Development gains must reach all; it's necessary for democracy, youth's faith in it: Vice president

New Delhi, It is essential for sustaining a democratic system that the fruits of development reach everyone, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan said on Saturday, warning that otherwise, youth may lose their faith in democracy.

He also asserted that inclusivity can sustain development and underlined the need to take decisions based on consensus.

Inaugurating the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave here, the vice president spoke about the scope of development and Indian economy.

Radhakrishnan said development should reach every section of society.

"Otherwise, people, especially the youngsters, may lose their faith in democracy. In some of the parts of the world, again people are saying communism is coming up," he said and expressed his opposition to the system "because it is a dictatorship".

"We are not against communism because of anything else," he said and expressed his view that no other form of governance can substitute a functional democracy.

As the Rajya Sabha chair, he said, he firmly believes that only free and transparent debate strengthens democracy, not only in India but anywhere in the world. Ensuring that the fruits of development are distributed among all is essential for the sustainability of democracy, the vice president said.

Every individual should have the right to speak, work, earn legally and spend money the way he or she wants, he added.

Noting that the Indian economy is moving from under-developed to developing to developed, Radhakrishnan said we can call ourselves a developed economy if it is an inclusive development of everyone and when benefits reach every nook and corner.

He also underlined that in a period of rapid changes, when geo-political tensions are rising, and global trade is changing, "we need decisiveness embedded in consensus".

He said we can debate, discuss and come to a conclusion that is acceptable to all.

Referring to policymaking, Radhakrishnan said the ground realities of both micro and macroeconomic situations should be taken into consideration.

"When you have to make macroeconomic policies, then you have to understand the ground realities of the globe. That is where the success story of the Chinese is well-established. They understand the ground realities of both and bring their nation to the second-largest economy of the world," he told the gathering.

Advising policymakers to always be aware of the facts on the ground, he added, "That is very very important. One has to be so flexible in making the policy that the policy itself should become a big success," he said.

The vice president said India has demonstrated that democracy and development can advance together.

"India's economic growth and inclusive progress have been achieved within a democratic framework, while consensus-building has given economic reforms greater durability and sustainability… This experience provides an important foundation for the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, he said.

Emphasising that economic resilience cannot be separated from social resilience, Radhakrishnan pointed to the transformative role of Direct Benefit Transfer, GST and the JAM trinity standing for Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, and Mobile connections in strengthening financial inclusion, transparency and formalisation.

He noted that more than 590 million Jan Dhan accounts had been opened as of August 2026, while GST registrations had risen from around 6.65 million in 2017 to 16.5 million in May 2026.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.