NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the ‘Nehru development model’, which enjoyed national consensus for decades, had ‘failed’ the country.
Jaishankar argues that the current government since 2014 is trying to “fix things abroad” while also dealing with the domestic-level fallout, and argues that the narrative around this model is “in politics, bureaucracy, planning. It affects institutions, the judiciary, public spaces, the media and education.” ”
in the virtual address at startup ofNehru development model” Former Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya said Jaishankar claimed that Russia and China today “unequivocally reject” the economic ideas of the time.
“But these very beliefs seem to remain alive in influential areas of our country today,” he said.
“But the paradox is that for over three decades there has actually been a national consensus that this development model will ultimately fail the country,” Jaishankar added.
In his speech, the minister said that the development model “inevitably” gave rise to Nehru’s foreign policy, and said that just as the current government is “trying to reform the impact of the model at home, it is also trying to modify it abroad.” “There is,” he claimed.
“As a result, we undertake only necessary reforms, and the truly necessary reforms are rarely implemented,” the Minister of External Affairs (EAM) said.
He said that while India has undoubtedly benefited from greater economic opening over the past 33 years, the global situation today is much more complex.
“We are now entering an era of weaponized economics, raising critical questions about what we export and to whom.”
The minister added that modern priorities have shifted from a focus on openness to a focus on resilience, authenticity and trust. “Being cautious and open is probably the way forward,” he said.
Speaking about Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance, he said it should not be mistaken for protectionism. “In fact, this is a call to think and act independently and is also a means of safeguarding national security,” Jaishankar said.
