Context : India’s HDI Ranking & Score (2023)
- Rank: 130 out of 193 countries (up from 133 in 2022).
- HDI Score: Increased to 0.685 (from 0.676 in 2022).
- Category: Remains in the Medium Human Development group.
- Threshold: Now closer to the High HDI threshold (≥ 0.700).
Relevance : GS 3(Growth and Development)
Key Progress Areas
Economic Growth
- Gross National Income (GNI) per capita:
- $9,046.76 in 2023 (up from $2,167.22 in 1990).
- More than four-fold increase over three decades.
Poverty Reduction
- 135 million people moved out of Multidimensional Poverty (2015–16 to 2019–21).
Health Indicators
- Life expectancy:
- Reached 72 years in 2023 (up from 58.6 in 1990).
- Highest ever for India; shows strong recovery post-COVID.
Persistent Challenges
Inequality Impact
- Inequality-adjusted HDI loss:
- 30.7% (one of the highest in the Asia-Pacific region).
- Significantly reduces India’s effective human development gains.
Gender Disparities
- Low female labour force participation.
- Underrepresentation of women in politics.
- However, the women’s reservation bill (33% legislative seats) is a positive step.
Education & Income Gaps
- Despite improvements in health and education inequality, income inequality remains sharp.
Global Context
- The global pace of HDI improvement is now the slowest since 1990.
- Inequality between low and very high HDI countries has widened for 4 consecutive years.
- COVID-19, economic shocks, and geopolitical crises have reversed prior development gains.
Policy & Development Implications
- India needs to:
- Strengthen inclusive growth, especially in rural areas.
- Promote gender equity in jobs and political spaces.
- Invest further in quality education, health access, and social security.
- Recent constitutional reforms and social sector missions (like Poshan Abhiyaan, Skill India, Ayushman Bharat) align with HDI goals but require faster and more equitable implementation.
