The Wide Disparities In Human Development
Context:
- India’s economy is currently one of the ones expanding the fastest globally. Yet, this growth has not been matched by an increase in the nation’s Human Development Index (HDI). In the Human Development Report (HDR) for 2021–2022, India is placed 132 out of 191 countries, behind Bangladesh (129) and Sri Lanka (73).
About HDI:
- The HDI is a composite statistical measure that was created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to evaluate and compare the level of human development in various regions of the world. It was first presented in 1990 by the Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq as an alternative to conventional economic statistics like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which do not account for the greater facets of human progress.
- The HDI gauges how well a country does on average in three categories: knowledge, a high standard of living, and a long and healthy life.
- Given India’s size and population, it is imperative to address the subnational or State-level inequalities in human development. If this is done, India will be able to realise its demographic dividend.
- India is placed 132nd out of 191 countries in the most recent Human Development Report 2021–22. “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Changing World” was the title of the HDR.
- New Threats to Human Civilization in the Anthropocene, a Special Report published in 2022, states that the majority of nations—including the richest nations despite their higher levels of success—feel very little security and safety.
Calculating HDI:
- In order to calculate the HDI, four indicators are used:
- life expectancy at birth.
- average number of school years.
- projected number of school years.
- Gross National Income (GNI) per individual.
- The Sample Registration System was used to calculate the mean and expected years of education, and the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 was used to calculate estimates of life expectancy (SRS).
- Because figures for GNI per capita are not available at the subnational level, gross state domestic product (GSDP) per capita is used as a substitute indicator to determine living standards. The source for GSDP is the Reserve Bank of India’s Handbook of Statistics on Indian States (PPP at constant prices 2011–12).
- The HDI measures human development and has a scale from 0 to 1, with 1 being the highest score.
- The subnational HDI shows that while some States have made substantial progress, other States continue to face challenges. Delhi holds the top position, while Bihar has the worst position. However, it is significant to note that, contrary to past HDI estimations, Bihar is no longer recognised as a low human development State.
- The top three States with the highest HDI scores are Delhi, Goa, and Kerala. Delhi and Goa are comparable to Eastern European countries with the highest levels of human development because both cities have HDI scores above 0.799.
- In the bottom are states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and others. The HDI scores they obtained were below the national average. Ratings for these underperforming States are comparable to those of African countries.
Factors causing differences:
- One of the main causes of this mismatch is the unequal distribution of economic growth. The richest 10% of Indians control over 77% of the nation’s wealth. Depending on one’s location, access to necessities, healthcare, and education today varies greatly.
- Although while India has made great gains in reducing poverty and increasing access to healthcare and education, the quality of these services remains a concern. For instance, the quality of education is remains poor despite almost universal primary enrollment in the country.
- Governments must prioritise both economic growth and human development in order to ensure that the benefits of growth are distributed more equally. In order to address issues like income and gender inequality, increase access to high-quality social services, address environmental issues, and allocate more funding for social infrastructure like healthcare, education, and basic household amenities like access to clean water, better sanitary conditions, clean fuel, electricity, and the internet in underdeveloped States, a multifaceted strategy is required.
Conclusion:
- India needs to prioritise investments in human development and employment creation, particularly for its young people.
