A Harsh Truth We Must Accept
India has always been a land of pride. We are the country of saints and scientists, of zero and Ayurveda, of culture that is thousands of years old. We boast about our rapid development in space research, medicine, and technology. Yet, when I step outside my home, I see a different reality, piles of garbage on the street corners, traffic chaos where rules mean nothing, corruption at every level of society, and a general attitude of “chalta hai” that excuses everything. And in that moment, the bitter truth hits me: we failed as Indians. Not because we lacked resources or talent, but because we failed in the very basics of being responsible citizens.
The Culture of Convenience Over Responsibility
One of our biggest weaknesses as a society is choosing convenience over responsibility. We care about keeping our homes clean but think nothing of throwing the trash outside on the road. We drive recklessly, honk endlessly, and break signals just to save a few minutes. We cut queues shamelessly and even laugh when caught. This mindset of “someone else will handle it” has become second nature to us.
The reality is shocking. India generates nearly sixty-two million tonnes of waste every year, and less than a third of it is processed. The rest is dumped in overflowing landfills, rivers, or on roadsides. In contrast, countries like Sweden recycle almost everything they produce, turning even waste into energy. The difference is not in technology but in responsibility.
I have often seen people carefully sweeping their front yard, only to dump the collected dirt just outside their compound wall. It leaves me thinking, if we cannot respect the space outside our gate, how can we dream of a clean nation? The solution is not complicated. It starts with small steps: refusing to litter, following traffic rules, and taking accountability in everyday actions. Real change will not come from government programs alone; it must begin in our homes and habits.
Pride Without Action
As Indians, we are extremely proud of our culture and our history. We chant slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and post patriotic quotes on social media during Independence Day or Republic Day. But what does this pride really mean if we do not practice responsibility?
True pride is not in words but in action. The irony is that we are one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, yet we still rank ninety-third on the Global Hunger Index, with millions of children going to bed hungry every night. We love waving flags, but within days those same flags are often found lying in garbage heaps or trampled on roads. That is not patriotism, it is performative pride.
Pride should be seen in how we treat our environment, in how honestly we pay our taxes, in how responsibly we vote, and in how respectfully we treat our fellow citizens. Waving a flag twice a year means little if we throw waste on the same streets that flag represents.
Civic Sense – Our Biggest Failure
If there is one thing foreigners immediately notice about India, it is our lack of civic sense. Roads are jammed with people breaking traffic rules, garbage is thrown anywhere but in bins, and spitting or urinating in public is treated as normal. Civic sense is not about laws written in books, it is about respect for society and the people around us.
India has some of the most polluted cities in the world. In 2023, thirty-nine out of the fifty most polluted cities globally were in India. This is not a failure of technology or policy alone, it is the collective outcome of our negligence. I remember traveling on a train where passengers casually threw plastic bottles and food wrappers onto the tracks. When I questioned one man, he laughed and said, “Everyone does it, what’s the big deal?” That mindset is precisely the problem.
The solution lies in education and enforcement. Civic sense must be taught in schools with the same importance as mathematics or science. At the same time, strict fines for littering, spitting, and breaking rules must be enforced consistently. Change will happen only when respect for public spaces becomes part of our daily culture.
Corruption – The Disease We Sustain
We often blame politicians and bureaucrats for corruption, but the truth is, corruption survives because we sustain it every day. We pay bribes to escape traffic fines. We use influence and money to secure admissions or jobs. We look for shortcuts at every level, and then we complain about the system being broken.
Transparency International ranked India ninety-third out of 180 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index in 2023. That means corruption is not a rare occurrence it is deeply woven into daily life. I recall a relative telling me with pride how he bribed an official to get his paperwork done quickly. He thought it was “smart.” But I could only think, if every citizen takes this path, how can we ever expect the system to improve?
The solution is simple yet difficult: we must refuse to be part of it. Stop paying bribes, even if it causes temporary delay. Use the Right to Information Act to hold officials accountable. Support leaders and policies that prioritize transparency. Corruption will not disappear overnight, but it will weaken if ordinary citizens stop feeding it.
The Silence That Kills Change
One of our most dangerous habits is silence. We see wrongdoings around us, someone breaking rules, someone harassing a woman, someone vandalizing property, and most of us choose to stay silent. We fear involvement, we avoid inconvenience, and we prefer to look away. This silence gives strength to those who do wrong.
Surveys show that more than half of Indians believe they “shouldn’t interfere” when they witness corruption or wrongdoing. I once witnessed a man harassing a woman in a crowded bus. Dozens of passengers saw it, but no one reacted until the woman herself raised her voice. Our silence, our hesitation, empowers the wrongdoer.
The only way forward is courage. We must raise our voices when something is wrong. We must teach children not just to study hard, but to stand up for what is right. Social media, when used responsibly, can also become a powerful tool to highlight and fight injustice. Change starts when silence ends.
Education Without Values
India produces lakhs of graduates every year, but how many are truly ethical, empathetic, and responsible? Education has become a race for degrees and marks, while values are left behind. Parents push children to score high but rarely teach them honesty, compassion, or respect for society.
The result is visible in workplaces. We have millions of degree holders, but many lack practical skills and moral responsibility. India has over forty million unemployed graduates, according to the CMIE. At the same time, cheating in exams is treated as normal. I have seen students copy without guilt, saying, “Marks matter, not honesty.” If we normalize dishonesty in schools, what can we expect in our offices and institutions?
Education must go beyond textbooks. Schools should teach civic duty, empathy, environmental responsibility, and ethics. Parents must raise children not just to be toppers but to be good human beings. A society that values morals as much as degrees will always progress sustainably.
The Habit of Comparison Without Reflection
We Indians love comparing ourselves with developed countries like Japan, the USA, or Germany. We often say, “Why can’t India be like Japan?” But the truth is, we rarely reflect on why they are ahead. Japan rebuilt itself after being destroyed in World War II, not just with technology, but with discipline and collective responsibility. Their trains run with second-level punctuality because citizens respect systems, not because they are forced to.
In India, trains are overcrowded, platforms are littered, and signals are ignored. It is not the system that fails, it is us who fail the system. Instead of blaming and comparing, we must reflect and learn. If we want to be like Japan, we must adopt their discipline, their respect for public property, and their seriousness about responsibility.
The Hope That Refuses to Die
Despite all these failures, I still believe India has hope. We are the world’s youngest nation, with over 65% of our population below the age of 35. That is not just a number, it is an opportunity. If the youth take responsibility, India can transform faster than any nation.
I have seen examples that inspire me. Students organizing cleanliness drives at railway stations. Societies adopting plastic-free policies. Young entrepreneurs creating startups based on sustainability. These are not headlines, but they are seeds of hope. Small acts, when multiplied, create revolutions.
The Final Question – Will We Continue Failing?
Yes, we failed as Indians. We failed by choosing convenience over responsibility, pride without action, silence over courage, and shortcuts over honesty. But failure is not the end, it is a mirror. The question is whether we will continue failing, or whether we will rise.
India’s destiny will not be decided only by politicians or governments. It will not be written in speeches or slogans. It will be written in our daily actions, in how we live, how we treat our surroundings, and how we raise the next generation.
If we truly want a better India, we must first become better Indians.
Because the fate of this country does not rest in some distant leader’s hands.
It rests in ours.