India’s Unequal Future: Why Do the Few Hold So Much, While the Many Still Wait for Water? In March 2024, a study by the World Inequality Lab shook India’s policy and intellectual circles. The paper, Income and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922–2023, reported that the richest 1% of Indians today command 40.1% of the nation’s wealth and capture 22.6% of its total income. These are not just record-breaking figures in independent India’s history. They surpass, by some measures, the yawning gaps of the colonial era. At the same time, the government proudly cites the progress of its flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched in 2019 with the promise of providing tap water to every rural household by 2024. As of late 2024, official figures show that about 78% of rural homes now have a tap connection. This is undeniably a leap forward from the mere 16% reported in 2019. Yet it also means that one in four rural households - tens of millions of families - still lack direct access to safe water. So, in a country whose billionaires now regularly feature on Forbes’ global rich lists, why does such stark deprivation remain so widespread? Why does the “New India” of unicorn startups and space launches still resemble “Old India” when it comes to the essentials of dignity: clean water, sanitation, nutrition, and opportunity? #inequality #DalitPanther #JalJeevanMission #Forbes
