10 employees.
• Introduction of re-skilling funds for retrenched employees.
• Provision of Social Security Fund for unorganized workers.
• Provision of gratuity on completion of one-year service as against 5 years.

Agriculture Marketing Reforms to provide choices to farmers

• Now, farmers are bound to sell agricultural produce only to licensees in APMCs .
• A law will be formulated to provide choices to farmers to sell produce at an attractive price and enable barrier-free inter-state trade.
• The legal framework will be created for contract farming and enable farmers to engage with processors, aggregators, large retailers, and exporters fairly and transparently.
• Risk mitigation for farmers’ assured returns and quality standardization to be an integral part of the framework.

Coal sector reforms

• Introduction of commercial mining in the coal sector through a revenue-sharing mechanism instead of the regime of fixed Rupee/tonne
• To lower impact on the environment, coal gasification, and liquefication will be incentivized through rebates in revenue share
• Coal Bed Methane (CBM) extraction rights are to be auctioned from Coal India Limited’s (CIL) coal mines.

Self-reliance in defence production

• Ban the import of several weapons and a separate budget provisioning for domestic capital procurement to help reduce the huge defense import bill.
• Corporatize the Ordnance Factory Board to improve autonomy, accountability, and efficiency.
• Increased FDI limit in defence manufacturing under the automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent.

Read:  Indigenization of defence sector

Aircraft and airspace sector

• Restrictions on the utilization of the Indian airspace will be eased so that civilian flying becomes more efficient.
• Development of world-class airports through PPP,
• The tax regime for Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul ecosystem is rationalized and the convergence between the defence sector and the civil MROs will be established to create economies of scale.
• Boosting private participation in space activities. The private sector will be allowed to use ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve their capacities.

Technology-driven education

• PM e-VIDYA — a program for multi-mode access to digital/online education — will be launched. The program will comprise one earmarked TV channel per class from 1 to 12. Special e-content will be prepared for the visually and hearing impaired. The top 100 universities will be permitted to automatically start online courses by 30 May 2020.
• Manodarpan , an initiative for psycho-social support of students, teachers, and families for mental health and emotional well-being, will also be launched simultaneously.
• National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission will be launched in December 2020 to ensure that every child attains learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2025.

Read: EdTech Sector in India

Ease of doing business-related measures

• The minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings was raised to Rs 1 crore
• Suspension of fresh initiation of insolvency proceedings up to one year.
• Special insolvency resolution framework for MSMEs to be notified soon.
• Decriminalization of violations under the Companies Act
• Allow direct listing of securities by Indian public companies in permissible foreign jurisdictions.
• The government will announce a new, coherent policy where all sectors are open to the private sector while public sector enterprises (PSEs) will play an important role in defined areas.
• A list of strategic sectors requiring the presence of PSEs in the public interest will be notified.
• In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will remain in the public sector but the private sector will also be allowed.
• In other sectors, PSEs will be privatized.

Read:  PM SVANidhi Scheme

Parallels with the Swadeshi Movement and Need for Self-reliance

• The call for self-reliance can be compared with the Swadeshi movement and we can find that it is a relatable response to the evolving political and economic currents in a globalized world.
• If Swadeshi was the rejection of the colonial exploitation of India and criticism of the Western model of Capitalism-based economic growth, Atmanirbhar Bharat is an attempt to find India’s legitimate place in a rapidly changing world.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat like the Swadeshi movement is a program that is against the unrestricted import of Western thinking and economic models but is not averse to technology. It stands for modernization but without unbridled Westernisation.
• The clarion call ‘ Vocal for local’ needs to be seen as a response to the anticipated changes in geopolitical order in the post-COVID world.
• The COVID crisis has shown the failings of multilateral and regional institutions and also the ineffectiveness of trade barriers and standalone economic models.
• Indian entrepreneurship must be freed from the shackles by adopting suitable governance models and reforming laws.
• The ‘new Swadeshi’ must transform local industries to connect the ever-changing global trade structure and lead to ‘ glocalization’ that serves local and global markets.
• Some early signs of this development were seen during the COVID crisis where India’s position as the ‘pharmacy of the developing world’ was cemented. The importance of self-reliance was also seen in the self-sufficiency for food, especially cereals, the lack of which would have exasperated the current crisis.

Criticism of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

• Several opposition leaders pointed out that as per the calculations by many economists, the actual government expenditure in the Atmanirbhar package is just 1%.
• The actions of RBI were included as part of the government’s fiscal package whereas government expenditure and RBI’s actions cannot be clubbed together.
• The Indian economy is likely to contract and the Gross Value Added across sectors is likely to fall. According to an assessment by Prof N R Bhanumurthy of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), India’s GVA will contract by 13% this year under the Base case scenario (The Base case scenario refers to a scenario where governments bring down their expenditure in line with their falling revenues to maintain their fiscal deficit target).
• Several economists suggest that the government needs to spend much more to prevent an economic contraction. Higher public spending will come at the cost of higher levels of fiscal deficits and higher inflation, but a growth contraction will cause even worse outcomes in the form of widespread economic ruin.
• Direct expenditure by a government such as direct benefit transfer or by construction will mean that money reaches the people.
• But credit easing by the RBI is not direct government expenditure and banks will be hesitant to lend the money available to them.
• Nothing to stimulate demand – many economists have opined that the government stimulus tries to resolve only supply-side issues. There is nothing to generate demand. This could only be done by putting money in the hands of people.
• Modest MSME package – according to opposition leaders, the MSME package was modest and the measures were skewed in favor of the larger ones. Moreover, the unorganized sector was not catered to.
• Insufficient support for the state governments – the state governments that are at the forefront of fighting the pandemic have not been supported adequately via fund transfers.
• A remodeling of Make in India Campaign – The self-reliant India campaign is criticized by many as a re-modeling of the Make in India Campaign – which didn’t produce expected results – with some add-on.
• The philosophy of self-reliance: India, like most countries, has been following the principles of globalization since the LPG reforms in 1991. Even though the globalized world shrank into isolated countries during the COVID-19 period, it is yet to be seen if self-reliance can be adopted as a viable economic policy by a country like India, post-COVID.

The strategy of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan seems to give a strong supply-side push by boosting the availability of capital on easy terms and through supporting agriculture and business sectors.

The additional allocation to MNREGA will help in productively employing returning migrants.

States are now allowed to borrow within a higher limit but with clear reform conditionalities.

The demand-side stimulus via deficit financing is not considered for the time being.

But it cannot be denied that there is a desperate need for demand stimulus now. People’s purchasing power needs to be increased and demand for industrial products and services must be created.

Income support to migrant workers and the urban poor is also an immediate concern.

Thus, even with falling revenues, a deeper fiscal stimulus could have been attempted.

Several of the reform measures like opening up more sectors for private participation and enhancing foreign direct investment are not to be seen as part of COVID relief but as long-term structural changes. The effect of these measures will have to be watched carefully.

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Reader Interactions

May 26, 2020 at 10:54 am

Excellent…

November 2, 2020 at 9:53 am

how the funds will be provided to all these sectors.

December 22, 2020 at 1:05 pm

4th pillar is Demography, not Democracy. Rectify it

December 22, 2020 at 1:06 pm

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Essay On Self-Reliant India Mission In English Step by Step | UPSC

Essay On Self-Reliant India Mission In English

Hello Friends … In this post “ Essay On Self-Reliant India Mission In English “, we will read about Self-Reliant India   Or Aatm Nirbhar Bharat as an Essay with an In-depth Analysis.

Let’s Start…

Introduction

In this era of globalization , all countries are interlinked. In this case, the definition of self-reliance has also changed.

Self-reliance is different from self-centered . India believes strongly in the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam .

India is a part of the world, if India progresses, it also contributes to the progress of the world by doing so. Globalization will not be boycotted in building a self-reliant India  but will be helped in the development of the world.

Therefore, for us, a self-reliant India means improving the quality of life of people with economic development while remaining connected to the world.

The objective of the self-reliant India campaign is not only to fight the covid-19 epidemic but also to rebuild future India.

The idea of ​​a self-reliant India campaign has been part of the ideological tradition of India. This idea matches Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of village swaraj.

Mahatma Gandhi believed that every village should be Self-Reliant in meeting its needs, only then a true Gram Swaraj can be established there.

He emphasized the promotion of cottage industries to promote the village, including the promotion of charkha and khadi.

Now after the crisis arising from the coronavirus as a side effect of globalization , the intention is to develop a rural economy on the basis of Gram Swaraj itself.

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Self-reliant India’s Strategy

Under the strategy of self-reliant India , the government has focused on 4L : land, labor, liquidity, and law.

Land: No industry can be established without land. In such a situation, the land issue will be cleared for the establishment of industries.

Labor: Even without labor, industry or trade cannot be imagined, but there are many complications regarding the labor law in India. For this, logical laws need to be made.

Liquidity : Liquidity is also very important to run the wheel of economic activities.

Law: There are many such complicated laws in the country, due to which development is hindered, so major changes will be made in the law to clear the way for Self-Reliant .

Five pillars for self-reliant India

• Infrastructure
• Vibrant Demography
• Economy:- An arrangement that is based on quantum jump rather than incremental change.
• Infrastructure:-  that became the identity of modern India.
• Technology:- System based on the technology-driven system.
• Vibrant Demography:- This is a source of energy for Self-Reliant India .
• Demand:- For this, the target has been set to harness the full potential of India’s demand and supply chain.

Declaration of Important Economic Reforms

The total economic package of 2097053 crores for the self-reliant India campaign includes Rs 1 lakh 92800 crores of the previously released Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Package and monetary measures of Rs 801603 crores of RBI.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced this package in 5 installments.

The government has announced various central schemes for MSMEs and other sectors.

The “Make in India” initiative will be emphasized to increase self-reliance in defense production.

FDI limit will be increased from 49% to 74% from an automatic route in the defense manufacturing sector.

The viability gap funding scheme will be implemented to increase private investment in the social infrastructure sector.

To improve the capacity of the private sector, the private sector will be allowed to use ISRO facilities and relevant assets.

In order to enable farmers to get a better price for their produce, the government will change the Essential Commodities Act .

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Why Criticize the Package?

The self-Reliant India package has been released during the period of the Coronavirus crisis , in such a situation, it was expected that this package will provide many relief in this crisis.

But the long-term measure of economic reforms is more in the package and the immediate relief seems less.

For migrant laborers and the poor, 5 kg ration per person and 1 kg gram per family will be provided for 2 months. The amount being given under Direct Benefit Transfer is very less and it has reached only those people who have Jan Dhan accounts .

In such a situation, the large population who do not have an account has been deprived of such financial help.

There is also a criticism that almost 90% of the package is linked to giving loans at cheaper rates or easing the terms of the loan and giving some interest rebate on cutting interest rates or making quick payments.

Critics say that the government does not have to spend a fair amount of money. While spending appropriately is necessary to prevent the deterioration of the economy.

When spending increases in the economy, it increases consumption and when consumption increases, production also increases. In this way, the cycle of economic activity starts.

That is why many economists were constantly raising the demand that money should be given to the hands of the poor so that it could spend and the cycle of trade could catch pace.

Challenges Self-Reliant India Mission

The government claims that the economic stimulus package for the Self-Reliant India Campaign is about 10% of India’s GDP.

But financing this package can be quite difficult as the government is already worried about the growing fiscal deficit and is constantly trying to reduce it.

It is also difficult to raise finance by accelerating disinvestment as most of the PSUs are burdened with debt.

The privatization of PSUs in the midst of conditions such as the economic downturn will not give the government too many buyers and in the absence of competition, the privatization will not provide the required funds.

Apart from this, it is also difficult to borrow from foreign markets because the rupee is in a weak position against the dollar.

In this way, it will also not be easy to achieve Self-reliance . Local entrepreneurs and manufacturers will also have to provide some security money to produce local products and make them competitive.

This may lead to a direct confrontation between India with the members of the World Trade Organization.

The condition of the 5 pillars of “ Self-reliant India ” is also not very encouraging. Lack of infrastructure has been a major obstacle for foreign companies to invest in India,

Due to these challenges, the government has failed to make India a manufacturing hub under the “Make in India” project, which was the stated objective of this project.

Therefore, we have to move forward taking lessons from our experience.

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Conclusion (Essay On Self-Reliant India)

To attract China-based foreign companies to invest in India, India will have to build world-class infrastructure. To revive the economy of India in this way, the government will have to focus on developing the manufacturing sector.

So that employees can be created on a large scale and the country’s infrastructure can also be strengthened. One negative consequence of liberalization was that industrialization became concentrated in cities.

It will not be possible for a self-reliant India to move forward only on the basis of economic reform.

Rather, the government will have to promote holistic reforms across the country, focusing on several dimensions including labor reforms, civil service reforms, and skill reforms so that capable human resources are available in the country.

Also, there is a need to make the tax system rational. The government will have to move towards simple and clear legislation.

Supply chain-based reforms will have to be encouraged in the agriculture sector so that the rural economy can get a boost.

In backward states, attention should be paid to the development of cottage and small-scale industries such as village industries, handloom industries, handicrafts industries, and food processing industries .

So that employees can be created at the local level, local products can be identified and the local supply chain can be strengthened. With this, the Indian economy will emerge in a new form after the crisis of Coronavirus .

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Essay on Atmanirbhar Bharat

“Atmanirbhar Bharat” is a visionary initiative that aims to make India self-reliant and self-sufficient in various sectors. In this essay, we will explore the concept of “Atmanirbhar Bharat,” its significance, and the journey India is on to achieve self-reliance.

Understanding “Atmanirbhar Bharat”

“Atmanirbhar Bharat,” which translates to “self-reliant India,” is a call to make India self-sufficient in key areas such as manufacturing, technology, and innovation. It promotes the idea of producing goods and services within the country rather than relying heavily on imports.

The Need for Self-Reliance

India’s journey towards self-reliance is driven by the need to reduce dependence on foreign countries for essential goods and services. This is crucial for economic stability, national security, and overall development. “Atmanirbhar Bharat” aims to strengthen India’s economic resilience.

Promoting Indigenous Manufacturing

One of the pillars of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” is to promote indigenous manufacturing. By encouraging domestic production, India can create job opportunities, boost the economy, and reduce its trade deficit. This approach supports the “Make in India” campaign.

Enhancing Technological Capabilities

Technological advancement is another key aspect of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.” India seeks to develop its own technology solutions and reduce reliance on foreign technology. This includes advancements in areas like information technology, telecommunications, and space exploration.

Strengthening Agriculture and Rural Sectors

Self-reliance in agriculture and rural sectors is vital for India’s food security. Initiatives like “Atmanirbhar Krishi” aim to empower farmers, improve agricultural infrastructure, and reduce post-harvest losses. Self-sufficiency in agriculture ensures food availability for the nation.

A Boost for Small and Medium Enterprises

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in India’s economic growth. “Atmanirbhar Bharat” supports the growth of SMEs by providing financial assistance, improving ease of doing business, and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of self-reliance, especially in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. “Atmanirbhar Bharat” recognizes the need to strengthen India’s healthcare infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.

Global Recognition and Partnerships

“Atmanirbhar Bharat” does not mean isolationism. India continues to engage in global partnerships and trade while working towards self-reliance. It aims to be a reliable and self-sufficient partner in the global economy.

Conclusion of Essay on Atmanirbhar Bharat

In conclusion, “Atmanirbhar Bharat” is a vision that holds immense significance for India’s development and growth. It aims to reduce dependence on imports, promote indigenous manufacturing and technology, strengthen agriculture, empower SMEs, and enhance healthcare capabilities.

Achieving self-reliance is a journey that requires determination, innovation, and cooperation between the government, industries, and citizens. “Atmanirbhar Bharat” is not just a policy but a call to action for all Indians to contribute to the nation’s self-sufficiency.

As India continues its journey towards self-reliance, it has the potential to become a global economic powerhouse, a hub for innovation, and a nation that is truly self-sufficient in all aspects. “Atmanirbhar Bharat” is a vision that paves the way for a brighter and more self-reliant future for India and its people.

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Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Mission): program, significance, issues

From Current Affairs Notes for UPSC » Editorials & In-depths » This topic

What is Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan or Self-reliant Mission?

• Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is an economic stimulus program that aims to cut down import dependence by focusing on substitution while improving the quality and safety standards of made in India products to enter the global value chain.
• The PM declared an economic package of total Rs. 20 lakh crore which is about 20% of India’s Gross Domestic Product in 2019-20.
• This self-reliance doesn’t mean the tariff escalation, MRTP days of pre-liberalization days. It is a program to project India into the global market and gain a significant position.
• It focuses on the importance of “local product” promotion.
• The latest announcement is the 5 th and last tranche of big economic stimulus packages announced in the fight against the economic impacts of the lockdown.
• It not only contains financial packages for different sectors but also pushes the reform measures in agriculture, PSU s, etc.

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What are the five pillars of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission?

The PM outlined the five pillars of the mission. They are:

• Economy- The quantum jump and not incremental changes;
• Infrastructure- Representing India
• System- Driven by the new age technologies
• Demography- The force behind self-reliant India
• Demand- to utilize the strength of our demand-supply chain

Prelims Sureshots – Most Probable Topics for UPSC Prelims

A Compilation of the Most Probable Topics for UPSC Prelims, including Schemes, Freedom Fighters, Judgments, Acts, National Parks, Government Agencies, Space Missions, and more. Get a guaranteed 120+ marks!

The prologue to the Mission

Before the PM announced the mission there were a series of actions to revive the economic stress after the lockdown. They are discussed below.

• The PM Garib Kalyan Yojana

The size of the package was Rs. 1.7 lakh crores (0.85% of the GDP) which consisted

• Front-loading of PM Kisan funds: Rs 17,380 crore
• Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Fund: Rs 31,000 crore
• District Mineral Foundation Funds: Rs 35,925 crore
• Additional fiscal cost to the central government: Rs. 85,695 crores.
• Liquidity Injection by the Reserve Bank of India

The two-step liquidity injection by the RBI consisted of actions given below

• Targeted Long-Term Repo Operations (TLTRO): Rs 1,00,000 crore after which additional TLTRO of Rs. 50,000 crores were declared
• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) cut of 100 basis points to 3% of net demand and time liabilities: Rs 1,37,000 crore
• Accommodation under Marginal Standing Facility hiked from 2% of Statutory Liquidity Ration to 3%: Rs 1,37,000 crore
• Refinance of SIDBI, NABARD and NHB: Rs 50,000 crore
• Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds: 50,000 crores

The Atmanirbhar Bharat mission: A Detailed breakup

In order to give shape to the mission, the FM announced that land, labour, liquidity, and laws have all been emphasized. The package was declared in total of five tranches. They are enumerated below.

• The first Tranche : The Rs. 5.94 lakh crores outlay focuses on the MSME sector , EPF contributions, and DISCOMS .

• The Second Tranche : Rs. 3 Lakh crores focuses on the Migrants, Street vendors, plantation workers, and the housing sector

• The Third Tranche : It deals with the agricultural and allied sectors with an outlay of Rs 1.5 lakh crores

Apart from these layouts, the policy reforms such as the amendment of essential commodities Act and freeing up of agricultural marketing were also announced.

• The Fourth Tranche : policy reforms with total outlay Rs. 8100 crores
• Privatization of DISCOMS in Union territories
• Boosting investment in social infrastructure
• Relaxation of restriction f use of Indian airspace
• Private participation space sector
• Self-reliance in defense manufacturing
• Linking the robust startup ecosystem to the nuclear sector
• The Fifth Tranche : It focuses on the PSUs, state borrowings, and MGNREGA
• New policy for public sector enterprises and strategic sectors will be notified in which there will be at least one (but not more than four) PSEs in addition to private players.
• Limit of state borrowings increased to 5% of GSDP from 3% of GSDP; but only 0.5% of it (Rs 1.07 lakh crore) can be raised conditionally
• MGNREGA gets an additional Rs 40,000 crore

As can be seen from the above detailed breakup of the mission package, the mission includes the multisectoral financial and administrative-policy measures.

The FM announced that the measures work on seven areas of reforms. They are elaborated below.

• The MGNREGA outlay
• It will help generate nearly 300 crore person-days in total addressing the need for more work including returning migrant workers in Monsoon season as well.
• The Creation of a larger number of durable and livelihood assets including water conservation assets will boost the rural economy through higher production.
• Health reforms and initiatives
• The sector will be helped by investing in grassroot health institutions and ramping up Health and Wellness Centres in rural and urban areas.
• Setting up of Infectious Diseases Hospital Blocks in all districts and strengthening of lab network and surveillance by Integrated Public Health Labs in all districts & block level Labs & Public Health Unit to manage pandemics.
• ICMR’s National Institutional Platform for One health will encourage research andimplementation of the National Digital Health Blueprint under the National Digital Health Mission.
• Technology Driven Education with Equity post-COVID
• PM eVIDYA ,  a program for multi-mode access to digital/online education to be launched immediately
• Manodarpan ,  an initiative for psycho-social support for students, teachers, and families for mental health and emotional well-being to be launched immediately as well
• New National Curriculum and Pedagogical frameworkfor school, early childhood, and teachers   will also be launched.
• National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Missionfor ensuring that every child attains Learning levels and outcomes in   grade  5  by 2025 will be launched by December 2020.
• Ease of Doing Business through solvency measures
• The Minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings has been raised to Rs. 1 crore (from Rs. 1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs).
• For MSMEs, a Special insolvency resolution framework will be notified soon.
• Suspension of fresh initiation of insolvency proceedings up to one year, depending upon the pandemic situation.
• Empowering the Government to exclude COVID 19 related debt from the definition of “default” under the Code will be considered.
• Decriminalization of Companies Act defaults
• Decriminalization of Companies Act violations involving minor technical and procedural defaults.
• Seven compoundable offenses are dropped and five are to be dealt with under an alternative framework.
• Ease of Doing Business for Corporates
• Direct listing of securities by Indian public companies in permissible foreign jurisdictions.
• Private companies that list NCDs on stock exchanges not to be regarded as listed companies.
• Including the provisions of Part IXA (Producer Companies) of Companies Act, 1956 in Companies Act, 2013.
• Power to create additional/ specialized benches for NCLAT
• Lower penalties for all defaults for Small Companies, One-person Companies, Producer Companies & Startups.
• Public Sector Enterprise Policy
• List of strategic sectors requiring the presence of PSEs in the public interest will be notified
• In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will remain in the public sector but the private sector will also be allowed
• In other sectors, PSEs will be privatized (timing to be based on feasibility etc.)
• In order to minimize the wasteful administrative expenditures, the number of enterprises in strategic sectors will ordinarily be kept only one to four; others will be privatized/ merged/ brought under holding companies.
• Support to State Governments
• Centre has decided to increase the borrowing limits of States from 3% to 5% for 2020-21 only.
• This will give States extra resources of Rs. 4.28 lakh crore. It will be seen that part of the borrowing is linked to specific reforms, including recommendations of the Finance Commission.
• Reform linkage will be in four areas:
• universalization of ‘ One Nation One Ration card ’,
• Ease of Doing Business,
• Power distribution
• Urban Local Body revenues.

How will the announced measures will help the economy?

• The Five tranches of economic measures deal with the multiple sectors of the economy which are in dire need of support and provided they are given adequate support can revive the economy with spillover effects as well.
• The announcements are mainly focused on the liquidity part of the crisis. By injecting liquidity in the sectors such as agriculture, housing, MSMEs the government strikes where the impact will be the most.
• It must be noted that, the pandemic arrived in an economy that was already showing the signs of slowing down. The twin balance sheet issue was not resolved, unemployment was becoming a major issue, the DISCOMs were not performing well, the MSME sector was still coming to terms with the twin blow of Demonetization and GST . In this scenario it was important that the government spend smartly.
• In acknowledgment of that, care is taken that the package is not a fiscal bonfire. For now, it does not substantially add fiscal burden on the government.
• While doing that, it has tried to assure borrowers and lenders alike.
• The mission targets avoiding unemployment turning into hunger and lack of liquidity turning into insolvency.
• The agricultural and allied sectors have been given diverse sets of packages keeping in mind the most vulnerable and the most remunerative sectors.
• The vulnerable sectors like migrants, construction sector, street vendors are provided with special packages to deal with the economic lockdown that has stagnated the activities. The vulnerable are provided with food grains under Garib Kalyan Yojana.
• The policy initiatives in the educational sector, health sector show that the overall policy preference is towards an integrated approach that includes immediate and long-term needs. As such, it is a truly a mission that aims for self-reliance.
• The Corporate sector has been provided with regulatory ease.

What are the issues raised regarding the mission?

• Many have openly questioned the ability of this economic package to either provide adequate immediate relief to the most distressed sections of the economy, or indeed stem the rapid decline in India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
• The government is not raising its total expenditure. The total expenditure-as shown by many calculations- is only 1% of the GDP under Atmanirbhar Bharat, far from its promise of 10%. The State Bank of India has in its Ecowrap newsletter pegged the actual size of the fiscal package at ₹2 lakh crore or 1 per cent of the GDP.
• It is contended that the package relies heavily on credit infusion without realizing that the investment may not pick up in the near future. As the consumer will try to contain discretionary expenditure like cars, tourism, the overall demand will be lower. This will lead to cost-cutting by the industry in turn leaving government coffers empty.
• The government has included monetary actions within its fiscal stimulus announcement. It will lead to lowering actual spending by the government.
• The Banks will tend to lend only to creditworthy customers. Hence, the monetary stimulus which has been included in the package shall not reach the real needy people: small and marginal farmers, the unorganized sector, the daily wage workers.
• The experts have been suggesting the direct transfer of money to the people i.e. helicopter money. It is said to be more equitable as it can target the most vulnerable sections and negate the transfer of benefits to the well-to-do and relatively unharmed middle class.
• The stimulus package in the agricultural sector does not clearly address the immediate problem of the farmers such as opening up of the markets, purchase of the harvest at an appropriate price, etc.

Way forward

• Though the program is being criticized for its inflated numbers and heavy dependency on agents of redistribution like banks, it must be noted that it is not just a stimulus package.
• The government has tried to respond to the aggregate issues that are plaguing the economy through an ambitious economic reinvigoration and reform mission.
• The Helicopter money, as the FM said, was considered but not opted because it is difficult to determine how many to be given cash grants. Rather than helicopter money, the government opted for a multiplier effect to stimulate the agents of the economy and meanwhile provide for immediate needs of the neediest by providing food grains, fuel, front-loading PM-KISAN amount, etc.
• Having said that, only announcements will not suffice. It is true that most of the money is in the form of credit infusion. Given the possible market sentiments, it is important to see that the investment potential is realized.
• The banks must be pushed to fulfill the credit outlay numbers. The industry must be persuaded to invest in a low demand economy.
• The people must be left with disposable income so that they go for discretionary expenditure.
• The state governments must be brought around to make the interstate trade truly free and especially, interstate agricultural trade must be encouraged. It will have a double benefit of realization of good price for farmers and supply of Agri-product to the demand hotspots

The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is an important mission for the economic revival and progress of the Indian economy under lockdown. The Atmanirbhar Bharat has been praised for reintroducing the idea of Swaraj as a redemptive tool for the post-pandemic Indian economy. If implemented effectively, it can help achieve the dream of India being economically stable, technologically superior, self-reliant in its needs. The integrated approach can help the much-discussed India-Bharat gap and fulfill the aspiration of an equitable society.

Practice Question for Mains

What is Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan? Critically analyze its efficacy in bringing economy to normalcy and propelling its growth. (250 words)

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1624661

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/aatmanirbhar-gdp-lockdown-coronavirus-economy-liquidity-migrant-labourers-disparity-narendra-modi-6414740/

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/atmanirbhar-package-full-break-up-of-rs-20-lakh-crore-nirmala-sitharaman-lockdown-6414044/

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explainspeaking-why-the-atmanirbhar-bharat-abhiyan-economic-package-is-being-criticised-6414905/

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/view-the-problems-with-modis-atmanirbhar-bharat-abhiyan/articleshow/75746607.cms?from=mdr

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/atmanirbhar-bharat-heres-a-complete-list-of-reforms-announced-by-fm-nirmala-sitharaman-under-rs-20-lakh-crore-financial-package-5277891.html

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/atmanirbhar-bharat-do-not-adequately-address-the-deep-crisis-at-hand/article31616509.ece

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Self-reliant India: self of a nation or a national self?

• Research Paper
• Published: 02 November 2020
• Volume 23 , pages 357–365, ( 2021 )

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• Sundar Sarukkai 1  

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The pandemic has led to a renewed reflection on what it means to be self-reliant in terms of our everyday practices. Nations too follow this logic in their own claims of self-reliance. This paper discusses the implications in these claims of self-reliance in the context of the nation by positioning this claim within the tension between two different formulations of the self: self of the nation as against the idea of national self.

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Although there is an increased push for self-reliance globally these days, the idea of being self-reliant is a long one. The relationship between the independence movement and self-rule is an expression of political self-reliance. The latest invocation of self-reliance by governments in India and elsewhere is primarily about economic self-reliance but like in the Indian case it is more specifically about self-reliance in manufacturing. But the nature of self-reliance is such that it is difficult to understand economic self-reliance without other forms of self-reliance, most importantly, a self-reliance of the ‘self’ as well as of the ‘intellect’. It is this range of ideas that are present in self-reliance that needs to be understood, even for the narrow vision of self-reliance in manufacturing or other economic processes. In the context of the self-reliance of the nation, there is a new conceptual challenge that we have to face, namely, the use of the term self in the context of the nation. What work does the term ‘self’ do in the articulation of self-reliance of a nation? How does the nation get or possess a self, since the self is most commonly seen as the attribute of individuals? Does this imply that the nation gets unified as an individual even though the nation is a collection of individuals? And does the association of self to the nation lead to contradictions for a democratic nation?

In this essay, I want to explore the notion of self-reliance in the context of the nation in a very limited way. On the one hand, the term ‘self-reliance’ needs little philosophical reflection since its meanings are seemingly apparent. In fact, in our common usage of this term, the word ‘self’ plays very little part. It primarily functions in terms of inside-outside: self-reliance means nothing more than not to be reliant on the outside (others) but even this simple meaning has deep assumptions about inside-outside, self-other and so on. While this is a common usage of this term, in this essay I want to argue that there is a hidden function of the many meanings related to the self. These multiple approaches and paradoxes about the self arise in the many different questions about self-reliance. There are many different ways to understand the meaning of ‘self’, ranging from the ontological to the narratological. I do not want to enter into these different formulations but will focus on one implication of invoking the self in a term that has pragmatic considerations for the functions of a nation. I begin with some reflections on the question of the self during COVID. What I say here are some preliminary remarks to motivate the reason for critically focussing on the meaning of self in self-reliance. Then I try and attempt to understand why the notion of the self (which is so much related to the individual) is invoked in the context of the nation. What is in the understanding of a nation that allows the possibility of linking the nation to a self? I suggest that there are two primary ways of understanding the meaning of a self in relation to the nation: self of a nation and a national self. The implications of these two formulations are quite distinct and have differing implications on the meaning of self-reliance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a special problem that has to do with the relationship between the self and the society. The social pre-COVID was a field which catered to individual interests—from security, health, infrastructure and travel to shopping. What the pandemic really destroyed was our access to the social world, a world in which others performed their work on behalf of others. Labour itself was oriented around this act of distributing the tasks that one had to do for oneself. Restaurants took care of the individual’s need for cooking one’s own food, schools took care of the children (at least for a major part of the day), hospitals took control of health (much of which could have been in the hands of individuals themselves) and so on. Pre-COVID we were a society that increasingly developed a sense of the social defined through dependency. That was not a social that came together through friendship or kinship or as members working towards a common goal. The society itself was moving more and more towards not just a service economy but a service society , where the very idea of the social was reduced to a system designed to take care of the interests of individuals. Shopping malls were a literal exemplification of this social in urban areas.

Technology plays a major role in this subordination of the individual to the society since the basic functions of the individual were outsourced to technology. Right from the beginning, the ideal of technology was to replace manual labour—labour characterized as routine, as a drudgery and not having sufficient value. Thus, labour associated with hard physical work was slowly replaced by machines and household labour by women was taken up by technologies such as the washing machine. The aim of this view of technology was that eventually all human actions—particularly those that were repetitive and monotonous—could be completely outsourced to machines. This view of technology has become so much a part of our very understanding of a society that the great chess player, Gary Kasparov ( 2017 ), in his book Deep Thinking extends the promise of new digital technologies by arguing that now they can take care of ‘menial’ mental tasks which includes the human capabilities of memory, recall, calculating and so on. Technology became an important part of the society in that it made possible the worldview that saw the social world as a world which was there to take care of, protect and more increasingly entertain individuals. In this view of society, not just the government but also other people in a society had become like technology—they were all cogs who took care of one or the other of the jobs to support the interests and desires of the individual. The fact that any social based on this utilitarian end is inherently hierarchical only meant that this form of the social was always geared towards protecting the interests and desires of the more privileged.

The pandemic rudely halted this unquestioned function of society. It first squeezed off the subletting of individual action to others. People who did not know the basics of cooking had to learn them. Those who saw shopping as a social interaction found that the most taken for granted liberty—the ‘right’ to shop—was suddenly removed. There were no gyms for exercise and one had to find ways to exercise by oneself in the confines of their house or in the restricted space of their apartment blocks. Social distancing literally distanced the social from each other’s lives. The claim that this was not really social distancing but only physical distancing misses the point about the impact of the presence of individuals in the creation of the social. The anonymous and virtual social of social media, mediated through digital technology, was just a two-dimensional caricature of the real social that characterizes human relations. This phenomenon is not new and can be seen occurring repeatedly in discussions on the idea of ‘presence’ in theatre in contrast to films, for example.

But just as the social was being distanced, there was a concomitant discovery of the individual and a revival of that worn-out cliche, ‘discovering oneself’. It was as much a discovery of what one could do by oneself, tasks which were originally expected to be done by others—whether it was laundry, ironing one’s clothes, carrying out garbage and for a lot of people just sweeping and mopping. Many of these chores were not easy but at least it became clear why they were not easy. I do not believe that we will learn lessons from this forced reallocation of labour practices, which ideally should make us respect the people who do these jobs for us more than before. Once the situation normalizes, we will go back into the surrogate world of the social but at least now we are forced to confront how much of the individual self has been mortgaged to others in the name of labour and service.

What does this re-discovery of the self imply for the future ideas of the social? It is quite instructive to see what has happened to the hospital services during this time. Hospitals which were full of patients seeking treatment for something or the other suddenly found that many who would have otherwise landed up for consultation preferred to wait or depend on home remedies. Although the COVID has had some negative impact on those who needed urgent medical intervention, overall the number of people who discovered individual practices to help them fight their problems increased. This was one direct mode of the strengthening of the individual and this included changes in lifestyle practices including exercising, control over food, etc. In other words, the pandemic allowed us a chance to rethink what it means to be self-reliant with respect to our own selves.

However, the meaning of being self-reliant depended to a large extent on the modes of the discovery of the self as described above. While it might seem that the examples above point to a ‘strengthening’ of the self, it is not necessarily the case. I used these examples only to show how a re-organization of our everyday understanding of the self happened through these responses to the COVID situation. As I also mentioned above, these new examples of self-reliance came in response to the prior situation of our society functioning largely as a ‘service society’ as well as the deeply social nature of individual lives in places like India. One could also argue that the COVID situation actually created more selfishness and antisocial tendencies in our society leading to important ethical problems. Footnote 1 What these tendencies point to is the confusion in the meaning of self-reliance. In the examples discussed above, we can note the processes of strengthening the self and also becoming more selfish. But how do these qualities affect the question of reliance, being reliant upon? What I would argue is that the very notion of reliance implies the social and self-reliance is only about strengthening the self as a social actor whereas being selfish is relying on the self in a world of just that self. In a similar analogy, we can think of self-reliance of a nation as being totally inward looking and acting as if other nations do not exist or we can consider it as acknowledging that the nation is part of a global system and yet is able to be self-sustaining. Thus, while the COVID period has led to selfish practices there has also been the possibility of expanding one’s own awareness of the self in relation to relying on others.

Self, individuals and the nation

What happens to us as individuals happens to nations also. ‘Make in India’ was already a saleable slogan. Trump had further legitimized such slogans through his own version of ‘Make in America’. Make in became a new slogan of legitimate nationalism. The pandemic, as much as it shone a spotlight on the social dependency of individuals, also made nations realize how much they depended on other nations. The global was always a lot like the social—it was not really based on notions of friendship, ideas of kinship or a sensitivity to the common humanity but was more utilitarian and driven by dependencies. Suddenly we realized that in the great story of Indian pharma producing cheap drugs, there was another story of dependence on China for a major part of the raw material for these drugs. The finance sector is anyway so globally wired that the very idea of strengthening the nation like strengthening the individual would be a non-starter. The market economy drives so much of the idea of the global that in spite of market crashes few are worried as they all realize that the world we have created is not possible if the market dependencies are over.

However, as I argued earlier, the pandemic also revived more strongly the spirit of individual self-reliance as against individualism as a social practice. This recognition of the possibility of individual strength is also a model for the revival of the strength of a nation. And the most powerful example of the strength of the nation—in the model of the individual—lies in the ‘self-reliance’ of a country.

But what is the meaning of the self here? Why invoke the idea of self-reliance of a nation when the very idea of the self of an individual is itself so complicated? What task does the term ‘self’ perform in these articulations?

We can begin with the reasons why the self is invoked in the context of the individual. What role does the ‘self’ perform in the case of individuals? Why do we even invoke this term? I will not enter into a debate on whether we should make an ontological commitment to the self but only discuss the reasons why we tend to invoke the notion of the self. The self helps us make sense of some of the experiences we have such as the feeling that experiences happen to ‘me’. The use of the notions of me, mine and myself are indicators of the action of a self. Thus, self marks the basic identity that one has of who they are. But there are also other important reasons for our naive invocation of the self: unity of the senses that is presupposed in the belief that different experiences (such as seeing, hearing, touching, etc.,) all happen to the ‘same me’, that all experiences over time (from the time we are born) happen to the ‘same me’ and so on (Bhatt 1962 ). The self generates a notion of the unity of the experiences that are part of our lives and gives us a sense of identity. It gives us a sense of ‘ownership’ over our experiences (Guru and Sarukkai 2012 ). It helps us to understand the nature of human action and human agency, such as the question ‘who’ is acting. We could go to the extent of saying that the basic notions of the unity presupposed in an object is one that is modelled on the self. An object is nothing more than a collection of different qualities, such as colour, shape, size and taste. So, what is the object other than these qualities? How do these qualities all belong to ‘one’ object? This cognitive inclination to unify diverse qualities in one is common to our basic recognition of objects (and therefore the world) and the self.

We talk about the social in pretty much the same way (Guru and Sarukkai 2019 ). We use terms like ‘we’ and the ‘we-self’ just like we talk about I and the I-self. We belong to a social in ways similar to that in which different experiences belong to the same individual. The very idea of a nation with concomitant ideas such as ‘belonging to the nation’ is based on these beliefs about the self. So, it is not a surprise when the nation repeatedly invokes ideas of self-rule and self-reliance for these are all assertions of the self.

There is an important characteristic of the sense of unity which is an essential element of the notion of the self. An individual has a wide variety of experiences. This diversity of experiences, some of which may be pleasant but some undesirable like experiences of sickness or sadness, are all unified, however diverse they are. The unification that is the core of the idea of the self is not a unification based on reducing all the experiences to an idea of sameness. Rather, the unity is one that is based on the idea of the self as the substratum of all experiences. All experiences that we have are unified not because these senses have common elements but because they are all ‘located in oneself’. This idea of unity is extremely important when we talk about the self of the nation.

The nation is most fundamentally defined by a sense of unity and identity. The nation borrows its vocabulary of belongingness from the notions of a self. But this is of a social self and not the individual self. A social self adds an important component to a forgotten aspect of the individual self. This is the aspect of responsibility to others who are part of the social self. For traditions which have engaged deeply with the question of the individual self, there is a sense of self-responsibility which is extremely important. The individual self experiences but also regulates itself. (This can be contrasted to the culture of ‘me and mine’ that is a particular understanding of the self where there are no questions of self-responsibility.) In the case of a social self like the nation, the regulatory aspect becomes most problematical since it raises a question of who is going to regulate the actions made on behalf of the nation, the socialized self.

The concept of the nation has always had a parasitic dependence on the notion of the self. In the independence movement, it is most prevalent in the debate on self-rule. The idea of self-rule is self-explanatory: in both these terms which use the word self, the meaning of the self is in opposition to the outside(r). Self-explanatory means that there are no external requirements to understand an expression and self-rule is about the capacity to rule one selves without the assistance of the outsider. (It is important not to conflate the outsider and the other in this context.) The idea of self-rule is an essential component of any notion of the nation since the nation, by definition, gets defined with respect to the insider–outsider dichotomy.

Gandhi’s understanding of self-rule illustrates the need for invoking the idea of self in the context of the nation. One of his most influential works, Hind Swaraj , is a handbook for self-rule as indicated in the title itself. The list of terms that work around the idea of the self become defining elements of the independence movement: terms such as swaraj, swadeshi, swabhiman. The reason that self or the prefix swa is so important to these articulations is because within the idea of self there is a notion of both freedom and governance. The self is an excellent example of responsibility with freedom since the self will indulge in what it wants but has a core of survival within it—what we refer to as self-preservation. The fight against the British is not captured merely by the word ‘independence’. The Indian language connotations for this word include swatantra and swavalamban, both of which have an explicit grounding in the self. This necessary connection with swa locates the principal idea of independence within the self first and thus all invocations of swaraj by Gandhi and other leaders have to be understood not just as liberation from the British but as an essential practice related to freedom and responsibility of the self.

An important addition to this debate comes through the tension between Gandhi and Ambedkar. Nagaraj ( 2012 ) captures this tension through the invocation of two terms derived from the self: self-rule versus self-respect. The distinction between these two terms has a significant impact on the very definition of freedom and its relation to the self. Self-reliance (and the expressions of make-in) in the context of the nation has elements both of self-rule and a strong dose of self-respect. Much of India’s rhetoric on self-reliance (especially the Make in India kind) is a call for self-respect within a hierarchy where India is placed low in the order. Self-reliance in this context is not self-rule but only about assertions of self-respect.

Self-reliance is closely related to the ideas of swaraj. It is a reaffirmation of the idea that ruling itself has to be from within and by oneself. One is free and accountable to that freedom at the same time. Much depends on what we mean by the self here. For Gandhi, ruling oneself meant disciplining the self and that includes the responsibility of the (individual) self. Being self-reliant does not mean asociality but only the responsibility of oneself for oneself. But how is it possible to be self-reliant? What are we supposed to be self-reliant about? These questions become important in the context of the self-reliance of a nation. We can glimpse the contours of this question in the philosopher K. C. Bhattarcharyya’s (KCB) essay ‘Swaraj in ideas’ (Bhattacharya 1984 ). This was an essay which has been understood in different ways but the fundamental question that Bhattacharya poses is the possibility of thinking about our society in ways that do not draw upon the ‘outsider’. He suggests that the foreigner cannot understand the Indian society like ‘we’ do and that drawing upon the resources of the society might offer a better understanding of the society. As Raju ( 2017 ) points out, KCB should be seen as responding to the crisis of organic thinking and organic solutions to the problems of our society. Independence is not limited to political independence but also needs the independence of the mind. The independence of the mind can only be supported by a self that is self-confident, that can feel secure in the foundations of its philosophies and experiences. There can be no swaraj without swaraj in ideas, in worldviews, in projecting the future which we want and not based on the interest of ‘outsiders’. It is as much a question of self-articulation of who we are and what our vision of the world will be. While there are many points which may be debated in this view, it is nevertheless an important theme that will arise in any claim of self-reliance. Perhaps the most important point in this idea of self-articulation is the problem of articulating on behalf of others who constitute the ‘us’ and ‘we’. Who is going to speak on behalf of a group, a community, a society, a nation? What kind of a social self will be allowed by the individuals to speak on their behalf? Nation is one of the most powerful illustration of the action of a social self and thus the meaning of a nation becomes as complex as that of the individual and social self.

Self of a nation and national self

I believe that there are two functions of the term ‘self’ in the context of the nation: one referring to the ‘self of a nation’ and the other to ‘national self’. The difference between these formulations is quite stark and impacts the way we understand self-reliance in the context of the nation.

When references are made to the self of a nation, it is primarily about the qualities of the nation related to the themes of identity, belongingness and the space of experiences for those who live and/or belong to it. In this sense, it is analogous to, and possibly modelled on, how one understands articulations of oneself. On the other hand, the national self does not refer to the nation at all but is more a reference to some quality of the individual selves. It is a quality of the members of that nation and is not really about the self of a nation per se.

Depending on the meanings we ascribe to self, we can discover different meanings for self-reliance in the context of the nation. Why would we even invoke the notion of self in the context of the nation? What can accommodate a meaningful understanding of the self when it is used in the context of the nation? At a pragmatic level, it is easy to see why the invocation of self is ‘natural’ for a nation: we refer to a nation as ‘my’ nation and so concepts of my, mine, mineness and related issues of identity arise for the nation in a way similar to that of the experiences of the individual self. But at the same time, the self related to the nation also refers to a we-self, a self of a larger social. It is also an embodied social and this quality makes it different from other social selves. Just as the individual self is embodied in the physical body, the self in relation to the nation is embodied in the physical nation, with its geographies and boundaries. But it is also precisely because of these characteristics, that the self in the context of a nation has to accommodate plurality, diversity. This quality again distinguishes the self of the nation from other social selves related to gender, caste and religion, for example. This self which can accommodate plurality and difference is one that functions as a substratum and does not insist on sameness. It is the quality of ashraya—a shelter for the multiple, diverse individuals, practices and traditions. The self of a nation is this true shelter, the foundational substratum where unity is possible only because of a sense of feeling that it is happening to all of us.

However, this is not the only notion of a self that is possible in the context of the nation. There is also another possibility, one that is often imposed on individuals. The nation—instead of being seen as a collective social—can be reduced to a quality of the individual. In this case, it is not a self that stands ‘outside’ the individual. A self which incorporates the nation within itself is a national self and thus is one quality of a self, a quality that is hegemonic and imposed. It arises through the cognitive act of an individual and is most often not directly related to their experiences. But the power of the (internal) national self as against the (external) self of the nation is that it evokes deep emotions within the individual. The self of the nation is a recognition of a more complex, plural self that operates outside the individual but yet one in which the individual is part of. Whereas the national self incorporates the nation within the self and thus creates a sense that the nation belongs to ‘me’. So, when certain individuals start speaking on behalf of the nation—what the nation should be like, what people living in that nation should do and should not do—they are illustrating the functioning of the national self. Nationalism in its most troublesome form arises through the formation of a national self.

These are not merely some abstract formulations about the self and the nation. These notions of the self are invoked in the rhetoric of self-reliance and my argument is that the two different meanings of the self in relation to the nation create different meanings for ‘self-reliance’. If the meaning of self in the expression ‘self-reliance of the nation’ is referring to the ‘self of the nation’, then self-reliance cannot be just about producing what we need for the citizens of this country. It also means a discipline of the self of the people in the country, and this is a civilizational and axiological task. It is about values in a society and not material production. These qualities, taken, for example, from Gandhi, Tagore and others, would imply a very different meaning of the nation where the nation is not one which is homogenized, is violent, is hierarchical, is non-egalitarian, is consumerist and so on. As Parel ( 2000 ) points out, Gandhi’s formulation of self-rule had four components, three related to independence of the nation, economic freedom and political freedom but the essential fourth component was self-rule, here seen as the rule of the individual self by the individual self. This self-rule included the important quality of self-control including control of the body and the desires of the senses, control over thinking and so on (Banerjee 2020 ).

Why should this difference matter? It matters because these two versions of the self/nation relation have implications for the meaning of self-reliance. What does it mean to be self-reliant? The simplest answer is to be independent of others. But what is the independence from others that we are seeking? The nation can be independent from others in the products it produces, in its economy, in its policies and so on. But this does not really encompass the many meanings of swaraj that we talk about. As KCB points out, it is equally important to have swaraj in ideas, a freedom in the intellectual domain. Are we anywhere close to having the freedom in the intellectual domain? We do not even produce knowledge and worldviews which matter to the rest of the world. It does not seem to matter to our own intellectuals and students. What are the ideas that drive the nation? Where are the ideas being produced? How democratic is this source of ideas? Is it able to include the visions and aspirations of not just the ‘intellectual community’ but also the everyday experiences of diverse communities in India? This is not a question about geographical origins but about philosophical origins. What kind of views about the nature of society, family, individuals should matter to us today when we imagine the future of the nation? The answer is not in the geographical ‘outside’ or the cultural ‘inside’. It is not going to come from the ‘west’ or from the ‘past’ alone. The self-reliance that the government talks about is about factory goods but without the swaraj in ideas none of these are self-sustaining.

Self-reliance is not in manufacturing alone. It has to be the articulation of the self of a nation about progress and development, about educational goals for the future citizens of the country, about basic well-being of all the citizens particularly the dispossessed and the marginalised. What we need to ‘Make in India’ are civilizational values, our own articulations of the idea of equality in an unequal society, a democracy that functions effectively, and anything else which can lead to a truly free, democratic and egalitarian society. To ‘make’ all this in a self-reliant manner is the true idea of a nation and the true self of a nation. The easier task is to reduce the self of a nation to one idea of a national self is but this is also the more dangerous. The national self is an individual self which understands the national as one quality of the individual self. But a nation cannot be a quality of a self because it reduces the nation to the interests of individuals. In such a case, the nation as such cannot acquire a unified self just because all the people in the country possess one national self. The self of a nation is one that is self-reliant in the true sense of the term, one that is truly independent.

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Acknowledgements

I thank the two referees for their insightful and critical comments which have helped me clarify some points in this essay.

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Sarukkai, S. Self-reliant India: self of a nation or a national self?. J. Soc. Econ. Dev. 23 (Suppl 2), 357–365 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-020-00115-z

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Accepted : 18 September 2020

Published : 02 November 2020

Issue Date : September 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-020-00115-z

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