Number Theory: How many Indians have seen all of independent India's history

August 15 marked 77 years since India achieved independence from British colonial rule

August 15 marked 77 years since India achieved independence from British colonial rule. This makes the country far older than many senior citizens in the country. It also means that only a small part of the country is likely to have witnessed the moment of independence. In fact, several other moments when India’s sovereignty was under threat are unlikely to have been seen by most people alive today. What is the proportion of people who have witnessed these moments firsthand? The World Population Prospects (WPP)—population projections by the United Nations—released this July can help us estimate that.

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