Most populous country

We have not had a census since 2011 (another critical area where the government has been inexplicably dragging its feet for years), but global authorities say this year we are finally going to outstrip China to become the most populous country in the world. It may have actually happened already. 

Before some Indians start celebrating even that as another 'great achievement', let me remind everyone of a few sombre facts:

India is still, in per capita income terms, among the poorest countries in the world (see the ranking list here), and likely to remain that way in the foreseeable future. Leave alone the really rich countries, she is miles behind even China. Coupled with extreme inequality, that means most of the poorest people in the world live in India - think remote tribal villages, think of the vast slums alongside railway tracks in and near all the metro cities.

Also to be remembered is that with 1.4 billion squeezed into such a (relatively) small landmass - as compared to huge countries like Canada, China, the US and Australia - we suffer every malaise that arises from extreme overcrowding. And although the growth rate is slowing, that number is projected to rise to at least 1.67 billion before the graph flattens off or heads downwards, post 2050.

A lot of Indians get themselves drunk on excitement, telling one another that we have been making huge technological strides in all spheres lately, but everybody who knows anything knows what a sad joke that is. Even if one maniacally focuses on the IT industry, remember that the full $100 billion it brings goes out again to pay for our oil import bill alone. As for BharOS, it is likely to become a quickly-forgotten damp squib like Mangalyaan and Vande Bharat...

So far as cultural riches are concerned, I can only weep. Yes, we are the land of the Upanishads and Ajanta and Aryabhatta and Susruta and the Taj and Tagore, but you simply have to look at the average Indian swearing filth and peeing by the roadside. That of course includes millions with college degrees and driving cars, too.

World's most populated country, yes. Alas.