by twosydeseditorialEditorial
India needs aggressive economic growth to lift hundreds of millions out of poverty—that's the moral imperative. Countries like China and the West industrialized fast and dirty, then cleaned up once wealthy enough. Asking Indians to accept slower growth to protect the environment is asking the poor to sacrifice so the already-rich can breathe clean air. Manufacturing jobs and infrastructure trump abstract concerns about long-term sustainability.
India is already choking under the world's worst air pollution, and growth-at-any-cost policies are making it worse for everyone. Delhi's smog kills millions prematurely; rivers are toxic; soil is depleted. Once you destroy the environment, no amount of GDP fixes it—you end up wealthy but unlivable. Smart economies decouple growth from pollution through innovation and regulation. India can't afford to repeat the West's mistakes when we're already paying the health cost.
Is caste-based reservation system still necessary in modern India?
Should wealthy nations have an obligation to accept more climate refugees?
