Eight decades of transformation: From scarcity to self-confidence

The India of 1947 could scarcely have imagined the India of 2026. The India of 2026 must now show the same courage and imagination in building the India of 2047. As we salute the Tricolour, let us renew our commitment to a strong, prosperous, inclusive, self-reliant and just India and to the Constitution that has made this possible

As India celebrates its 80th Independence Day, we are not merely marking another anniversary of freedom. We are reflecting upon a remarkable national journey, one that began in 1947 amid hope, sacrifice and enormous uncertainty, and has brought us to an India that is increasingly confident, capable and determined to shape its own destiny. The India that became independent on 15 August 1947 was very different from the India we see today. We inherited poverty, widespread illiteracy, inadequate infrastructure, food insecurity, weak industrial capacity and the deep wounds of Partition. Yet, our founding generation possessed something more powerful than material resources: a profound faith in the Indian people and an unwavering commitment to democracy.

India's journey since then has not always been easy or linear. For decades, India continued to grapple with shortages, inadequate infrastructure, limited economic opportunities and the immense difficulty of delivering development to a population of continental scale. Yet, when we look at India today, we see a country that has progressively overcome many of the limitations that once appeared insurmountable. This transformation has acquired unprecedented scale and momentum over the last twelve years.

India today is among the world's leading economies and has emerged as a major centre of technology, digital innovation, manufacturing, entrepreneurship and human talent. Infrastructure is being created at a scale once difficult to imagine. Highways, railways, airports, digital networks and public infrastructure are connecting people and regions faster than ever before.

Technology has transformed the relationship between citizens and the State. Public services can increasingly reach beneficiaries directly and transparently. A new generation of Indians is growing up with aspirations very different from those of previous decades. Our youth are not merely seeking opportunities; they are becoming entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, professionals and creators of opportunities themselves.

The journey from scarcity to aspiration, and from aspiration to self-confidence, is perhaps one of the defining stories of modern India. But India's greatest achievement cannot be measured only through economic statistics, infrastructure or technology. Equally remarkable has been the endurance of constitutional democracy in a country of extraordinary social, linguistic, cultural and religious diversity. When the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, India became a Republic founded on the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The Constitution gave institutional expression to the values for which generations of Indians had struggled. It established a democratic system in which sovereignty ultimately rests with the people, governments derive legitimacy through elections and State power remains subject to constitutional limitations. India's constitutional journey has not been without turbulence. The Emergency of 1975-77 was perhaps its gravest test, when democratic freedoms and constitutional rights came under severe strain. It remains a reminder that constitutional democracy can never be taken for granted. Yet, India's response demonstrated the remarkable resilience of its democratic system.  That experience demonstrated an enduring truth: our democracy is resilient because the Constitution gives citizens not only rights, but also the institutional means to defend them.

Parliament and State Legislatures are the principal forums through which the aspirations, concerns and expectations of citizens are translated into laws and public policy. They are also institutions through which governments are questioned, public expenditure is scrutinised, competing viewpoints are debated and the executive is held accountable. Over the decades, our Constitution and laws have continued to evolve in response to changing social and national requirements.

An important milestone came through the 86th Constitutional Amendment of 2002 under the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which inserted Article 21A into the Constitution and recognised free and compulsory education for children between six and fourteen years of age as a Fundamental Right. In more recent years, legislative reforms have increasingly sought not only to regulate society but also to make governance simpler, more transparent and more responsive to citizens. The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax through the constitutional framework created a unified indirect taxation system and strengthened the idea of India as a common economic market. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code created a time-bound framework for dealing with insolvency and represented a significant change in India's economic and financial architecture. One of the most interesting shifts in the philosophy of governance can be seen in the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. For decades, many relatively minor administrative and procedural defaults carried criminal consequences. The Jan Vishwas legislation decriminalised a large number of such minor offences across several Central laws, replacing imprisonment in many cases with monetary penalties.

It represents a change in the relationship between the citizen and the State, from a system based excessively on suspicion and criminalisation towards one based increasingly on trust. India has also undertaken a major transformation of its criminal justice framework through the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. These laws seek to move India's criminal justice system away from structures inherited from the colonial period and towards a framework suited to the needs of a modern Republic. Another historic development came with the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, which provides for reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

These developments underline an important truth: A successful democracy must constantly respond to new aspirations, technologies, economic realities and social expectations while remaining anchored firmly in its constitutional values. As Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, I believe a legislature must never be viewed merely as a place where Bills are passed. It is where the people's voice must be heard, where the government must answer questions and where public grievances must find expression.

It is where differing political viewpoints must encounter one another through debate rather than confrontation outside the democratic process. Our parliamentary traditions teach us that disagreement is not a weakness of democracy. Democracy does not require unanimity; it requires respect for institutions, rules, constitutional boundaries and the legitimacy of differing opinions.

This is why the responsibility of protecting the Constitution cannot rest with institutions alone. It belongs equally to every citizen. The Constitution acquires strength not merely from the words written in it, but from the faith that citizens place in it and from the willingness of governments, legislatures, courts, political parties and citizens to respect its true spirit.

India's experience over eighty years tells us that institutions may be tested, political circumstances may change and the democratic journey may occasionally become difficult. But when citizens retain faith in constitutional processes, democracy possesses an extraordinary ability to correct itself and move forward. Many challenges that constrained India for decades are today being overcome. There is a growing confidence that India need not merely adjust itself to a world shaped by others; it can help shape that world. This confidence must become the foundation of our journey towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047. The next phase of development must combine economic growth with social responsibility, technological progress with human values, opportunity with inclusion and national ambition with constitutional morality.

Our young generation will be the principal architect of this future. Along with opportunity, we must give them faith in the Constitution, respect for democratic institutions, pride in India's civilisation and confidence in its future.

India's constitutional journey has not been without turbulence. The Emergency of 1975-77 was perhaps its gravest test, when democratic freedoms and constitutional rights came under severe strain. It remains a reminder that constitutional democracy can never be taken for granted. Yet, India's response demonstrated the remarkable resilience of its democratic system.  That experience demonstrated an enduring truth: our democracy is resilient because the Constitution gives citizens not only rights, but also the institutional means to defend them

Vijender Gupta is Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly; Views presented are personal.