Why in news?
The United Nations Development Programme’s latest Human Development Report put the spotlight back on the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite indicator used to compare how countries are doing in health, education and income. Recent discussions have highlighted India’s progress as well as the gaps that remain in achieving equitable human development.
Background
The Human Development Index was devised in the late 1980s by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq with inputs from Indian Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. It appeared in the first Human Development Report in 1990. Unlike GDP, which measures only economic output, HDI evaluates how people actually live. It combines three dimensions:
- Health: measured by life expectancy at birth. A longer life reflects better nutrition, sanitation and medical care.
- Education: measured by two indices – mean years of schooling (average years attended by adults) and expected years of schooling (years a child entering school can expect). Education builds human capability.
- Standard of living: measured by per‑capita gross national income (GNI) adjusted for purchasing power parity. This indicator reflects access to resources and economic opportunities.
These three dimensions are normalised into indices and combined using a geometric mean to give an HDI value between 0 and 1. The closer the score is to 1, the higher the human development. The UN classifies countries as very high (0.800 and above), high (0.700–0.799), medium (0.550–0.699) or low (below 0.550).
Evolution and related indices
- Inequality‑adjusted HDI (IHDI): Introduced in 2010, it adjusts HDI for inequality in each dimension. A large gap between HDI and IHDI indicates that wealth, education or health benefits are not evenly shared. In India’s case, inequality causes roughly a 31 % loss in HDI value.
- Gender Development Index (GDI) & Gender Inequality Index (GII): These indices assess disparities between men and women in education, health, labour force participation and political representation. India ranks around 108th on the GII, reflecting low female labour force participation and under‑representation in politics.
- Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): Developed by Oxford University and UNDP, this metric captures deprivations in health, education and living standards at the household level. India’s MPI has fallen in recent years but millions still face overlapping deprivations.
India’s performance and challenges
India’s HDI value has steadily improved – from 0.429 in 1990 to around 0.633 in 2023 – moving the country into the medium human development category. Life expectancy has risen to about 71 years and literacy rates have increased. However, India continues to trail many countries of East and Southeast Asia.
- Regional disparities: Southern states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu score much higher than central and eastern states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Within states, urban–rural gaps remain large.
- Gender gaps: Female labour participation is below 30 %. Girls’ dropout rates in secondary education, early marriages and unpaid domestic work limit women’s capabilities.
- Inequality: Concentration of wealth and unequal access to health services and quality education mean that gains do not reach all communities.
Government policies to improve HDI
India has rolled out numerous schemes to raise human development:
- Health: Ayushman Bharat provides free hospitalisation cover to poor families; Poshan Abhiyaan aims to reduce stunting and malnutrition; Jal Jeevan Mission works towards universal tap water supply.
- Education: The Right to Education Act guarantees free and compulsory schooling for children aged 6–14; the Samagra Shiksha scheme integrates pre‑school to senior secondary education; National Education Policy 2020 emphasises learning outcomes and vocational skills.
- Livelihoods: Rural employment guarantee under MGNREGS, skills training through Skill India, and direct benefit transfers such as PM-Kisan support incomes in rural areas.
- Women’s empowerment: Schemes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (clean cooking fuel), and reservations for women in Panchayats aim to narrow gender gaps.
Significance
- Holistic measure: HDI broadens the understanding of development beyond economic output, reminding policymakers to prioritise health, education and equity.
- Policy tool: Governments use HDI rankings to identify weak areas and allocate resources. Civil society and researchers track progress over time.
- Global comparisons: HDI allows comparison of living standards across countries. It highlights that income alone does not determine well‑being.
Conclusion
The Human Development Index remains a valuable tool for assessing quality of life and guiding policy. For India, raising HDI means investing in public health, education, and inclusive economic growth while addressing gender and regional disparities.
Source: UNDP – Human Development Report
