| Human Development Index and Gender Development | | | | position the year before was 126. |
| Index of India | | | | Norway, Australia and Iceland top the HDI while |
| The human development index (HDI) compiled by the | | | | Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Niger are the bottom |
| UNDP, is a summary measure of a country’s | | | | of the HDI. |
| human development. It measures the average | | | | Gender Development Index of India |
| achievements in a country in three basic dimensions: | | | | In terms of the Gender Development Index, India |
| • a long and healthy life, as measured by life | | | | ranks 113 out of 157 countries. Gender Development |
| expectancy at birth; | | | | Index is calculated with the use of 3 variables: |
| • access to knowledge, as measured by the | | | | • Life Expectancy |
| adult literacy rate and the combined gross enrolment | | | | • Education |
| (sic) ratio in education; and | | | | • Estimated Earned Income |
| • a decent standard of living, as measured by | | | | Government Expenditure in Social Sector |
| GDP per capita in purchasing power parity(PPP) US | | | | The government to improve these parameters that |
| dollars. | | | | affect the HDI and GDI has increasingly been |
| These three dimensions are standardized to values | | | | spending higher on social services as a proportion of |
| between 0 and 1, and the simple average is taken to | | | | total expenditure and was 22.5% for 2008. |
| arrive at the overall HDI value in the range 0 to 1. | | | | Expenditure on education and health care has also |
| Countries are then ranked on the basis of this value | | | | increased. |
| with a rank of 1 representing the highest HDI value. | | | | Poverty Index of India |
| India ranks 134 among 182 countries and is classified | | | | There are concerns about vulnerability of people who |
| as a medium HDI country. Between 1980 and 2007, | | | | have crossed the poverty line (PL) and are at |
| India’s HDI increased by about 1.3% every year. | | | | present above it. Vulnerability is a relative term and |
| Many African countries show even higher growth | | | | could be gauged from the consumption pattern in the |
| rates in HDI, reflecting the very low levels they were | | | | absence of a better available alternative. |
| at in 1980. Most high income countries show growth | | | | The average per capita consumption expenditure for |
| rates between 0.25 to 0.5% per year over this | | | | rural and urban population as per 61st Round |
| period. | | | | (2004-05) is Rs. 558.78 and Rs.1052.36, respectively. |
| The ranking clearly showed India has slipped in | | | | NSSO data also reveals that rural population on an |
| comparative terms in ensuring a better quality of life | | | | average spends about 55% of its consumption on |
| for its citizens as in the previous index, compiled | | | | food and the remaining 45% on non-food items. |
| together for 2007 and 2008, it ranked 128, while the | | | | |