"Yoro is arrogant". Although India and China are not similar in many ways, Indians have always regarded their country as a "second China".
They firmly believe that India will be able to surpass China in the coming decades and make Shanghai a true "Little Mumbai of the East".
This view is very popular in India, not only among the general public, but also among the Indian elite.
They even suggested that India has "four major advantages" over China, while China does not.
In conclusion, the confidence and optimism of Indians is impressive, they are confident in the future and firmly believe that they can surpass China in some areas.
The first advantage that Indians firmly believe in is the demographic advantage. In April 2023, India's population surpassed China's to become the world's most populous country. India's population will continue to grow due to the lack of family planning, while China has entered negative growth and is aging.
Indian elites believe that a large population means that India has ample"Demographic dividend", and China's excessive number of elderly people will gradually become"Population burden", which could take decades to turn around.
However, the essence of the problem is that this view is only rhetorical.
The demographic dividend is not only a simple numerical advantage of the population, but more importantly, the quality of the population. The Chinese population base is huge, and labor costs are rising, but because of the high quality of the population, it can be used with a little training.
This is the famous Chinese saying: "If you don't do it, someone will do it". In contrast, India has a low level of basic education, with 29 per cent of children failing to complete it, most of whom are from "lower caste" or religious minorities.
The gross enrolment ratios in secondary and tertiary education are also lower than those in other major economies, and there is a serious brain drain from high-end talent. This shows that the quality of the population is the key factor that determines the demographic dividend.
According to statistics, the proportion of skilled workers in India is only 3% of the total workforce, while the proportion in China is as high as 24%. India's economic growth model is mainly dependent on the service sector, and although Modi has been committed to "Make in India" since taking office, the share of India's manufacturing industry in GDP has declined over the past few years, and India's unemployment rate is even as high as 8 in 202311%。
In the short term, India's "demographic dividend" is difficult to show.
Advantages brought by the system.
India's political system has a long history, heavily influenced by the British, and is a parliamentary democracy. The parliament is mainly composed of **, the Council of States and the Lok Sabha, of which the Lok Sabha is particularly crucial.
According to the Constitution of India, the total number of members of the Council of States shall not exceed 250, of which 12 shall be elected from among those who have made outstanding cultural, academic and social contributions, and the remaining 238 shall represent the states and territories, and the allocation of seats shall be based mainly on the proportion of the population of each state.
This system has resulted in some states being more represented, such as Uttar Pradesh with 31 seats, while others are less represented, such as Tripura with only one seat. As for the seven federal districts, only Delhi and Puducheri are represented in the Union House, while the other five are not.
The total number of members of the Lok Sabha shall not exceed 552, of which 530 deputies are from the states and 20 deputies represent the Federal District. These members are directly elected by the local people,** and two seats will be nominated from Anglo-Indians.
*Must be a member of the Lok Sabha, be over 35 years of age, and must not hold a for-profit position in federal**, local** or other public authority.
In India, the parliament is the main body of power and enjoys legislative, executive, financial and constitutional powers. It is not only responsible for electing ** and deputies**, but also has the power to recall ** and deputies**.
Therefore, while ** is the official leader of India, the prime minister is the supreme leader who is actually in power. What we usually see in the news is Prime Minister Modi, not Murmu.
Western countries hail India as "the world's largest democracy", and Indians are convinced of this. However, India's vote democracy has problems with increasing efficiency.
In order to win votes, candidates can make various promises, but whether they fulfill them once they come to power is another matter. Although this kind of vote democracy gives people a sense of participation, the actual effect is worrying.
In China, the people are the masters of the country, and the efficiency of the work far exceeds that of the Western democratic system.
The Indian elite is convinced that the country has a huge geostrategic advantage. There are almost no weak and small countries around China, North Korea has nuclear **, and the eastern region is tightly blocked by a three-island chain.
In contrast, India faces the sea on three sides, and in addition to China, its neighbors Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives and other countries are all small countries that pose no threat.
Therefore, although India has become a hegemon in South Asia and claims the Indian Ocean as its territory, it does not have an advantage in terms of geopolitical conditions. China to the north controls the "water tower of Asia"** India is in a passive position.
Once China deploys a small number of troops in **, India needs to deploy a large number of troops for defense. In addition, India is surrounded by the sea on three sides, but it lacks adequate barriers and is vulnerable to naval attacks.
In contrast, China has few significant disadvantages on land, while China and Russia are friendly, Russia is relatively weak, and the north poses less of a threat to China. More importantly, China has sufficient strategic depth.
China already has the ability to move freely in and out of the so-called "island chain", and in the future, after the liberation of Taiwan, this problem will no longer exist.
Indians have always prided themselves on their good relations with countries around the world, believing that as long as they have money, they can buy the most advanced ** from other countries. However, India's self-produced ** equipment, such as the "Arjun Tank" and "Glorious Fighter", which have been developed for decades, are not satisfactory in performance.
There are even rumors that the accuracy of these ** is serious and can lead to the wrong target. These facts raise questions about whether India's so-called "military superiority" lives up to its name.
India is proud of its "Wanguo brand" and believes that "it is better to buy than to build, and it is better to rent than to buy", and even thinks that China's ** is "plagiarism" and "poor quality". However, India may have overlooked the crucial point that if other countries stop exporting key components, India's so-called "powerful equipment" could turn into a pile of scrap metal.
Therefore, India should get its mindset right, otherwise it could face serious consequences.