When we mention the world's most populous country, the first reaction may be China, but in fact this year, that answer has changed.
The most populous country in the world is India, a large country in the East full of magical charm with a long history and unique culture. As the birthplace of the Mayan civilization and Hinduism, India has made important contributions to the development of human civilization, and its history and culture are unique in the world and have attracted the attention of countless people.
Although cinema and Indian literature paint a rosy picture for us, this is not the case. Many Indian cities do have problems with chaos and pollution, litter and disgusting air pollution.
Although Tagore is full of disappointment and frustration with Indian cities in his works, we cannot deny the fact that India is the second largest developing country in the world. Despite some problems, India's potential and prospects cannot be ignored.
Anyone who has seen India's environment will be struck by its dirty and messy conditions. The streets are full of garbage, the air quality is worrying, and the noise is everywhere.
Due to the limited capacity of municipal solid waste disposal, many places even dump garbage directly into rivers or streets.
The Ganges, the mother river of India, provides India with an abundance of water resources. However, due to overuse and pollution, the current Ganges water is of extremely poor quality, emits an unpleasant odor, and contains a large number of bacteria.
The water quality of the Ganges River is so polluted that it cannot be improved by filtration or other means, and it is no longer suitable for use. However, there are still many people who depend on the Ganges water for laundry, bathing and even cooking, which poses a serious threat to the lives and health of the Indian people.
Public transport is not only a concern for hygiene, but also often a hotbed of disease transmission due to garbage and sputum, often leading to traffic congestion and even paralysis, bringing great inconvenience to people's travel.
India's urban infrastructure is extremely backward, and electricity, as the basic energy source for urban operation, often has power outages, resulting in many equipment not working normally, various food damage, and frequent security problems, which seriously interfere with the lives of the Indian people.
However, the people of India are still tenacious in this environment, so what allows them to do so?
India's religious beliefs and caste system have had an impact on its perception of environmental protection. Religious ideas that emphasize individual liberation and strict caste regulations make it difficult for Indians to develop a sense of environmental protection.
This situation makes it difficult for people to establish a sense of responsibility for the social environment, and at the same time, it is not conducive to the equitable distribution of social resources. Although Hinduism considers the water of the Ganges to be sacred and cannot be used directly for purposes such as living and agriculture.
Paradoxically, however, many Hindus live in the waters of the Ganges, an area that is desperately short of other freshwater resources. As a result, they have to rely on the Ganges water for their livelihood, which in turn poses a threat to their lives and health.
In addition, some important festivals of Hinduism require a large number of followers to perform water baptism activities in the Ganges, which can easily lead to the deterioration of the water quality of the Ganges during the festivals.
Despite the increased risk of disease transmission in the Ganges waters, these activities are difficult to cancel due to religious restrictions. Religious regulations also directly affect people's lifestyles and environmental behaviors, further exacerbating India's environmental pollution problems, thus becoming an important obstacle to India's environmental protection.
India's traditional family and gender concepts still exist, in contrast, China's new era of women's thinking has been very advanced, women can be independent, and even support the family.
Hinduism advocates lifelong marriage, a tradition that values family stability, with a divorce rate of only 1 percent. However, arranged marriages and intra-clan marriages in India make personal will less important in the choice of marriage.
In India, the traditional concept of marriage often puts the wishes of the parents first, ignoring the matching of personal interests and emotions, resulting in a greatly limited position of women in the family.
Therefore, some people describe this phenomenon as "India is a paradise for the rich, a field for the poor, and a hell for women."
The public security situation in India is worrying, and all kinds of illegal and criminal incidents are frequent. According to the data, there are more than 30,000 cases, and the actual number may be higher. In addition, there are doubts about the effectiveness of the management of the police and other social management agencies, and incidents such as illegal detention are frequent.
Although in many parts of India, girls are often seen as a problem, believing that they are unruly, and even forcibly "circumcision" on the day of their ** ceremony, which makes Indian women in chaos and fear for a long time.
Behind India's social chaos, the gap between rich and poor is a factor that cannot be ignored. According to statistics, the wealthy class in India has huge wealth, most of which is concentrated in the hands of a few families.
According to the report, India's top 1 per cent and top 10 per cent of the rich already account for 53 per cent and 76 per cent of the country's wealth.
While a significant portion of India's population is affluent, there are still a large number of people living in poverty. Actually, more than 2800 million Indians live on less than $2 a day, accounting for 21% of the population, and the necessities of life are not guaranteed.
Such a huge gap between rich and poor can lead to social discontent and extreme events.
India is now facing a shortage of resources, which has further widened the gap between the rich and the poor. However, as a large developing country, India also has its positive side. ”
First, the demographic dividend highlights the attractiveness of investment. As one of the most populous countries in the world, India has a huge consumer market and is extremely attractive for external investment.
During the pandemic, the economies of various countries have been impacted, but India still insists on vigorously developing domestic infrastructure construction, which shows India's firm determination and strong ambition for development.
2. A major producer of generic drugs. India is currently the world's largest producer of generic drugs, with strong pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and an extensive market network.
This gives India an important position in the pharmaceutical sector, which offers great prospects for investment.
The United States dominates the global superpower, but in the field of medicine, they also have to seek India's cooperation. India has a clear advantage in vaccine research and development, and even during the two years of the global pandemic, India was a major producer of COVID vaccines.
According to statistics, India's drugs have been exported to more than 200 countries and regions around the world, fully demonstrating its pharmaceutical manufacturing strength. At the same time, India attaches great importance to education and invests a lot of resources in higher education, and currently has more than 1,800 polytechnics and educational institutions, among which polytechnics are ranked first in the world.
India has managed to become the world's largest software developer after the United States because of its strong strength in the field of software development. Just like the influence of the "Hollywood" of the United States in the world film industry, India's "Bollywood" also enjoys a high reputation in the film industry in India and even the world.
India's film industry is also thriving, with films such as the world's most beloved "Three Fools in Bollywood" originating in India. Admittedly, the current environment in India is still poor, which is not in keeping with the pace of development in the country.
But can't we despise this country as if it were a person, and judge its inner qualities only by its appearance?