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Is India a global superpower?
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Poor sanitation prevents India from being a global superpower

Parts of India remain underdeveloped, causing issues with sanitation and public health.

The Argument

Most of India's advanced medical care is only available in private practices, which is too expensive for most of the population. Since high-quality care is only affordable to the wealthy, most citizens have to settle for unsanitary medical facilities and limited access to clean water and running toilets.[1] Millions of people in India do not have access to clean, running water. Diseases can be spread through dirty water and practicing poor hygiene. Children are especially at risk of becoming ill because it can lead to malnourishment and death. Malnourishment can cause mental and physical stunts in children that will follow them into adulthood.[2] Rural parts of India lack modern innovations that wealthy urban areas have, so many people live in poor sanitation. Since millions of people in India live in unsanitary conditions, they cannot be considered a global superpower.[3]

Counter arguments

The wealthiest people in India have access to clean water and modern medical facilities so they have a lower risk of becoming sick through poor sanitation. For years, programs around India have helped millions of citizens improve their personal hygiene, sanitation, and water. The quality of life is rising yearly due to organizations such as The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children' Fund that provide better medical care and sanitation to millions of people in India.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Most of India's citizen can only afford unsanitary medical facilities. [P2] Millions of people in India live without clean water. [P3] Citizens in rural India live in unsanitary conditions. [P4] Therefore, India cannot be considered a global superpower.

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://in.one.un.org/health-water-and-sanitation/
  2. https://water.org/our-impact/india/
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/15/world/asia/poor-sanitation-in-india-may-afflict-well-fed-children-with-malnutrition.html
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 22 Sep 2020 at 07:20 UTC

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