Essay Title: Need Brings Greed, If Greed Increases It Spoils Breed (UPSC 2016)
“From Need to Greed — A Tale of the Human Creed”
“A child once asked for a loaf of bread,
Years later he hoarded while millions fled.
The same need that made him plead,
Now bloomed into unchecked greed.”
Introduction:
The journey from need to avarice is subtle, yet it shapes the soul of societies. This evocative proverb reflects a fundamental truth: needs propel survival and innovation, but when unbounded, they fester into excesses that distort human values, institutions, and environments. This essay explores how this transition affects various dimensions of our lives—sociological, economic, political, technological, environmental, and legal.
When Social Needs Morph into Structural Excesses
- Poverty: According to NITI Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (2023), nearly 13.5 crore Indians escaped poverty in five years. Yet, ethical poverty persists—driving individuals toward crimes of necessity. Over time, such conditions normalize exploitative survival tactics.
- Health: The healthcare sector is a prime example of a basic need distorted by commercial motives. The National Health Accounts report shows that over 48% of total health spending in India is out-of-pocket. This imbalance enables practices like unnecessary diagnostics and inflated medical bills.
- Education: While the NEP 2020 stresses holistic and value-based education, India’s obsession with rote learning and rank culture promotes material success over moral development. Education becomes a vehicle for competitive consumption rather than a pursuit of wisdom.
When Economic Aspirations Outpace Ethics
- Job Creation: Despite initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the World Bank notes that only 10% of India’s labor force is formally skilled. Meanwhile, platforms such as LinkedIn monetize employment anxiety, turning genuine aspirations into marketable metrics.
- Technological Innovation: Startups and unicorns are thriving, yet many overlook the ethics of data privacy, algorithmic manipulation, and emotional engineering. A pop-culture parallel can be seen in Marvel’s Tony Stark—whose innovation initially stems from national security needs, but soon spirals into an arms race of destructive potential.
- Sustainable Growth: India’s ambition to become a $5 trillion economy must align with its environmental responsibilities. Reports by the Centre for Science and Environment reveal how aggressive GDP pursuits frequently ignore ecological realities, turning development into an excuse for depletion.
When Political Power Bends to Self-Interest
- Corruption: Transparency International’s CPI 2023 ranks India 93rd out of 180 countries. What begins as a desire to influence can quickly descend into unchecked power play, diluting democratic ideals.
- Policy Formulation & Implementation: When laws are tailored to benefit select groups through lobbying or loopholes, the larger public interest is sidelined. Environmental clearances fast-tracked without public consultation exemplify this imbalance.
- Good Governance: Initiatives like Digital India, the RTI Act, and participatory platforms like MyGov strengthen transparency. These tools can realign governance with the public good when implemented sincerely.
When Technology Loses Its Moral Compass
- Artificial Intelligence: Originally developed to serve human needs, AI is now increasingly leveraged for surveillance and manipulation. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is one among many where data meant for development was repurposed for control.
- Science without Humanity: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam warned against technology that forgets the soul. Facial recognition, gene editing, and behavioral algorithms are powerful tools—but without human oversight, they can become mechanisms of domination.
- Human-Centric R&D: India’s National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems encourages inclusive technology. Climate-aligned innovations like green hydrogen and solar pumps under the KUSUM scheme represent need-driven progress.
When Nature Pays the Price for Human Excess
- Climate Change: As the world’s third-largest emitter of CO₂, India faces severe climate threats. Powerful fossil fuel lobbies often delay sustainable transitions, compromising long-term climate justice.
- Pollution: WHO data shows 14 of the 20 most polluted cities are in India. Industrial negligence—be it effluents or emissions—reflects short-term gains prioritized over collective well-being.
- Sustainable Development: India’s LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) mission promotes conscious consumption. Traditional Indian art forms like Gond and Madhubani, which portray harmony with nature, remind us that sustainability is not new—it’s rooted in our culture.
When Justice Is No Longer Blind
- Environmental Law: Frameworks like the Environment Protection Act (1986) exist but often falter in enforcement. When industries bypass impact assessments or delay action through litigation, the law becomes a tool of evasion.
- Human Rights: Development projects such as dams and SEZs often displace vulnerable communities. While they meet urban demands, they neglect constitutional rights like Article 21, which ensures life and dignity.
- Delayed Justice: With over 4.7 crore pending cases, the Indian judiciary is overwhelmed. Procedural delays, combined with influence and power, erode the trust citizens place in legal redress.
Conclusion: A Return to Wisdom
In conclusion, the line between need and greed is thin but critical. When ambitions are guided by values, societies thrive; when untethered, they erode the very systems that sustain us. The path forward lies in reviving moral education, crafting inclusive policies, ensuring technological accountability, and reinforcing environmental consciousness.
“Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way.” — Rabindranath Tagore
“The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.” — Mahatma Gandhi