Even UN Grapples With Inequality and Disparity, Says Shashi Tharoor

Bengaluru Express
Bengaluru, Feb. 14: Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament and chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, on Friday, said that even the United Nations has been grappling with inequality and disparity.

Speaking at the “Global Investors’ Meet (GIM-25)”, Tharoor argued that only by realising such harsh realities can alternate global systems be considered.

In his address, Tharoor revealed how the COVID-19 crisis exposed shifts in global supply chains and stressed that post-pandemic, world leaders are focusing more on increasing their strengths within their own borders than tackling global challenges.

He also pointed to India’s poverty, where despite government efforts like free food for 80 crore people, the majority still lack purchasing power.

Tharoor called for a radical overhaul of India’s education system to prepare youth for the future job market, especially as AI and automation threaten to make 30% of global jobs obsolete in the next five years. “India has the highest unemployment rate in the world, and to empower the youth, our education system needs a complete overhaul,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of critical thinking in education, urging educational institutions to focus on teaching students “how to think” rather than “what to think.”

Former Greek Prime Minister George A Papandreou, also speaking at the event, echoed Tharoor’s sentiments on democracy, emphasising the need for transparency and accountability in governance—qualities that were notably absent during Greece’s economic collapse. “In Greece, public funds were not invested in the welfare of the people. Politicians focused solely on retaining power, which inevitably led to the economic crisis,” he said.

The session was moderated by Lakshmi Praturi, founder and CEO of Ink Talk.

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