Dr. Devendra Kothari
Population and Development
Analyst
Forum for Population Action
Three key dimensions of human development are –
education, health, and living conditions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his dream for India while addressing
a joint meeting of the US Congress on June 8th 2016, a dream that included
empowering every Indian by the seventy-fifth anniversary of India's
independence (Year 2022), “through many
social and economic transformations”. And this is achievable; but, this is
where the right actions will be needed.
India faces serious challenges as well as great
opportunities in becoming the vibrant economy, as desired by PM Modi. The biggest
challenge is to diffuse access to education, skills, health, sanitation and
water supply in a more inclusive manner. On the other
hand, India’s vast young population is an asset or opportunity. India has more than half of its population below the
age of 25 and more than two-third below the age of 35. It is expected that, in
2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China
and 48 for Japan.
And such a vast young population can contribute significantly to socio-economic
development. Many countries in Asia and Latin
America have experienced impressive economic growth over the last three decades,
and researchers and economists have attributed these gains in part to
demographic changes that have facilitated growth.
This
demographic contribution also known as the “demographic dividend” to
accelerating economic growth is, however, misunderstood by leaders and policy makers
in India who, based on its large youth population, are optimistic about the
prospects for such a dividend without structural changes. No
doubt India has a window of opportunity for rapid economic growth but if the
right social and economic policies are developed and investments made. In other words, an investment in human development is needed
to foster opportunities for developing a skilled and healthy as well as productive
work force.
The human
development concept focuses on improving the lives people lead rather than
assuming that economic growth will lead, automatically, to greater
opportunities for all. Income growth is an important means to development,
rather than an end in itself. The United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) defines
human development as denoting “both the process of widening people’s choices
and the level of their achieved well-being”. It further states: “the primary
objectives of human development is to benefit people; and income is not the sum
total of human life”. In other words, the human development approach is about
expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the
economy in which human beings live. [1]
The concept has
relatively more importance in labour-surplus countries like India. India is
endowed with more of labour due to high fertility. The transformation of raw
human resource into highly productive human resource with proper inputs is the
process of human capital formation.
To attain the Modi’s dream by 2022, it is imperative to
focus on human development issues. For this, India needs a comprehensive human development
agenda which include ensuring quality education
especially school education; enhancing primary and reproductive health looking
to the needs of clients; improving living conditions including sanitation;
shifting access labour force from agriculture
to non-agriculture sectors; and sustaining human capabilities in the
context of climate change and environment degradation.
Among these, first three need immediate attention to expedite
the process of creating an environment in which people can develop to their full potential lead
productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. It is
about expanding people's choices and enhancing capabilities having access to
knowledge, health and a decent living environment to participate in the life of
their community and decisions affecting their own lives.
These three important inputs of human
development, as noted below, will be discussed briefly in the coming posts.
1. Changing the way India learns to unlock human potential
2. Promoting healthy life through: a.
3. Improving physical living conditions including water and sanitation
[1] For details, see first Human Development Report 1990, which was commissioned
by the United
Nations Development Programme.
