– Samriddhi Patil

What are we creating as a country for the people who will take over India in 2050?

Imagine this: your parents receive a big fat paycheck each month. Rather than saving for your education, establishing a family home, or even having an emergency kitty, they squander it all on instant gratification thrills. What do people do when the bills come due, when health crises arise, or when the future demands more than today’s enjoyment? Governments everywhere too often behave like myopic guardians, pursuing short-term growth and electoral advantage at the expense of the health, stability, and prosperity of coming generations.

As a response, the rhetoric of sustainability has sunk deeply into international and national policy debates. India has also adopted this terminology. Internationally revered for its ambitious solar initiatives, its pioneering establishment of the International Solar Alliance, and its outspoken calls for climate justice. However, despite all this advancement, a nagging contradiction still lingers. India tends to score well on sustainability indicators, yet the everyday well-being of its citizens still lags. The gap between what appears to be good on paper and what is lived day-to-day merits immediate attention.

SUSTAINABILITY VS. WELL-BEING

In order to comprehend this paradox, it is helpful to note the difference between well-being and Sustainability. They are frequently used interchangeably, yet they are not synonymous. Well-being refers to the quality of life that individuals live today, i.e., the air they breathe, the water they drink, the work they do, the fairness they experience, and the cultural membership that holds them together. Sustainability, in contrast, concerns whether such well-being can be sustained into the future. It is a question of whether societies are using resources wisely, creating robust institutions, and maintaining the ecological and social bases that enable future generations to prosper. In principle, they are two sides of the same coin, in effect reinforcing one another. A sustainable society should automatically yield more well-being, whereas a well-being-oriented society needs to guarantee its own sustainability. But in reality, the connection is thinner. A nation can get high marks on sustainability goals and still leave its people grappling with poor air, dodgy infrastructure, or substandard healthcare. Similarly, a nation can bring excellent living standard gains, but if achieved through the ruthless exploitation of resources or disregard for climate threats, the gains soon turn out to be empty.

THE INDIAN DILEMMA

India’s sustainability track record has some serious bragging rights. Installed renewable power capacity is now one of the biggest globally. Circular economy policies are starting to transform the way waste is managed, and significant afforestation pledges have been made. On the diplomatic front, India is regarded as a strong champion of fairness in climate talks, reminding the rich world that the burden should be fairly shared.

But the lived experience of millions of Indians is still far from these acknowledgments.

Fourteen of the world’s twenty most polluted cities are located in India, and air pollution crises are taking a devastating toll on public health and productivity. The National Family Health Survey continues to report stubbornly high rates of child malnutrition, with more than one-third of children stunted.

Urbanization has resulted in a terrain of traffic jams, housing shortages, and contaminated water supply.

In rural areas, farm communities are not only economically insecure but also increasingly suffering from climate shocks of droughts, floods, and heatwaves. Mental health issues among the young are escalating, along with economic fear and social tensions.

The paradox is evident. India is toasted as a sustainability success story overseas, yet the people back home continue to struggle with basic shortcomings in well-being. This disparity undermines the very legitimacy of sustainability as a governance focus, since what purpose is there to a future that, in statistics and summits, appears so bright if everyday life continues to be insecure and arduous?

WHY IT MATTERS

High stakes. By midcentury, the nation will be inhabited by almost 1.7 billion people. It will boast the world’s largest youth population, whose talents and vigor could take it into the league of the strongest economies. But the promise will only be realized if the well-being of such citizens is protected.

When healthcare crises, environmental degradation, and inequality persist to shape their daily life, the demographic dividend could turn into a demographic liability.

In the meantime, India’s ecological weaknesses are stark. Climate-related liabilities are real issues.

They already compound social inequalities, and the worst are borne by the poorest. For a nation where millions continue to rely on agriculture and natural resources, the integrity of ecological systems is directly linked to human dignity and survival.

Most importantly, sustainability needs to be redefined in the context of equity between generations.

Investments that overlook ecological constraints or increase inequality place the burden on those as yet unborn. Policies balancing well-being produce a virtuous circle: healthier, safer citizens today are more likely to create robust societies tomorrow.

WHAT THIS MEANS

India is not lacking in intellectual capital to do this transformation. Politically, India’s past has been one of expressing moral leadership on the international stage. Now, there is the chance for the same to happen to be a trailblazer in a new principle: intergenerational justice. If India were to show a model of government that reconciles short-term prosperity with long-term sustainability, it would set a compelling example for other Global South nations.

It would also remind the world that leadership is not merely about economic or military might, but moral conviction to legislate for those yet unable to speak for themselves. The way forward necessitates seeing that GDP growth, though vital, cannot be the only measure of progress.

Real prosperity is told in health, the equity of opportunities, the resilience and the cultural wealth that underpins identity.

India stands at a crossroads.

The question, therefore, is straightforward: will India be remembered as a nation that spent itself running after numbers, or one that dared to dream of prosperity as dignity, resilience, and equity? Not only for today, but for tomorrow.