Introduction
The main goal of human development is to create a supportive environment that will enable individuals to lead healthy, fulfilling, and productive lives, allowing them greater autonomy and expanding their possibilities. Consequently, human development focuses on improving the overall human condition and promoting the prosperity of nations by valuing people as their most valuable resource.
There are four fundamental pillars of human development: equality, sustainability, production, and empowerment. Equity emphasizes the importance of providing equal access to education and health care for all individuals. Sustainability focuses on ensuring that individuals have the means to sustain their livelihoods and that goods are distributed fairly among the population. The production emphasizes the need for more effective social programs to support citizens, while empowerment emphasizes the importance of general well-being.
Human development is closely linked to human rights and freedoms because even in well-run prisons life expectancy and literacy rates can be high, as measured by the Human Development Index. These two concepts are mutually reinforcing as they both contribute to the well-being and dignity of all individuals, promoting self-respect and respect for others.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published its first Human Development Report in 1990, emphasizing the need for human development to improve the human condition and increase people’s choices. This article highlights the key aspects of human development.
Human Development Index of India.
The Human Development Index (HDI) was developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a composite index to measure human development beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The HDI takes into account three dimensions of human development, namely longevity, knowledge, and standard of living. Longevity is measured by life expectancy, knowledge is measured by adult literacy and enrollment in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, and the standard of living is measured by purchasing power parity income.
India uses a core set of composite indices to prepare its Human Development Report, which presents the state of human development for society as a whole. Additional variables such as health indicators, social indicators, and economic indicators have been added over time. Despite rapid economic growth in India over the past decade, the country ranks low on the HDI, with a score of 0.519 in 2010, and ranks 119th out of 169 countries. India performs poorly on all indicators, including life expectancy, education, and per capita income.
While India has made progress in improving its HDI over the last 30 years, it still lags behind other countries in terms of measured indicators. The latest HDR has highlighted inequalities that exist in India, including income distribution disparities, gender inequality, and multidimensional poverty. As much as 55% of the population suffers from multiple deprivations, while an additional 16% are vulnerable to multiple deprivations, which can result in a steep 30% decrease in India’s HDI score. The breadth of deprivation in India, which is the average percentage of deprivation experienced by people in multidimensional poverty, is 54%.
Health indicators
Improving the standard of living and health of the population has always been a key objective in Indian planning. All five-year plans have aligned with international aspirations, of which India has been a signatory. Long-term goals have been outlined in the National Population Policy, National Health Policy, and National Nutrition Policy, among others. These objectives must be met by improving access to and utilization of health, family welfare, and nutrition services, with a focus on underserved and underprivileged populations.
Several surveys have been conducted to collect data on health indicators in the Indian population. The Census provides provisional population totals at the state level, along with information on sex ratios and literacy rates. The Sample Registration System is the primary source of data on crude birth rates, total fertility rates, infant mortality rates, and more at the state level.
The two rounds of the National Family Health Survey provide data on various parameters at the state level, combined with background characteristics such as literacy levels and socioeconomic groups. Rapid Household Surveys provide data on population-related parameters at the district level, which is crucial for identifying districts requiring special attention. Multi-Indicator Surveys and studies conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also provide information on population-related issues.
The National Population Policy 2000 has established short-term, medium-term, and long-term targets for stabilizing the population by 2045. One of the medium-term goals is to reduce the total fertility rate to a replacement level of 2.1 by 2010. The immediate objective is to address an unmet need. The National Family Health Survey provides useful information on trends in fertility, and the estimated total fertility rate from the survey is an underestimate. The survey shows that the total fertility rate for India is declining, primarily due to an increase in the age of marriage and a decrease in the age at sterilization.
The National Family Health Survey also indicates that groups with higher fertility rates are women from rural, scheduled tribes and castes, illiterate, and Muslim populations. Therefore, it is crucial to target these groups considering cultural, social, economic, and behavioral aspects.
Goa was the first administrative unit to achieve replacement-level fertility, achieved through high literacy and excellent healthcare infrastructure. Kerala was the first state to achieve replacement-level fertility, with factors such as the high status of women, female literacy, age at marriage, and low infant mortality rates. Tamil Nadu, the second state to achieve replacement-level fertility, succeeded due to strong social and political commitment, backed by good administrative support and readily available family welfare services.
Literacy
Being literate is a prerequisite for education and attaining higher education can bring dynamism to society and promote social upliftment. Literacy is an important indicator of economic development and for census purposes in India, an individual aged seven years and above who can read and write in any language with understanding is considered literate. With the increase in population, the number of literates and illiterates in the country also increased. Preliminary data from the 2011 Census shows that India’s effective literacy rate rose by 9.2% to 74.04%.
Interestingly, the literacy rate has improved more significantly for women than for men. Although there has been a good improvement in literacy rates in the last decade, there is still a long way to go. Kerala continues to occupy the highest position among states with a literacy rate of 93.91%, while Mizoram’s Serchhip and Aizawl recorded the highest literacy rates among districts. The Indian government has taken several measures, including free education programs and the establishment of new schools and colleges, to improve literacy rates, especially in districts and villages with high poverty rates. In addition, various committees have been formed to ensure proper utilization of the funds allocated for improving the literacy rate.
The COVID-19 pandemic has recently had a significant impact on education and literacy rates. The closure of schools and colleges and the transition to online learning poses a challenge to the education system, especially in rural areas where access to technology and the Internet is limited. This further widened the gap between the literate and illiterate population, especially among the economically disadvantaged sections of society.
To address this issue, the government has introduced several initiatives such as the National Education Policy 2020 and the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to promote digital literacy and equitable access to education. In addition, efforts are being made to provide vocational training and skill development programs to increase the employability of the literate population. Overall, various stakeholders need to work together to ensure that the literacy rate in India continues to improve and contribute to the overall development of the country.
Elementary education
Education is a critical component of human development as it has significant links to health, equality, and empowerment. The report on progress in education is both positive and negative. While much has been achieved, there are still major gaps that need to be addressed.
The government has taken unique steps to make primary education compulsory for all, with primary education comprising eight years of compulsory schooling starting at the age of six. The government ensures that primary education is free and compulsory for all.
To improve the primary education system, the government launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2001, following the launch of the District Primary Education Program (DPEP) in 1994. The SSA aims to reduce poverty, promote female literacy and emphasize rural education to achieve its goals.
To ensure optimal management control, the government worked with various committees, including school management committees, tribal autonomous councils, mother teachers’ associations, and education committees at the village and urban slum levels. SSA aims to improve the teacher-student ratio, emphasize teacher training, provide teaching materials for teachers and textbooks for children, and provide academic support.
In addition, the government has introduced compulsory primary education exclusively for girls, such as the Kasturba Gandhi Shiksha Yojana, which aims to set up residential schools for girls in the districts. Institutes like National Bal Bhavan help students to pursue their desired activities and boost their creativity. Other programs, such as the Mid-Day Meal program, aim to attract more children to literacy. Economic indicators
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures human development beyond GDP. India’s HDI score was 0.519 in 2010, ranking the country 119th out of 169 countries. India still lags behind other countries in terms of measured indicators despite progress made over the last 30 years. The latest Human Development Report has highlighted inequalities that exist in India, including income distribution disparities, gender inequality, and multidimensional poverty.
To improve access to and utilization of health, family welfare, and nutrition services, surveys have been conducted to collect data on health indicators in the Indian population. The National Population Policy 2000 has established short-term, medium-term, and long-term targets for stabilizing the population by 2045. Being literate is a prerequisite for education and attaining higher education, and the Indian government has taken several measures, including free education programs and the establishment of new schools and colleges, to improve literacy rates.
Although there has been a good improvement in literacy rates in the last decade, there is still a long way to go. The COVID-19 pandemic has recently had a significant impact on education and literacy rates, posing a challenge to the education system, especially in rural areas where access to technology and the Internet is limited. Therefore, India needs to address these challenges and work towards achieving higher human development indicators to improve the standard of living and health of its population.
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