Why is the Indian infrastructure so backwards despite the de ocracy they seem so proud of?

为什么印度基础设施如此落后，尽管他们有引以为傲的民*？

【美版知乎quora网贴翻译】

Subodh Mathur, Adjunct Professor of Economics at American University (2014-present)
Answered Tue
You should have seen India’s infrastructure when India became independent in 1947. For example, India’s total electricity generation capacity in 1947 was about 1.5 gigawatts. Today, India’s capacity is way over 300 GW. In 1947, even my parents - educated and better-off, did not have electricity in their home. Today, the majority of Indians have electricity in their homes.
Is India’s power sector in great shape? No, it is not. But, it is far better than neighbor Pakistan. And India is hel Bangladesh. Still a distance to go, but India is moving, including on renewable energy.

你应该了解印度1947年独立时的基础建设，例如，1947年印度总发电量约为15千兆瓦，今天，印度发电量已经超过了300兆瓦。1947年，即使受过教育、家庭富裕的父母，家里也没用上电。今天，印度大多数人家里都有电了。

印度电力行业状况良好吗？不，但比邻国巴基斯坦好多了。印度也正帮助孟加拉国。印度还有一段路要走，但印度正在前进，可再生能源也有了进展

There were hardly any telephones in 1947. After the cellphone revolution, even poor people have phones. As in the US, personal postal mail is declining in India also.
Roads were non-exstent in 1947, specially to villages. Many roads have been built - but not enough to keep up with increasing population and increasing prosperity. More people want to travel more often by road. India needs to do better.
Flying by plane? In 1947? Out of question. Now India has many private local airlines. Is it enough? No. India needs to do better.

1947年时，印度几乎没有电话。手机革命后，即使穷人也用上了电话。如美国一样，个人邮件在印度也逐渐式微。

1947年，印度没有公路，尤其是农村。修了很多路，但还不足以跟上人口增长和繁荣的步伐。更多的人希望出行有便捷的公路。印度这方面需要改善。

坐飞机？1947年，没的说。现在印度有很多私人航空公司。这够了吗？不够，印度需要做更好。

Railways? The trains are much faster. Narrow gauge has been removed. Steam engines are gone. Is it enough? No - but it’s getting better every year. Again, more people want to travel more often by train. Hard to keep up.
Yes, has done better than India. But, India will not give up de ocracy for -style government. India needs to do a better job, even though it has done a reasonable job. Democracy has not come in the way. Roads have to be built in order to get votes. Same for electricity. Elections and infrastructure are intertwined.
13.2k Views · 829 Upvotes

铁路？火车跑得更快了。窄轨铁路被拆掉，蒸汽机一去不复返。够了吗？不够，每年都在变好。而且，更多人想要乘坐火车旅行。很难跟上（增长步伐）。

的确做得比印度好，但印度不会放弃民*而选择模式。印度需要更进一步，即使已经做得很不错了。民*不是阻碍。为了获得选票，需要修路，电力也如此。选举和基础设施是联系一起的。

Asheesh Gupta, former Logistics
Answered Jan 7
Infrastructure and de ocracy are two different things. That’s like saying why my popcorns are not crispy when I have a great coffee machine.
However, point to be noted, is the reason you asked this question is because you lack de ocracy and jealous of it.

基础设施和民*是两码事，这好比问，为什么我的咖啡机很棒，但我的爆米花却不脆呢？

你问这个问题是因为你们木有民*，嫉妒我们民*。

Tejesh Sager, Indian by thought and birth
Answered Tue
India has achieved a lot since Independence, countries that started with are worse than us. We could have definitely done better by sacrificing some privileges that only come with Democracy, but for now the people of our Nation don't think slow growing Infrastructure is a compelling reason to sacrifice Democracy or tweak it a bit.

自独立以来，印度已经取得了不菲的成就。我们本可以牺牲一些民*特权而做得更好

Venkatesh Balaji, lives in Sacramento, CA
Answered Wed
Not true that Democracy is hampering Infrastructure growth
Let me give you a example where de ocracy has in fact helped growth of infrastructure in India.

民*并不是基础设施发展缓慢的阻碍。

我举个例子给你，民*实际上帮助了印度基础设施的发展。

（注：例子太长，略了。大意=印度某邦大停电，造成人民生活困境，承诺解决问题的政党赢得了大选，并最终改善当地的电力产业。）

There is still long way to go for India before it attains ideal infrastructure required for billion people. The point is we are getting there eventually. We are not as good as other countries like US, , Japan Europe. We certainly are far better than what we were in past. We are making giant strides, still not good enough for billion people.

要满足十亿人理想的基础设施需求，印度仍有很长一段路要走。关键是，我们最终会实现这点。没有做得跟美国、、日本、欧洲那样，但是比以前更好，我们正取得巨大的进步，但仍不足以让十亿人受益。