India As A Poor Rich Country

There are more cell phones in India than there are toilets.  India is on its way to becoming the third largest economy in the world by 2030, yet it still receives financial aid from a struggling British economy.  On the other hand, it helps to fund the IMF in its efforts to deal with the eurozone crisis.  In other words, India is a study in contrasts.  It will benefit from the movement of rural populations to urban centers, and its future looks better than its present.  Sanity in India requires that one looks at the long run while making efforts to deal with the short run problems.  For example, the central government has funded sanitation programs that are intended to provide toilets in poor rural areas.  The problem appears to be corruption at the local level.  The funds intended to provide toilets end up in the hands of local politicians.