Answer Outline – Human Development Index (HDI): Examine India’s performance and areas for improvement.
1. Introduction
- Define HDI: Composite index by UNDP measuring average achievement in health, education, and standard of living.
- Importance for evaluating socio-economic development.
2. India’s HDI Ranking
- India ranked 132 out of 191 countries in the 2021-22 Human Development Report.
- HDI value: 0.633 (medium human development category).
- Decline from previous years due to COVID-19 impact on health and income.
3. Breakdown of Components
- Life Expectancy at Birth: Around 67.2 years (still lower than global average).
- Expected Years of Schooling: ~12.2 years; Mean Years: ~6.7 years.
- GNI per capita (PPP): ~$6,590.
4. Government Schemes Contributing to HDI
- Ayushman Bharat, Poshan Abhiyan (Health).
- Samagra Shiksha, NEP 2020, Digital Education Initiatives (Education).
- PM Jan Dhan Yojana, DBT, MGNREGA (Standard of Living).
5. Areas for Improvement
- Regional disparities in education and health outcomes.
- Gender inequality in workforce participation and education.
- High out-of-pocket health expenditure.
- Low public expenditure on health (~2% of GDP) and education (~3% of GDP).
- Urban-rural divide in human development indicators.
6. Way Forward
- Increase public spending on health and education.
- Improve quality of schooling and vocational training.
- Strengthen social safety nets for vulnerable populations.
- Promote gender-inclusive economic participation.
7. Conclusion
- India’s HDI ranking reflects moderate progress but highlights the need for targeted human capital investment.
- To move into the “high human development” category, sustained and inclusive policy efforts are essential.