India, Aug. 19 -- I come from a village in eastern Uttar Pradesh and have watched the State change from very close quarters. I remember the days when the monsoon made everyday life difficult, when women cooked on smoky chulhas, when families struggled to keep firewood dry, and when electricity was more absence than presence. Today, LPG connections under the Ujjwala scheme, household toilets and a steadier power supply have altered these basic textures of rural life. For me, these are not just government schemes; they are changes I can see in the lives of people I have known since childhood. I also remember travelling from my village to Azamgarh-barely 21 kilometres away-by ekka or in an overcrowded jeep, a journey that could swallow almos...