Planning Commission's Report of the Committee on India Vision, 2020 and Vision Documents of Some States

Every country needs a vision statement which stirs the imagination and motivates all segments of society to greater effort. It is an essential step in building a political consensus on a broad development strategy, which encompasses, inter-alia, the roles and responsibilities of different agents in the economy, such as the government, the private corporate sector, the small and tiny sector, people's organisations, etc. The turn of a century, and most especially the beginning of a new millennium, is an appropriate time for reflecting on the unfinished tasks and the future possibilities. In order to address these issues, among others, the Planning Commission constituted a Committee on Vision 2020 for India in June 2000 under the chairmanship of Dr. S.P. Gupta, Member, Planning Commission. This initiative brought together over 30 experts from different fields. Their deliberations, extending over a period of more than two years, has helped to throw up a range of interesting possibilities, critical issues and crucial decision-points for government and private bodies for future action. The Report of the Committee examines many important issues, but the ones that stand out most powerfully are employment and education. The document also examines issues related to population growth, food production, health, vulnerable sections of the population, transport, communication, energy self-sufficiency, water conservation and air quality, trade investment, peace, security and governance.