From Nation-Building to Freebie Politics: The Changing Political Order in India

 When India woke up to freedom in 1947, the leadership faced a monumental task—rebuilding a nation scarred by partition, poverty, and illiteracy. The vision was not just about governing a new country but about creating institutions that could anchor its future. Out of this vision came the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), and later, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). These were not mere organizations; they were the symbols of a young republic’s aspiration to stand tall in science, engineering, medicine, and industrial self-reliance.


The Era of Institution Building


In the early decades, politics in India revolved around institution-building. Leaders spoke the language of sacrifice, hard work, and long-term growth. The first IIT opened in 1951, a bold move to create world-class engineers. AIIMS was founded in 1956, envisioned as a centre of excellence in medicine accessible to all. CSIR pushed India into serious scientific research, while ISRO turned the dream of space exploration into reality. State-owned enterprises like NTPC and HEC laid the industrial backbone.


The political discourse, though contested, was largely framed around nation-building. Citizens expected infrastructure, education, healthcare, and industrial progress. Leaders earned respect not by distributing short-term benefits but by laying bricks for the future.


The Shift Toward Populism


Over time, however, politics began to shift. With rising electoral competition, the idea of instant gratification replaced the older vision of long-term nation-building. Free electricity, loan waivers, free laptops, cycles, and cash transfers began to dominate manifestos. Welfare in itself is not undesirable—in a country with deep poverty, it was necessary. But when welfare turned into competitive populism, it diluted the spirit of responsibility.


The challenge was not the idea of helping citizens, but the erosion of balance. Instead of creating sustainable opportunities through education, jobs, and infrastructure, political focus tilted toward winning votes through freebies.


The Cost of Freebie Politics


The culture of freebies has three major consequences:

1. Fiscal Burden – States already struggling with high debt often announce schemes that drain resources, leaving little for long-term investment.

2. Erosion of Innovation and Responsibility – When survival is guaranteed without effort, the incentive to innovate or strive weakens.

3. Neglect of Institutions – While IITs, AIIMS, and ISRO need expansion and modernization, political attention is diverted elsewhere.

The Way Forward

India stands at a crossroad. It cannot afford to abandon welfare—millions still live below poverty lines. But it must return to the balance of visionary institution building alongside welfare. Countries that rose to global power did so not by endless freebies but by investing in education, research, and innovation.


The future of India’s politics depends on whether leaders dare to think beyond elections. Can the coming decades witness a revival of institution-building—new IITs that rival MIT, new AIIMS that match Mayo Clinic, new ISRO missions that challenge NASA—while also creating a safety net for the poor?


If the post-independence era was about building foundations, the present must be about strengthening them. Freebies may win elections, but institutions win nations.

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