India, Dec. 26 -- To me, the question of whether a country is truly developed has little to do with its GDP. It can be answered far more simply: Can I drink water straight from the tap in my hotel room?

By that measure, development is rare. Just about two dozen countries in the world can credibly claim that their tap water is universally safe to drink. India is nowhere close. More strikingly, this is not even articulated as a national goal. Viksit Bharat - India's goal of being a developed country by 2047 - is framed almost entirely around income growth and aggregate GDP, as if prosperity alone will deliver the things that make life secure, healthy, and dignified.

Sadly, it will not. GDP growth does not automatically produce potable wat...