Indian goverment going big on ethanol. Looks great on paper but if you look at finer print food grains like rice, maize, wheat, millets are getting diverted into it. It's ok when we are producing surplus food grains but one bad year and you are looking at catastrophe.

India is maybe the only country in world which imports edible oil but exports de oiled cakes.

August 15, 1947: A Nation Reborn from the Ashes India was finally free from the two-hundred-year shackles of British rule—a regime defined by crony capitalism, systemic racism, and the parasitic extraction of wealth. As the sun rose on a newly independent nation, the world watched with skepticism, even malice. Critics mocked the newborn country, pointing to our lack of a unified language and our shattered infrastructure, openly questioning how such a fragmented society could possibly survive. India inherited nothing. The British had left behind a gutted economy, a barren landscape, and a complete absence of the pillars of modern development: there were no nationwide grids, few canals, limited dams, and almost no avenues for higher technical education. The national coffers were virtually empty, leaving the new government with barely enough funds to operate, let alone build a future. The Architect's Dilemma: Choosing a Path As India’s first Prime Minister took charge under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, he faced an impossible reality. Having witnessed firsthand how British-style capitalism had systematically wrecked the foundations of the Indian economy, he was deeply wary of the ideologies that had enabled that exploitation. He evaluated the three primary economic theories of the era: Capitalism: Rejected, as it was viewed as the very engine of the colonial wreckage he had just seen. Communism: Viewed with caution, likely due to its rigid and often authoritarian constraints. Socialism: Chosen as the essential vehicle for national reconstruction. The "Necessary Evil" that Built a Nation He knew that socialism was not a perfect ideology, but in 1947, it was a necessary tool. It was the only mechanism that allowed the state to prioritize the masses over the few. Driven by this socialist vision, he began the monumental task of nation-building: Foundations of Knowledge: He established premier educational institutes, recognizing that a nation is only as strong as its intellect. Infrastructure: He commissioned massive dams, canals, and grids, treating them as the "temples of modern India." Scientific Sovereignty: He nurtured scientists to build space agencies, nuclear facilities, and the capacity for indigenous defense production—from weapons to aircraft. The Social Safety Net: By prioritizing low-cost education and accessible healthcare, he built a model for public welfare. A Legacy Redefined While the model was born out of the desperation of a bankrupt state, its impact was profound. By prioritizing the collective over the individual profit motive, he laid the groundwork for an India that could stand on its own two feet. Ironically, the core principles of his approach—the necessity of accessible education and the state’s role in providing universal healthcare—are now the very benchmarks of progress that many European nations, the historical pioneers of industrial capitalism, are striving to refine and emulate today. He didn't just build a government; he built a country from the ground up, proving to the world that India was not just a survivor, but a rising power.