On 72nd Independence Day, our country wants freedom from...

As we celebrate the 71st anniversary of our Independence, India is the world's sixth largest economy in terms of nominal GDP and third largest in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). Though it is among the fastest growing economies in the world, the country has its fare share of challenges, such as unemployment, black money and corruption, among others. A look at some of the most pressing issues India wants to get rid of.

According to a report released by Berlin-based Transparency International, India's ranking in the annual corruption index slid to 81 among the 180 countries analysed in 2017. The Corruption Perception Index 2017 also singled out India as one of the "worst offenders in the Asia-Pacific region.

The parallel economy of India is estimated to be around half of India's current GDP of $2.60 trillion (2017). Though the Modi government has so far unlocked black money worth around Rs 1,14,110 crore, the money parked by Indians in Swiss banks rose over 50% in 2017. The surge has come as a surprise, given Modi's continuing clampdown on suspected black money stashed abroad.

Non-performing assets in the banking system have dominated headlines for several months now. Indian banks' gross bad loans stood at Rs 10.25 lakh crore as on March 31, 2018. In FY18, bad assets in the system rose by a whopping Rs 3.13 lakh crore. At 10%, India is in the more 'unsatisfactory' league of nations with high NPAs.

Delhi's air quality remained in the emergency category despite efforts by the state government and the Centre. Air pollution has emerged as a major challenge and the problem becomes more complex due to multiplicity and complexity of the mix of emission sources, such as industries, automobiles, generator sets, domestic fuel burning, roadside dusts and construction activities. In 2017, the city's PM 2.5 annual average was 143 micrograms per cubic metre, more than three times the national safe standard, while the PM 10 average was 292 micrograms per cubic metre, more than 4.5 times the national standard.

India is no stranger to income inequality, but the gap is widening further. Between 2006 and 2015, ordinary workers saw their annual income rise by an average of just 2%, while billionaire wealth rose almost six times faster. According to an Oxfam analysis, India's top 1% of the population now holds 73% of the wealth, while 67 crore citizens, comprising the country's poorest half, saw their wealth rise by just 1%. In a 2016 survey, India's top 1% held 58% of the country's total wealth, which was higher than the global figure of about 50%.

According to the World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2018 report (ILO report), as many as 18.3 million Indians were unemployed in 2017, and was estimated at 18.9 million by 2019. The job situation remains grim as India's working-age population (above 15 years) is increasing by 1.3 million every month. The government, though, has denied the jobless growth theory and has said that more than one crore jobs were created in 2017 alone.