How Underutilized Talent is the Biggest Barrier to Viksit Bharat
We have a vision for a Viksit Bharat. We talk about infrastructure, economic growth, and technological advancement. But let’s pause and consider our most profound, yet often overlooked, resource: human talent.
Imagine a vast reservoir, brimming with clean, life-giving water. The water is ready to irrigate fields, power communities, and transform landscapes. But the pipes are clogged with old regulations, the valves are rusted with systemic delays, and a few gatekeepers guard the flow, letting only a trickle through.
This is the state of human capital in many parts of our nation, a reality I recently witnessed firsthand at a women’s technical institute. I saw brilliant young minds, bursting with innovative ideas and skills, eager to contribute. Their energy was a tangible force, a promise of a brighter future. Yet, this potential is often lost to the very systems designed to facilitate it—drowned by slow approvals, suffocated by inter-departmental politics, and sidelined by a mindset that prioritizes process over progress.
The economic and social cost of this negligence is staggering. Every single skilled individual who is unable to contribute their best is a lost opportunity for innovation, a missed chance for community growth, and a direct brake on our national momentum.
The Nation First Challenge
For those in positions of power, a Nation First and Positive Mindset means shifting focus from managing a system to maximizing human potential. It requires us to see our citizens not as subjects of policy, but as co-creators of our future. We must ask ourselves: are our policies the launchpads for talent or the landing pads for bureaucracy?
- Redefine “Resource”: The greatest resource isn’t in a budget spreadsheet; it’s in the untapped potential of a young woman’s mind.
- The Cost of Inaction: The cost of a new project is measurable, but the cost of a good idea that never sees the light of day is incalculable. It is the real national loss.
The challenge is to build systems that are not just efficient, but empathetic. Systems that are designed to listen, to connect, and to empower, not to control. Our goal is not just to build a developed nation, but to cultivate a society where every single citizen feels their talent is not just valued, but actively sought out and utilized.
Let us commit to unlocking this reservoir. Let us dismantle the bureaucratic dams and rusted pipelines. Let us create a system where the flow of human ingenuity is not just a trickle, but a powerful, unceasing river that carries our nation towards its destiny.
