Technology has increasingly shown the potential to fix challenges across important socio-economic fields such as financial inclusion and healthcare. A combination of data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and a rising digital footprint in India has led to proliferation of products and services in society. As technology embraces and enhances the daily lives of people in contemporary India, people should readily return the favour, empowering themselves. Facilitating this reverse embrace of technology is essential for Indian public policy.

Home to one-sixth of the world's population, India is bound to play a leading role in determining the global success of the SDGs. By 2030, India will have the largest number of young people in the globe, a population size which will be a boon only if these young people are skilled enough to join the workforce. The recently launched SDG Index 2019-2020 by Niti Aayog assigned a composite score of 58 to India under the SDG on Quality Education, with only 12 states/UTs having a score of more than 64. The current government expenditure on education is less than 3% of the GDP and the pupil-teacher ratio for elementary school stands at 24:1, lower than that of comparable countries such as Brazil and China. Further, with the rapidly increasing population and dwindling resources, it would not be possible to match the demand for teachers.

The mobility industry as we know it is one the cusp of transformation and we will observe a drastic change in passenger, freight and mass transit in the coming years. Particularly in the context of road-based mobility solutions, we will observe an increasing trend towards the adoption of shared, connected, and zero-emission/electric mobility. This article focusses on the rise of electric mobility and an opportunity for India to become a global EV manufacturing hub.

Coal, a fossil fuel, is the largest source of energy primarily used to produce electricity and heat through combustion. Coal gasification can be used to produce syn-gas, which can be further transformed into transportation fuel such as gasoline and diesel. Coal can also be directly liquefied into diesel through highly sophisticated techniques. Coal liquefaction is one of the backstop technologies that could potentially limit escalation of oil prices. Coal will have a key role to discharge in the overall energy mix. In a developing country like India, growth in energy consumption is entwined with economic growth. Coal, being a cost-effective energy resource in contrast to a very low hydrocarbon resource potential, remains the focus of attention of energy planners ever since the oil crunch of the early '70s.

The recently formed district of Bhadradri Kothagudem is home to one of the oldest temples in India. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Bhadrachlam is not only a holy pilgrimage site but also a testimony of India’s prosperous ancient civilization and rich heritage. With this background, it was more thrilling to understand the current efforts being taken for the development of the district.

A fascinating facilitation framework has been provided by NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), which ensures that development initiatives reach the grassroots level. ADP enables cooperation and coordination between the district, state and Union government to aid the community’s well-being across developmental sectors of agriculture, education, financial inclusion, health and infrastructure.

As I look outside the window of my office, I recollect my conversations with young Dinesh, whom I recently met during my three-day visit to Balrampur district of the ‘Balrampur Cheeni’ fame. My visit was part of a performance-evaluation exercise for the aspirational districts.

A six-hour drive from Siliguri, through bumpy roads in the hills, lies West Sikkim. Since I have always lived in the plains, when in such places, I always wonder how people stay in such remote locations with such poor road connectivity? In fact, the long drive made it clear to me as to why West Sikkim was selected as an aspirational district. However, my perception changed once I visited some of the public institutions of the district.

Nestled in a narrow strip of fertile plains, between the mighty Bramhaputra and the breathtaking Himalayas, lies the bustling town of Mangaldoi, at the heart of Darrang district in Assam. A mere hour and a half by road from the Guwahati Airport, the town, distinct with its robust workforce and newly paved roads, represents the aspirations of a growing population of nine lakh people.

Naturally rich but economically poor, Malkangiri in Odisha, a neighbour of Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, has been majorly impacted by left-wing extremism that has acted as a major roadblock for development in the area. The hilly terrain and dense forests have also proven to be a safe haven for the Naxalites. In last few years, over 150 people, including 80 policemen, have been killed in gunfire and landmine blasts. Despite this, various interventions made by the district administration have enabled Malkangiri to grow and flourish.