A. Economic Development vs. Human Development:
- Economic development = Rise in GDP, industrial growth, infrastructure.
- Human development = Quality of life indicators: education, health, income equity, gender empowerment (UNDP’s HDI).
India’s GDP has seen consistent growth (e.g., 7–8% average in 2000s), but HDI rank (2023) is low (134 out of 193 countries).
B. Reasons for the Mismatch:
- Inequality in Growth Distribution:
- Top 10% hold ~77% of national wealth (Oxfam report).
- Growth concentrated in urban areas & service sectors.
- Inadequate Public Health Infrastructure:
- Health expenditure ~2% of GDP (below WHO recommendation of 5%).
- Malnutrition, IMR, MMR remain high (e.g., NFHS-5: 35.5% stunted children).
- Education Gaps:
- Quality issues: low learning outcomes (ASER reports).
- Dropout rates remain high in secondary levels.
- Jobless Growth:
- High youth unemployment despite GDP growth (CMIE data).
- Informal sector dominates (over 80% of workforce).
- Poor Governance & Leakages:
- Welfare schemes (e.g., MGNREGA, PDS) marred by corruption, underutilisation.
- Gender & Social Exclusion:
- Low female labour force participation (~25%), caste-based barriers.
C. Conclusion:
India’s growth has not been inclusive or equity-focused. A shift from GDP-centric to people-centric policies is needed to bridge the human development gap.
