New Delhi, July 09: Here's a reality check on where India is headed. This year’s Human Development Report (HDR) shows that while the country has been making ‘‘impressive reductions’’ in poverty, it still has miles to go on life expectancy and health. In terms of ranking, India has come down from 124 to 127 this year among 175 countries but in terms of human development indices, it has made progress from 0.553 to 0.590. The reason behind the fall in ranking is that two new countries have been added to the tally and Botswana has overtaken India. ‘‘I am glad some countries are doing well, we should do better,’’ said K C Pant, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission at the release. ‘‘The thrust given to social sectors in the 10th plan and setting up of monitorable targets for this purpose would ensure a better position for India in the years to come,’’ he added.

This year’s HDR shows the path various countries are taking through the implementation of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were agreed on by the United Nations in 2000.

The goals have measurable targets on eradicating poverty and hunger, universal primary education, ensuring gender equality, reducing child mortality, combating diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and working on global partnership for development.
‘‘India on the whole has made great progress on these fronts — poverty has been dramatically reduced and there is improvement in education for both males and females,’’ says the report.

There is also improvement in gender literacy gaps particularly in poor central states of Madhya Pradesh and to some extent Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

It is the wide gaps that are staring from an otherwise overall picture of progress — large areas have been excluded from this trend particularly along the Pakistan and Nepal borders.

Gaps in literacy between socially backward classes and the rest of the population remain high, particularly in poorer states of Rajasthan, UP, Bihar.
What should make the policy-makers sit up and take notice is that it is the health sector that is responsible for pushing down India’s performance. The key words are widespread under-nutrition, poor infrastructure in the health sector and high mortality rates among the poorest and rural schedule caste populations.

‘‘High immunisation rates are still an almost exclusive characteristic of provinces in south and south-west. In north and north-east, less than one third of the children were immunised in 1999,’’ says the report.

A case for governance and decentralisation has been made and West Bengal has been presented as a case study where political reforms are bringing about substantial improvements.

The report also introduces a detailed new plan of action to meet the goals — the Millennium Development Compact. Among its recommendations are the adoption of policy reforms accompanied by improved trade access and greater aid commitments by wealthy nations.

It says that there is no global prescription for achieving the MDGs and no set track for being on track.

Kerala has health indicators similar to those of the United States — despite a per capita income 99 per cent lower and annual spending on health of just $28.

The report ends with a reminder to the rich OECD countries reeling under an economic slow-down to keep their promises.

The money required for achieving this MDGs is estimated to be $40 billion, more than double of the total aid to developing countries.