Despite emerging one of the largest economies in the world, India's performance on various socio-economic indicators has been far from satisfactory. While the progress made over the past decades is undeniable, the country still lags considerably on various development indicators, even compared to countries with lower levels of per capita income.
At the aggregate level, life expectancy in India rose from 58.5 years in 1990 to 66.2 years in 2012. Women's life expectancy is estimated to be even higher at 68 years. While progress has been made, China achieved this level of life expectancy three-and-a-half decades ago. Even Bangladesh, whose per capita income is roughly half of India's, achieved it a decade ago.
While there exists a marked variation on infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) at the state level, at the all-India level, it had fallen from 88.4 in 1990 to 41.4 in 2013. By comparison, China achieved the same level nearly two decades ago, South Korea four decades ago and Bangladesh four years ago. The maternal mortality rate, estimated at 178 deaths per 100,000 live births, is way behind the target of 103 deaths, to be achieved by 2015 under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. A comparative view of how far behind India is on various socio-economic indicators is reflected in theUnited Nations Human Development Index (2014). The index, estimated by using country-level information on life expectancy, education, and income indices, is used to rank countries. India ranks 135 out of 187 countries on the index, only seven positions ahead of Bangladesh. It is way behind Sri Lanka, which is at 73. Nepal and Pakistan, with lower levels of per capita income, are ranked 145 and 146, respectively.
At the aggregate level, life expectancy in India rose from 58.5 years in 1990 to 66.2 years in 2012. Women's life expectancy is estimated to be even higher at 68 years. While progress has been made, China achieved this level of life expectancy three-and-a-half decades ago. Even Bangladesh, whose per capita income is roughly half of India's, achieved it a decade ago.
While there exists a marked variation on infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) at the state level, at the all-India level, it had fallen from 88.4 in 1990 to 41.4 in 2013. By comparison, China achieved the same level nearly two decades ago, South Korea four decades ago and Bangladesh four years ago. The maternal mortality rate, estimated at 178 deaths per 100,000 live births, is way behind the target of 103 deaths, to be achieved by 2015 under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. A comparative view of how far behind India is on various socio-economic indicators is reflected in theUnited Nations Human Development Index (2014). The index, estimated by using country-level information on life expectancy, education, and income indices, is used to rank countries. India ranks 135 out of 187 countries on the index, only seven positions ahead of Bangladesh. It is way behind Sri Lanka, which is at 73. Nepal and Pakistan, with lower levels of per capita income, are ranked 145 and 146, respectively.
No comments:
Post a Comment