Yet, as we project a picture of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India)-backed by financial growth and academic excellence-a fundamental question remains: Has our public conduct kept pace with our infrastructural progress?

Economic growth alone does not define a developed civilisation. The true marker of an advanced society lies in its daily civic habits-the quiet respect, empathy, and consideration citizens show one another in shared public spaces.

Our Public Behaviour

Walk down any bustling Indian street, and the contrast between private warmth and public indifference becomes stark. Within our homes, hospitality and respect are paramount. Beyond the threshold, however, public interaction often dissolves into a chaotic struggle.

The "Me First" Loop: Routine public interactions-from cutting in line and crowding elevator doors to merging haphazardly into heavy traffic-are increasingly driven by an impatience to get ahead by just a few seconds. This behaviour is fuelled by a defensive psychological loop: when individuals assume others will break the rules, they abandon the rules themselves to avoid feeling left behind. Ultimately, this hyper-individualism creates systemic gridlock, turning minor infractions into daily aggression where everyone loses time.

A Culture of Noise: Pervasive honking-used not to warn, but as an outlet for frustration-creates a high-stress environment. Combined with loud phone conversations on speaker in public transport and late-night loudspeakers, noise has been normalised at the expense of communal well-being.

Disregard for Life and Memory: Perhaps the most painful indicator of our civic gap is the treatment of emergency and solemn vehicles. Sirens are frequently ignored in dense traffic, delaying ambulances carrying critical patients. Similarly, funeral processions-once met with a quiet pause and reverence-are often rudely overtaken by impatient drivers.

Anatomy of Civic Friction

The phrase "The Anatomy of Civic Friction" captures the structural breakdown that occurs when individual impulses clash in shared spaces. It isn't just about bad manners-it describes a mechanical, recurring breakdown in how a society operates when public trust is absent.

In physics, friction creates resistance, slows down movement, and generates heat. In a society, civic friction operates in exactly the same way:

Acoustic Hostility: Persistent noise-from incessant horn honking to blasting audio on public transit-functions as a continuous, ambient stressor. It raises collective anxiety and lowers the threshold for road rage and public outbursts.

Erosion of Shared Ownership: Viewing public property-streets, parks, transit systems-as "nobody's space" rather than "everyone's space" leads to littering, encroachment, and disrespect for civic boundaries.

Smooth civic life doesn't require enforcement at every corner; it relies on an implicit agreement to give up a tiny fraction of immediate convenience for the smooth operation of the collective whole.

A Lesson in the Queue

This clash between entitlement and civic order is best illustrated at a busy airport:

The departure hall was packed, and the check-in line stretched far down the terminal, filled with weary travellers waiting their turn. Out of nowhere, a well-dressed man barged past the long line of patient passengers, strode straight to the front, and slammed his ticket onto the counter.

"Process this immediately. I'm in a hurry," he demanded.

The check-in agent offered a calm, professional smile. "Sir, I'd be happy to help you, but you'll need to step to the back of the queue like everyone else."

His face flushed with instant anger. Leaning over the counter, he bellowed for the entire terminal to hear, "Do you have any idea who I am?!"

Without flinching, the agent reached for her public address microphone, flipped the switch, and spoke clearly into the terminal's loudspeakers:

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen in Terminal 2. We have a gentleman here at Gate 4 who does not know who he is. If anyone can assist him in finding his identity, please step forward."

As the terminal erupted into collective laughter and applause, the man turned crimson, grabbed his ticket, and quietly walked to the back of the line.

Building a Developed Civic Mindset

A nation cannot truly claim developed status if basic empathy is missing from everyday interactions. True modernisation requires upgrading our social contract alongside our infrastructure.

Strict Acoustic Discipline: Horns should be reserved exclusively for immediate danger, not for expressing routine irritation. Implementing strict no-honking zones near hospitals, schools, and residential communities is an essential first step.

Prioritising Emergency and Solemn Transit: Yielding the right of way to ambulances and allowing solemn passage for hearses are non-negotiable standards of basic human decency.

Cultivating Neighbourhood Empathy: Respecting physical boundaries, managing noise levels, and caring for shared residential spaces ensure that individual freedom does not infringe on community peace.

Instilling Civic Pride in Educational Institutions: Academic excellence must be paired with civic education. Teaching young minds the value of queuing, public courtesy, and consideration ensures long-term cultural change.

Economic prosperity provides the capability to build a modern nation, but collective empathy provides its soul. True progress is measured not just by the height of our skyscrapers or the speed of our trains, but by the quiet respect we offer each other in our daily lives.

Views expressed are personal. JF Raj is the VC, PK Datta is an Adjunct Professor at St Xavier's University, Kolkata