Human development is an intricate and complex subject. The United Nations Development Programme has operationalised it as human development index (HDI), a composite of achievement in three basic human capabilities -- a long, healthy life, knowledge and decent standard of living. These can be measured in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and income. In 1947 Pandit Nehru declared the ending of poverty ignorance, disease and inequality of opportunity endorsed by Mahatma Gandhi that "India would become truly independent only when its poorest were free of human suffering and poverty". The UNDP has come out with a comparative analysis of 175 countries, studying in the process the myriad faces of poverty, which go far beyond the phenomenon of low income.

As far as milestones are concerned, we have emerged into a remarkably resilient and strong democracy, having the fourth-largest trained manpower, a reasonable industrial and defence infrastructure, green revolution, white revolution, a sound industrial base, world-class educational institutions, highly developed science, technology and space programme, well-organised railways, surface transport and communication systems achieved over the last 50 years of Independence.

In a list of 175 countries for which the human development index is computed, India occupies the 138th position, that is, in the low human development category and is in the company of 45 countries such as Lesotho, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Zaire, Yemen, Togo,Cambodia, Nepal, etc. In terms of human poverty index (HPI), again we are in the company of countries like Zambia, Guatemala, Rwanda, way behind from our south east Asian neighbours like Singapore, Thailand, China, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. India is positioned at 47th rank out of a group of 145 countries. Both indices list us way behind on development of quality of life and poverty eradication in spite of our much hyped programs of "garibi hatao" and researches on poverty.

India remains a country of stark contrasts and disparities. Food and nutrition: between 1951- '95 food grain production increased four fold and famines were almost eliminated yet 53 per cent of children under age four (60 million) remain undernourished; education: between 1961-'91 literacy more than doubled, yet half the population is still illiterate. More than 45 per cent of children do not reach grade five. Health: in 1961-'92 life expectancy doubled to 61 years and by 1995 infant mortality had been more than halved to 74 per 1000 live birth, yet 2.2 million infants die every year. By 1994 rural poverty in India was 39 per cent and urban poverty 30 per cent, whereas, industrial production increased 13 fold and per capita net national product more than doubled . Fifty per cent of India's rural poor live in three resource rich states -- Bihar, MP and UP.

However, 19.4 per cent of the population is not expected to live upto 40 years of age; 15 per cent of the population is living without access to any health service facilities; 19 per cent of the population lives without access to safe drinking water and 53 per cent have less than $1 per day as income during 1989-1994. There is not only income poverty but lack of distributive justice also aggravating the misery of the masses. Indians suffer not only from transient but chronic poverty - poverty for our populace travelling from one generation to another generation and exit time in Bihar is 23 to 30 years in case of scheduled castes and tribes. Where is poverty most pervasive on this earth? Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia comprising India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka etc. UNDP's report suggests that poverty is no longer inevitable. The world has the material and natural resources, the know how and people to make poverty-free world a reality in less than a generation. After Independence the second generation in India is entering the productive life cycle and the foregoing statistics certainly shall be depressing. Can we come out of the mutually reinforcing cycle of poverty, illiteracy and poor quality of life is the question that shall be haunting every Indian.

The report establishes that there are still miles and miles to go - on human development front. The stark disparities suggest that we are light years away from respectable levels in human development. How to alleviate country from the clutches of drudgery and poverty? UNDP's report suggests a few things like empower individuals, households, communities and women to release their vast and underused energy and creativity; accelerate pro-poor growth; improve the management of globalisation, establish a clear and well defined national policy for poverty eradication and ensure active state involvement to eradicate poverty. However, corporates, NGOs, voluntary agencies and educational institutions have a vital role to play in enabling India to fight the menace of poverty and to come up with innovative and enforceable ideas to emancipate the lot of lesser fortunate populace.Dr ML Monga is a professor of HRM at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.