India has been pursuing the policy of liberalization and globalization since the Industrial Policy Reforms of 1991. Despite these efforts, the country has not been able to achieve much on account of human development. North Eastern states of India especially fall behind in this regard. The development and growth of any region depends on the proper utilization of its human resources. In order to do this, we must first improve the welfare of the people and provide them with basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter and facilities like primary healthcare and education.
The United Nations Development Programme calculates the Human Development Index of various countries by analysing them on parameters such as life expectancy at birth, adult literacy, Gross Enrolment Ratio and GDP per capita. The Planning Commission of India, however, also takes into account additional parameters such as Infant Mortality Rate, Per Capita monthly consumption expenditure and the intensity of formal education.
Human Development and its growth in North East India is too low, in fact, it is lower as compared to many underdeveloped countries of the world. There also exists a huge app between females and males, urban and rural areas and this varies from state to state in the region. As far as the North Eastern States of India are concerned, the situation is even worse.
Back in 1981, the HDI value varied from 0.242 in Arunachal Pradesh being the lowest to 0.461 in Manipur being the highest among all North-Eastern states. In 2001, the male literacy rate in the region was 75.6% whereas the female literacy rate was 54.0%. We have come a long way since then, but there is definitely much scope for advancement in the region.
India ranks 130th among 189 countries with an HDI of 0.640, this puts the country in the medium human development category as per the latest Human Development Reports released by the UNDP. Inequality of income and wealth remains a challenge for India as it progresses economically. Despite considerable progress, women still remain significantly less socially and economically empowered than men.
The North Eastern states too have shown a massive improvement in HDI rankings as compared to most states yet they lie far behind states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Punjab, etc. As of 2017, Sikkim’s HDI is 0.716 similar to that of Maldives, Mizoram - 0.697 comparable to South Africa, Manipur – 0.695 similar to Indonesia, Nagaland – 0.676 similar to El Salvador, Arunachal Pradesh - 0.658 similar to Namibia, Tripura – 0.655 equivalent to that of Cape Verde, Meghalaya – 0.650 similar to Tajikistan and Assam with an HDI of 0.605 similar to the HDI of Bangladesh.
Director of the Human Development Report Office, Selim Jahan at the UNDP said that, “while there is ground for optimism that the gaps are narrowing, disparities in people’s well-being are still unacceptably wide. Inequality in all its forms and dimensions, between and within countries, limits people’s choices and opportunities, withholding progress”.
Although remarkable inequality occurs in states across the country, including some of the wealthiest ones, on an average, it takes a toll on states with lower human development levels leaving citizens in a state of vulnerability. Thus, it must be the government’s top-priority to take appropriate action in this regard.
Rifa Deka,
Royal School of Communications and Media
Royal Global University
Guwahati, Assam