The ambition of the greatest men of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work continues.” - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

The time when every tear from every eye is wiped is utopian. Nevertheless, India has been working hard towards it. However, there are numerous problems yet to be confronted.

Women continue to be looked down upon in spite of repeatedly proving their mark in every sphere. The empowerment of women is urgently needed. In rural areas, more awareness on saving the girl child must be generated. Being a girl, I look forward to the day when I can freely walk on the streets without any danger of harassment.

Till such time that many of our decision-makers are corrupt, one cannot expect the rest of the population not to follow in their footsteps. This reminds me of Mahatma Gandhi’s words that “there is enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”

Poverty is perhaps the most gigantic of hurdles that our nation has to overcome. This is due of lack of employment opportunities. Thus, more jobs need to be created in all sectors. The poorest as well as the illiterate people in the remotest areas must have access to high quality education.

Indian are second to none and the country has produced personalities in all spheres of life such as APJ Abdul Kalam, NR Narayana Murthy, Viswanathan Anand, Lakshmi Mittal, Sachin Tendulkar, AR Rahman and Sania Mirza, to name just a few. There are many such personalities in the making among the present-day children and youth, provided they are encouraged to reach out and touch the stars.

I dream of a corruption-free, discrimination-free country where each citizen has a smile on his face and is proud to be an Indian.

Richa Sharma, Lotus Valley International School, Noida

...A change of heart that is needed

There is hardly anything more that one can ask of our country. With its glorious landscapes, and colourful cultural diversity, India is a dreamland. Maybe this is the reason why I it took some time to think how India must change for the better. It is us, the people who must be the catalyst for change: a change so overwhelming that the world would watch in awe. Let us all dream of a better India.

Let us forget the power cuts we face regularly, the blueline buses and everything that mustn’t be. It is not enough to harp on the negative aspects of the country that newspapers routinely highlight. All these negativities exist and they need to be removed. But in order to change the situation it is a change of heart that is needed.

So let us for a change think of the honest love we feel for our parents, our siblings and for our children. How much we cherish the moments when we have seen a warm sun in the winters or a poetry evoking the full moon. Let us think of how much we enjoyed our last Diwali with our Muslim friends and we will feel our hearts brim with love. We will realise that it is the Indianness in our blood that has made our minds immune to the forces that could have destroyed us. It shall be this love that shall guide us to eventually improve India.

Sutanu Satpathy, Class XII, Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar

Progress with love – that’s the way we Indians are...

Medicine, transport infrastructure, industry, communications... Well, the list is endless. But there are a lot more people to think about these things to make our country the world’s greatest power & yes, we do need to progress in a lot of things. But I would like to talk about something else and very important for my dream India. That is nothing else, but deep feelings. Yes, you heard feelings. Truly, we are forgetting them and they are very important for country’s progress.

Loving our country doesn’t mean singing the national anthem or clapping heartily after an overwhelming speech. It is just loving your country because it is yours. Yes, feel proud of India; love it as a child loves his mother. You may or may not be interested in watching cricket but your heart should swell with pride when we win, you may or may not like watching movies but your heart should bleed when we lose in Oscars. We can make our country better and then the best. So, India in my imagination would be where people will like pizzas but nothing will be able to beat the gol-gappas!!!

Srishti Grover, Class XI, DAV Public School, Dayanand Vihar

India as a global ecological destination

Imagine India – A place where man lives in harmony with wild animals. Complete safety of wildlife & flora & fauna are worth appreciating. A place where the world’s most distinct wild animal forms can be seen & at the same time protected. A place where animals are not killed for selfish motives and everybody has an equal right to live whether it is a human being or a plant or an animal.

Peacocks would dance during the monsoon, the bears would play with their off springs in he winter, the birds would make the breeze sing in the spring & the elephants would enjoy a bath during the summer without the fear of being killed by any human. There would be people working in harmony to protect and grow more forests. Many more Chipko movements would take place against those who try to harm trees.

People would not destroy nature in order to make multistorey buildings, dams and agricultural lands. In fact it would be a place where precious wildlife resources will be conserved without halting the process of development. We would have many more animal welfare organizations like PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) working on war scale for these animals.

India would be a magical & spell binding place where people from all over the world would wish to live & probably other countries would try to follow the same. This is my dream about India. We will have to work in order to make India the best & most beautiful place to live.

Prateek Grover, DAV Public School, Dayanand Vihar

Imagine a ‘reverse brain drain’...

Imagine a ‘reverse brain drain’ from the United States, India as one of the permanent members of the United Nations and what’s more, Angelina Jolie learning Hindi to act in Bollywood! A hundred more Ambanis, the literacy rate as well as the BSE Sensex at its highest mark, or a new Shakespeare embracing the bosom of our motherland!

My imagination for India will surely be fulfilled, powered by the hopes, aspirations and hard work of the younger generation. Our country will become a power to reckon with in the arena sports by winning the world titles in football and hockey, as well as in Formula One Racing.

India would send many a Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams into space, advances in science such as stem cell therapy would help even the poorest of citizens, and there would be a noteworthy decline in dangerous diseases such as AIDS and cancer. Everyone would be flabbergasted by India’s achievements but for our country, none of these is impossible because it has the potential as well as patience to march ahead with perfect confidence in its abilities.

India will produce the most number of androids and develop artificial intelligence which is just a fantasy now.

Above all, citizens of our country speaking myriad languages and following different religions would live in unity and harmony with each other. They are only two ways of living your life — one is as though nothing is a miracle and the other is as though everything is a miracle. This is what India will be. All we need to do is imagine, dream, hope and realise.

Vidhi Sachdeva, St Thomas School

Charity begins at home

You wake up in the morning, put off the alarm bell and say,'nothing can happen of this country'! and, go on with your daily chores. Yes, we want poverty to disappear ,diseases to get abolished and so on. We have been mumbling the same words year after year. Conditions have not improved, but shifted from one level to the other or one place to the other. The old saying 'charity begins at home' may be old, but has still an intact relevance. Why can't just we take care of ourselves? Let's be our own leaders. Let's check the way we live our lives.

Dreaming about the Paradise or some Golden Bird as India is only going to take sixty more years. Don't look for opportunities or leaders that would make India the best nation in all respects but let us look within and take initiative just to make our country a better place to live.

Is this possible if we still shout in the traffic jams instead of just waiting for a while with patience? If then you get late for office or school, the rules should be made in accordance with it and liberty should be given by institutions. Today itself, when i was coming back from school, somebody's car bumped to some other vehicle caming on the same way and the driver just sweared and shouted, are you blind or something. He did'nt realise his own mistake that he was driving on the wrong way. and then we eagerly want our country to develop in just a click of a finger.

Lets not be hypocrites. If we really want our country to develop in true sense, then lets first not blame others but introspect and make ourselves a better society to live in - neither think of the past nor the unknown future, but the very present in our hands. With a dose of common sense in our minds and compassion for humanity, let's begin today with a zing. If we imagine our future from this very moment, then we will see a better India...an India of our dreams!

Praggya Datt, Class XII, Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar

We hope to see an India where the youth fights injustice and works together, where people take pride in their culture, the status of elders is at par with God, where girls and women have pen and paper in their hands instead of the chakla and belan, children are imbued with patriotism, leaders are as clean as their kurta–pyjama, teachers light up lives through literacy and where the clear stream of reason has not dried up in the scorching heat of the forest of communal flare-ups.

When we sit and reflect on the future of India, there always a probability. But a joint effort can definitely convert it into surety. The `diseases’ that all the society can’t be cured in a day. So for a country like India, it is difficult but not impossible to imagine a Utopian state.

The wise say dreams have no boundaries. Walt Disney said, “if you can dream it, you can do it. So get up, get going, die or keep doing, let the world say, Chak de! India, Chak De!

Medhavi Saxena & Shweta Goel, Class XII B, Delhi Public School, Vidyut Nagar

Empower the Indian woman, empower India

India with a whole new face of women empowerment, a whole new era of women’s emancipation, a whole new nation where women will enjoy the freedom, the respect and the integrity as never before This new and transformed India is the India of my dreams where discrimination between girls and boys will no more be existent, where girls will no more be looked down upon as a curse but as a blessing.

India will be a place where there would be no harassment, no rapes no eve teasing and , no suppression of women. A land where women will enjoy equal rights and complete independence to prove their mettle, where no girl would be victimized, and where the birth of a girl will be celebrated with equal zest, equal happiness and equal enthusiasm as the birth of a boy.

This India which would be free from all these cultural and social prejudices will mark its own niche in the world. The world will see the power our India has when all with no gender inequalities would be moving ahead, working together with pride and honour, when all with a common goal and objective in their eyes take India to new heights of success.

This is the picture of the glorious and marvelous new India I carry in my eyes and also aspire to achieve it. This is a dream I want each one of us to see, our efforts and commitments transforming this dream into reality.

Bhanu Patni, DAV Public School Dayanand Vihar

Not a single child shall have to work…

Most of us have a vision of the India that we would like to see. This is how I imagine India can be:

Even in the remotest corners of our land, children will attend school. Not a single child shall have to work, nor go to sleep without food. In the slums, the most able minds shall work to alleviate poverty. Crime will be on the wane, thanks to the sincere efforts of citizens’ groups and an honest police force. High quality public housing will be relatively cheap and easy to obtain. Homeless shelters would be clean and caring. Hospitals would be efficient and dependable.

Politicians would strive to ably represent the people and every bureaucrat will be conscious of his role in maintaining a vibrant society. Each single rupee spent by the government would be accounted for, and kickbacks would be unheard of.

Our technologically-advanced society would strike the right balance between work and pleasure. Families would have time to enjoy the simple joys of life, factories would hum with the sound of prosperity and businessmen would pay taxes with pride. Food would be plentiful, the generosity of our nation would be lauded, and India would be a true champion in all respects.

If we dare to dream of a better nation and ponder ways to make it happen, this vision can be transformed into reality. We will build India together, because we know, we care and we can.

Aastha Sawhney, XII-C, Silver Line School, Ghaziabad

Inner conscience of Indians needs to be awakened...

India as a rich nation: we are culturally rich, emotionally rich and intellectually rich. We are rich in all walks of life.

India is a poor nation: we rank 124th in the Human Development Report (out of 173 countries), four out of every ten Indians live below the poverty line. We are poor in all walks of living.

Two sides of the same coin, this is today’s India.

Why does this situation exist in our country? Don’t we have enough resources to emancipate the poor? Don’t we have a system to distribute these resources equally amongst our people? Don’t we have laws, ministers, the police or bureaucrats to wipe out crime and other evils from society? Don’t we have adequate manpower for various sectors that contribute to the nation’s progress?

The answer to all these questions is NO. The country’s future rests on the shoulders of every single Indian citizen. From a peon to a CEO, from a police constable to the Prime Minister of the country, every person’s job is instrumental in the progress of the country.

Unfortunately in today’s India, there is no field, which is free from corruption. We have very few people who do their work with honesty, think for the country before they think for themselves, and distance themselves from all kinds of corrupt practices.

The inner conscience of Indians needs to be awakened. There is a need for revival of moral values in the citizens of our country. I imagine an India where every person is imbued with patriotism and driven by determination to take our country forward on the path of progress, gives his best to the job he is doing without being driven by greed, dishonesty or communal influences.

We all are a part of a diverse family called India. Development in single steps at every single level of this family will definitely take it to greater heights.

Sharada PM, XII-D, DPS, RK Puram

...India is by us and we are by India

“Quite impressive!” was the thought that the concept of the HT Summit triggered in my mind. But then another thought clouded this appreciation and what I thought was the following.

“India is improving”, most Indians have this thinking and take a sigh of relaxation. Giving it a thought, it turns out to be just a complicated evolution of the much dreaded “chalta hai” attitude most of us tend to have.

“India needs improvement”, this is the only thought required in the process of development, rest all is action that is required. I’m glad HT can be identified with the line above. Its true that some avenues in India need improvement, but what most need is recovery.

The people in India are suppressed on becoming critics for the authorities. Their voices are often curbed and they are forced to follow the herd mentality, things are changing regarding this but slowly. One thing that I fail to understand is that why are people quiet on many controversial and unjustified issues that need their attention? Why has the unity among the masses collapsed? Is this the India one should imagine for? To improve India, we need to improve ourselves because India is by us and we are by India. I imagine an India where the masses unite and strengthen the country from within.

I may not be surprised to know that this article is not published or my views are suppressed, but if they aren’t, I’ll consider that HT really means its words.

It is often remarked that India bereft of corruption will go far, a few underhand dealings here, some shady contracts there, and voila there’s India for you. Despite the pessimists’ hearty disagreement, India does possess talent which like an unpolished diamond will shine forth on polishing.

No country has more thriving manpower resource. We need to create better career options and we must retain our best talents within the country. Politicians who have one leg in the grave dominate the present day political scenario. Although the experience of some is valuable, but younger politicians will also play a crucial role.

We tend to get highly affronted when little digs are taken at our religion. These digs are spiteful at times but we must not let such dastardly plots tear apart the bonds of togetherness binding our country. Unfortunately tolerance is the fruit of patience and is achieved after painstaking practice.

But life isn’t always rosy and we must not bury our heads in the sand. India is prosperous, but what’s the good of being born with a silver spoon if we are to live in a fast deteriorating environment? The old world, ethereal beauty of India shall be marred forever if drastic steps are not taken. Then the future generations will be deprived of all amenities of life.

Though these changes will take a long time to take effect, with steady determination it can be achieved.

Vrithi TK, St Thomas School

An incarnation we all can claim to call our home...

A land marked by fascinating diversity, where people share an unbreakable bond full of love. A place of the wise, where health and education reign, corruption and stealth have no place, where people strive to create a heaven of power and intelligence, where all their dreams are fulfilled.

This is the India of my dreams, where proud citizens will faces the world with their heads high and hands held together, where everyone would enjoy equal access to wealth and opportunity. A place resided by people working with one mind, one goal — to achieve more. No nation will be able to match the marvelous renewed India.

It will be a land where leaders will let go of their privileges and make themselves humble. The people would look up to them to help transform their dreams into reality. Their only aim would be to make this renewed India never slide back to that phase of shame and deficiency. They would, instead, only focus on bringing about fresh and innovative ideas to make our country powerful.

This is the India that I imagine and will try to make it a reality. We need an incarnation of our India which we all can claim to be our home, something that we can all celebrate together.

Anuja Gopidas, X-C, Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar

No country is perfect, the people have to make it one...

India is like a snake whose head is in the 21st century and whose tail is in the 17th century. It is the dream of every citizen of an economically backward and poor country, to see that his country develops with no negative systems, ideas or beliefs.

In the same vein, it is my dream to see India as one of the most developed nations in the years to come. One feels envious hearing about the United States or the UK advancing in every field. India has a similar huge potential, and we are a few steps away from realising it.

Before India reaches the pinnacle, it has to resolve a number of issues:

1. The corrupt political system eating at the very core of the nation.
2. The uneducated population leading to a greater rise in unemployment and a vicious cycle of poverty.
3. The unhygienic/polluted environment giving rise to more and more diseases day by day, and reducing our human resources.
4. The yet-existent discrimination in the name of caste, gender, religion, etc dividing the society, leading to many communal riots and clashes. Casteism and communalism also get a continuous boost because these seem to have become the basis of our entire politics.

No country is perfect, the people have to make it one. We as the citizens and future of India can contribute in this endeavour by being conscious of the above pitfalls and by actively participating in their resolution.

India has a number of positives, which it can carry forward. These include:

1. India is poised to become the entertainment superpower. Already, Bollywood is churning out hundreds of films annually. With improvements in the technical and artistic aspects India can well give a stiff competition to western productions.
2. Indian culture is influencing the western world in dress, food and festivals. The Indian community is a force to reckon with in every country because of its contribution to their society.
3. India is now riding on the wave of a gigantic boom in computer driven new economy. Many developed countries of the world are seeking the huge pool of talented software professionals in India. Premier professional institutes like IIT and IIM have become the source of big international corporate' human resource need.
4. The 21st century could well belong to India if it fully utilise its resources and expertise. India's population is an asset and not a pull down factor. Finally India is going to prove just that.

Rohit, Lotus Valley International School, Noida

I imagine a bracken of hope & light...

“Long Ago, we made a tryst with destiny, And now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge….”

These words of Jawaharlal Nehru still ring out whenever the thought comes of what India can be…… It is an echo – not only of a fantasy but a long forgotten obsession, a “junoon” that resided in the heart & soul of erstwhile leaders but which has dimmed in the successive generations. But there still is a distant dream… an urge to imagine the India that can be – an India we are all proud of – My own India. I imagine a bracken of hope & light which outshines all nations yet enlightens them with its own aura.

An India that sheds its inhibitions & jumps headlong into the sea of prosperity. Its inhibitions are the societal chains binding it, crushing it yet not strangling it. The sea of prosperity ‘I refer to is an era where every Indian can be, at the least, contented, & yearns to work ever harder to push the country forward. Where every Indian puts his country & its ethics & natural as well as historical heritage first, his family second & himself in the end – by his own accord.

The India that can be can only be made if the word ‘Renal Development is not merely a topic of study in economics but has weightage equal to nuclear deals, elections, & literacy. To simply write about it is easy, to truly ‘do something is heart reakingly difficult.

Yet, if India could become what it can so easily, it already would be. It needs leaders today, who can lead it now, who can work for their nation & its people as if they were their own. Who can take a malnutritioned, filthy with poverty yet smiling, hopeful & beautiful baby in their hands & feed them. Who can work with the tillers in the scorching sun & toil till it becomes painful and their throats get parched. Who can join their subordinates & sweep the floor of pavement.

India calls today calls for its sons & daughters to wise above petty selfishness & living for one’s self – to live for the country and watch it change and smile. For, them you won’t say, “The nation’s changing”, you would say, “I am changing my nation. “And I would smile when I change this dream of what India can be to a living, thriving thought of what India has become. “Our work shall not finish till every tear is wiped from every eye, “said Jawaharlal Nehru. And that sums up my dream.

Aarshiya Chaudhry, XI-C , Silver Line School, Ghaziabad

The world will bow down to India's diverse culture...

It’s a place where love flourishes where there’s no place for blemishes. This indeed stands true for India. Since ancient times, our golden bird has been famous for its rich culture and heritage. According to us, India too will march towards the future with brave new steps and leave the world stunned.

The world will bow down to India's diverse culture. No one will be known as a Hindu or a Muslim, a Bengali or a Marathi. We’ll all have a one great name “Indians”.

India will be the idol of justice throughout the world. There will be no Jessica Lals, no Rizwanurs. The plague of crime and corruption will leave us. The country’s money will be used only for the welfare of its citizens. There will be no rich and poor. Well all will be a `one big family’. We’ll reach the pinnacle in every field, be it sports, culture, education or defence, Nuclear power will be a tool for development, not destruction. No disease will be fatal. We’ll be a global country – the new Switzerland. Our country will flourish with flowers of love and tolerance.

Chak de India!

Sukriti Shrotiya, S Sujana, Class X, DPS, NTPC, Vidyut Nagar, Dadri