Why India Trails China

India as a democracy has made great strides in education, poverty reduction and economic reform, but the country, destined to the world’s most populous, still lags behind China. “The far greater gap between India and China is in the provision of essential public services — a failing that depresses living standards and is a persistent drag on growth,” writes Amartya Sen in an opinion essay for the New York Times. “Inequality is high in both countries, but China has done far more than India to raise life expectancy, expand general education and secure health care for its people.” Sen suggests that a society cannot be assessed by achievements of its elites alone, that countries are more competitive when governments lift confidence by investing in public services like health care, education, secure and reliable infrastructure. Democracy “demands sustained deliberation, political engagement, media coverage, popular pressure.” – YaleGlobal