New Delhi: The country has achieved a lot of things in the last 10 years under the UPA government, but "we haven't communicated well", Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information and Innovations, said on Tuesday.
The upcoming elections are India's most important polls in recent history, he said, addressing 'The Growth Net 2014'. "However, the basic ideas of India, democratic values, freedom of speech and social inclusion, are being challenged.
India has to be built through social inclusion, and not by alienating one group of people. We cannot have growing inequality all the time," he said obliquely referring to political opponents.
Lauding the government's performance over the last decade, Pitroda said, "Ahead of elections, the issue of corruption sells. Misinformation sells. People are ignorant if they think nothing has been done by the government.
We have achieved a lot in the last ten years." "In 2004, only 10 per cent youth went to schools. On Tuesday, we have doubled the number to 20 per cent. Polio has been eradicated. We are working towards democratising knowledge, since poverty has a lot to do with poverty of information," he said.
"We have made big mistakes, but some of us are unwilling to accept this. We haven't communicated well, and have gone back on some of our promises," Pitroda said.
Responding to a query on China's development model, Pitroda said, "India's diversity is given. We cannot ignore social inclusion. India would rather have development and freedom than high GDP and growth. India should not be judged by GDP."
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