I've been in the US for the last 2 weeks and there's a major contrast with life in India. Not only on the outside, but also the inside. There are a lot of things we can learn and adopt from the Americans. Of course, there are several things we we may be better off maintaining our way.
Externally there are several stark contrasts. My top 5 (in alphabetical order) would be
A. Cleanliness
B. Discipline
C. Independent Teenagers
D. Infrastructure
E. Processes
A. Cleanliness
Many of us in India believe that Westerners have an inbuilt tendency towards cleanliness and we Indians don't. This in my mind is a far cry from the truth. The US works very hard at keeping the environment clean. The fine for littering in highways could be anything from $500 to $2,000. One day of the week is kept for clearing garbage from homes. Only the garbage kept out the previous night is taken away. One day of the week is kept aside for street cleaning. And clearly marked. Cars that remain parked on the street on those days are towed away. And have to pay a fine of around $500 to get their car back. Lawns that are not kept manicured could draw censure from teh city. And you guessed it right, a hefty fine. Eating places need to ensure that their surrounding are garbage free, else the license to operate gets taken away. Even common littering attracts stiff fines. Little wonder you have surroundings that are clean, well maintained and beautiful.
B. Discipline
The sense of discipline starts at the Immigration line for non Americans. On an average, expect to spend a half hour if you are lucky and an hour and half if its a normal day. People try all kinds of things to move to the front of the line. Such as, "I'll miss my connecting flight". The response, a stern, "Sir, That's not my problem. Get back in line, else I'll send you to the back of the line." No exceptions even when the airline staff try to get someone ahead. The system isn't heartless. People with disabilities, unaccompanied children, all have their own separate line that is much faster. Its amusing to see Indians comment about "How systematic the system is," and then grumble about the chaos when they have to stand for five minutes in an Immigration line in India. There are lines everywhere, whether its to get a cup of coffee, or a table at a restaurant, or even to go to the bathroom. The difference is that everyone follows the lines, and the few who attempt to break it are promptly sent back by the majority. Hence, since everybody is tuned to standing in line, that by itself ensures that the minority are not allowed to break it. The other example is driving. People yield to pedestrians, drive sensibly and all in all ensure that driver related traffic jams are minimal. Guess what. Every sign carries with it the cost of breaking. "Speed limit 50 mph. Minimum fine $350 for violation". "Car pool lane carries 3. Minimum fine $800 for violation". It doesn't end with the fine. There are points put on your license and after the second one you need to go attend a driving lesson. Not to mention the increase in your insurance premium.
C. Independent Teenagers
It is expected that teenagers between 16 and 18 will leave home, and start living by themselves. It also means they need to find a job to not only survive, but also pay for college should they choose to attend one. They quickly learn the realities of life, and the value of work and money. This lays a very strong foundation for the American economy with a work force that has a clear sense of understanding that you need to work and work hard to earn money. It also gives it a large, young workforce that is extremely productive.
D. Infrastructure
The difference here is mind boggling. The founding fathers and all who followed realized that the growth of a country is directly related to its infrastructure. And have ensured that the infrastructure created is not only well maintained but creation of infrastructure is an on-going process that will cater to the growing future needs that are projected by the city planners. China has figured out that infrastructure is critical and has built an unbelievable amount, especially in their main cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Indians appreciate the necessity. And have made a few motions in that direction. But as of now its too little, too late. This is an area where if radical reform does not happen quickly, our growth will be limited, not only current, but also future.
E. Processes
In India every process, has 10 exceptions. And the intelligent populace on both sides invest a lot of time and energy to interpret, and figure out ways in using loopholes to break or short circuit the process. This is mainly because in almost all processes a lot of freedom is given to the individuals implementing the same. As an example, when caught breaking a traffic light, most will spend significant time in arguing, justifying, comparing and then bribing to get out of a simple Rs 100 fine. In the US, the complete interaction is recorded and its very difficult for either to get out of it. A ticket almost invariably gets written. All discussions and arguments can happen in court, when the case comes up. Another classic example is check-in. Simple rule, if you have bags, you have to check in 60 minutes before the departure time. The system has been designed that a baggage tag will not get generated of there is less than 60 minutes to flight time in economy class. By removing subjectivity as to whether 1 minute late or 5 minutes late is okay, the process becomes very effective. And once people realize that there is No Way Out, they follow the processes.
To summarize, all we need to do is create processes that cannot be short circuited, make them transparent and have penalties and fines that pinch the pocket. All of rhis is easy and simple. Provide we have the political will to implement.
Externally there are several stark contrasts. My top 5 (in alphabetical order) would be
A. Cleanliness
B. Discipline
C. Independent Teenagers
D. Infrastructure
E. Processes
Many of us in India believe that Westerners have an inbuilt tendency towards cleanliness and we Indians don't. This in my mind is a far cry from the truth. The US works very hard at keeping the environment clean. The fine for littering in highways could be anything from $500 to $2,000. One day of the week is kept for clearing garbage from homes. Only the garbage kept out the previous night is taken away. One day of the week is kept aside for street cleaning. And clearly marked. Cars that remain parked on the street on those days are towed away. And have to pay a fine of around $500 to get their car back. Lawns that are not kept manicured could draw censure from teh city. And you guessed it right, a hefty fine. Eating places need to ensure that their surrounding are garbage free, else the license to operate gets taken away. Even common littering attracts stiff fines. Little wonder you have surroundings that are clean, well maintained and beautiful.
The sense of discipline starts at the Immigration line for non Americans. On an average, expect to spend a half hour if you are lucky and an hour and half if its a normal day. People try all kinds of things to move to the front of the line. Such as, "I'll miss my connecting flight". The response, a stern, "Sir, That's not my problem. Get back in line, else I'll send you to the back of the line." No exceptions even when the airline staff try to get someone ahead. The system isn't heartless. People with disabilities, unaccompanied children, all have their own separate line that is much faster. Its amusing to see Indians comment about "How systematic the system is," and then grumble about the chaos when they have to stand for five minutes in an Immigration line in India. There are lines everywhere, whether its to get a cup of coffee, or a table at a restaurant, or even to go to the bathroom. The difference is that everyone follows the lines, and the few who attempt to break it are promptly sent back by the majority. Hence, since everybody is tuned to standing in line, that by itself ensures that the minority are not allowed to break it. The other example is driving. People yield to pedestrians, drive sensibly and all in all ensure that driver related traffic jams are minimal. Guess what. Every sign carries with it the cost of breaking. "Speed limit 50 mph. Minimum fine $350 for violation". "Car pool lane carries 3. Minimum fine $800 for violation". It doesn't end with the fine. There are points put on your license and after the second one you need to go attend a driving lesson. Not to mention the increase in your insurance premium.
C. Independent Teenagers
It is expected that teenagers between 16 and 18 will leave home, and start living by themselves. It also means they need to find a job to not only survive, but also pay for college should they choose to attend one. They quickly learn the realities of life, and the value of work and money. This lays a very strong foundation for the American economy with a work force that has a clear sense of understanding that you need to work and work hard to earn money. It also gives it a large, young workforce that is extremely productive.
The difference here is mind boggling. The founding fathers and all who followed realized that the growth of a country is directly related to its infrastructure. And have ensured that the infrastructure created is not only well maintained but creation of infrastructure is an on-going process that will cater to the growing future needs that are projected by the city planners. China has figured out that infrastructure is critical and has built an unbelievable amount, especially in their main cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Indians appreciate the necessity. And have made a few motions in that direction. But as of now its too little, too late. This is an area where if radical reform does not happen quickly, our growth will be limited, not only current, but also future.
In India every process, has 10 exceptions. And the intelligent populace on both sides invest a lot of time and energy to interpret, and figure out ways in using loopholes to break or short circuit the process. This is mainly because in almost all processes a lot of freedom is given to the individuals implementing the same. As an example, when caught breaking a traffic light, most will spend significant time in arguing, justifying, comparing and then bribing to get out of a simple Rs 100 fine. In the US, the complete interaction is recorded and its very difficult for either to get out of it. A ticket almost invariably gets written. All discussions and arguments can happen in court, when the case comes up. Another classic example is check-in. Simple rule, if you have bags, you have to check in 60 minutes before the departure time. The system has been designed that a baggage tag will not get generated of there is less than 60 minutes to flight time in economy class. By removing subjectivity as to whether 1 minute late or 5 minutes late is okay, the process becomes very effective. And once people realize that there is No Way Out, they follow the processes.
To summarize, all we need to do is create processes that cannot be short circuited, make them transparent and have penalties and fines that pinch the pocket. All of rhis is easy and simple. Provide we have the political will to implement.
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