The Hindu Business Line : The human under-development

THE JUST-RELEASED Human Development Report places India at 127 out of 177 countries ranked by the United Nations on a combination of income and social parameters. Only the most jingoistic of Indians would draw any solace from the fact that some of the country's South Asian neighbours are ranked even lower. But for most others it must be an occasion for serious soul-searching. Clearly, India has much catching up to do, not just with the developed countries — obviously far ahead with vastly superior numbers — but also with Brazil and Russia and China with which it is expected to emerge as the new economic powerhouse by 2050, as Goldman Sachs would have us believe.

For India it has been a failure on all three parameters of human development. True, its economic growth record in the last decade and a half has been superior to most countries barring China and a few developing countries in Europe such as Poland and Ireland. But given the poor base of per capita income, the subsequent superior performance has not really allowed it to rise in the rankings table. As for social indicators of development — education and health — there has been some improvement over the years. But the decline in public spending coupled with the leakages in the system has stymied progress. The situation today is that nearly a third of India's adult population is illiterate and cannot expect to live much beyond 60 years. The contrast with China is stark with practically all of its adult population literate and the life expectancy well into the seventies.

The strategy for securing a more decent standard of living and a better quality life for the average Indian calls for a multi-pronged attack on the underlying causes such as poor sanitation and access to drinking water besides a massive programme of primary school enrolment and adult literacy. The linkages are fairly obvious. A secure drinking water system and better sanitation eliminate, or reduce substantially, the risk of water borne diseases that are the scourge of public health in the country. Education can help create better awareness, thus reinforcing the positive effects of protected water supply and improved sanitation. The emphasis on education would also mean more and more people acquiring higher education and contributing to the country in terms of incomes. The new Government's emphasis on health and education — as part of the development agenda — has not come a day too soon. But higher outlays alone cannot be the answer. There has to be a marked improvement in the culture of governance so that public goods reach those targeted. The global demographic trends represent a huge opportunity for India so that it can be a provider of a range of goods and services. But for this an educated and healthy Indian is a sine qua non.

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