tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post3858148728122133982..comments2024-03-27T15:36:44.737-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: South Asia Slipping in Human DevelopmentRiaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-7332495722657243722022-09-08T10:17:11.302-07:002022-09-08T10:17:11.302-07:00HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
REPORT 2021/2022
https://hdr.un...HUMAN DEVELOPMENT<br />REPORT 2021/2022<br /><br />https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf<br /><br />World set back by 5 years on development indices<br />India falls from 131 to 132 mainly on back of 2.5 years reduction in life expectancy<br />BD forges ahead from 140 to 129<br />Pakistan falls from 154 to 161- in low HDI category nowRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-88372368839704939662017-04-08T11:13:08.973-07:002017-04-08T11:13:08.973-07:00Interpreting India's low HDI rank
http://www....Interpreting India's low HDI rank<br /><br />http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-interpreting-india-s-low-hdi-rank-2380419<br /><br /><br />HDI essentially is a composite index that integrates three basic dimensions of human development: ability to lead a long and healthy life; ability to acquire knowledge and ability to achieve a decent standard of living. The first dimension is captured by life expectancy at birth. Mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling combined capture the second, while Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (PPP in US$) captures the last dimension. Each dimension is then quantified as an index, calculated as the ratio between (Actual Value – Minimum Value)/(Maximum Value – Minimum Value). Note that the minimum and maximum values are fixed values (boundary limits), same for all the countries. These three indices are then aggregated and their geometric mean is taken as the HDI score for a particular country.<br /><br />Let us take an example. For the year 2016, the Minimum Life Expectancy was fixed as 20 years and Maximum 85 years. India’s life expectancy was 68.3 years. Therefore, the Health Index for India would be computed as (68.3 – 20) / (85 - 20) = 0.743. Using a similar approach, the other two indices – education and income would be computed. Finally, the HDI score for India would be the geometric mean of all three indices. And this score would determine India’s relative rank across several countries. A higher HDI rank should ideally reflect better human development opportunities. Similarly, a year on year increase in HDI rank, would reflect an increase in a country’s relative performance.<br /><br />However, there are several issues that complicate this. First, the HDI computation methodology itself keeps changing. As can be seen in the table (inset), earlier, Health index was measured by life expectancy at birth; Education index by a combination of adult literacy rate and gross school enrolment rates; and Income index by GDP per capita adjusted for PPP (in US$). Except the health index, methodology for computing the other two indices has now changed significantly. Second, simple arithmetic mean was used to compute HDI scores earlier. Now, geometric mean of each index provides the HDI score. Third, the number of countries for which data is collated also changes year on year. In 2010, there were 169 countries. This number increased to 188 in 2016. Fourth, there have been issues related to timelines of input data. For example, Life expectancy at birth for HDR 2013 corresponded to data for the year 2011. The HDR 2016, on the other hand, used the data for 2015. Especially for the social sectors, there are significant time-lags in data. Finally, and possibly the most serious concerns have been raised over the usage of only three dimensions and giving them equal weights while computing HDI. Experts argue that crucial variables such as political voice, democratic freedom, social connections and relationships, environmental sustainability, and economic/physical security are completely left out. On the other hand, equal weightage to all three indices pulls HDI score of countries like India down. Given the huge population base, India gets consistently low scores on GNI per capita. In fact, on this particular index, India’s score was very similar to that of Pakistan and Congo, but less than that of Iraq.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-31049492684309688492012-03-10T19:37:29.189-08:002012-03-10T19:37:29.189-08:00Here are excepts of an Op Ed by Andrew Michell, Br...Here are excepts of an Op Ed by Andrew Michell, British secretary of DFID, published in <a href="http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-97151-UK-and-Pakistan-partners-for-the-long-term" rel="nofollow">The News</a>:<br /><br /><i>Over the last year, the UK has worked closely with Pakistan to deliver strong results, including supporting nearly half a million children in school; providing practical job training to more than 1,100 poor people in Punjab; providing microfinance loans to more than one hundred thousand people across Pakistan so they can start small businesses and lift their families out of poverty; and helping millions of people affected by the floods in 2010 and 2011.<br /><br />Education is the single most important factor that can transform Pakistan’s future. With a population that is expected to increase by 50 per cent in less than forty years, it is worrying that half the country’s adults can’t read or write, and that more than a third of primary school aged children are not in school. That’s why the UK is committed to working in partnership with Pakistan to tackle its education emergency.<br /><br />If educated, healthy and working, this burgeoning youth population will provide a demographic boost to drive Pakistan’s economic growth and unlock Pakistan’s potential on the global stage.<br /><br />That’s why education is the UK’s top priority and why over the next four years, the UK will work in partnership with Pakistan to:<br /><br />* support four million children in school;<br /><br />* recruit and train 90,000 new teachers;<br /><br />* provide more than six million text book sets; and<br /><br />* construct or rebuild more than 43,000 classrooms.<br /><br />Every full year of extra schooling across the population increases economic growth by up to one percentage point, as more people with better reading, writing, and maths skills enter the workforce.<br /><br />The UK government is also working with Pakistan to empower and protect women and girls, to end violence against them and to help harness their talent and productivity. I welcome the legislation recently passed by Pakistan’s parliament that bans domestic violence, and congratulate Pakistan on its first Oscar for an outstanding film which throws the international spotlight on the horrific crime of acid attacks on women.<br /><br />Other priorities for the UK include working with Pakistan to prevent 3,600 mothers dying in childbirth; enabling 500,000 couples to choose when and how many children they have; providing practical job training (such as car mechanics, cooks, weavers, carpenters, etc) to tens of thousands of people living in poverty; and enable millions of people, half of them women, to access financial services such as microfinance loans so they can earn more money and lift their families out of poverty.<br /><br />The UK’s aid to Pakistan could potentially more than double, to become the UK’s largest recipient of aid. However this increase in UK aid is dependent on securing value for money and results, and linked to the Government of Pakistan’s own progress on reform at both the federal and provincial levels. This includes taking steps to build a more dynamic economy, strengthen the country’s tax base, and tackle corruption.</i><br /><br />http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-97151-UK-and-Pakistan-partners-for-the-long-termRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-63093891110403928052011-03-08T18:51:12.577-08:002011-03-08T18:51:12.577-08:00Pakistan has been ranked 10th among the countries ...Pakistan has been ranked 10th among the countries in term of human development improvement by the United Nations Development Programme’s 20th Human Development Report 2010, according to <a href="http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/27/pakistan-among-top-10-nations-in-human-development-improvement.html" rel="nofollow">Dawn News</a>:<br /><br /><i>Those among the 135 countries that improved most in Human Development Index (HDI) terms over the past 30 years were led by Oman, which invested energy earnings over the decades in education and public health.<br /><br />The other nine “Top Movers” are China, Nepal, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Tunisia, South Korea, Algeria and Morocco. Remarkably, China was the only country that made the “Top 10” list due solely to income performance; the main drivers of HDI achievement were in health and education.<br /><br />The UNDP report said that in Pakistan, between 1980 and 2010, the HDI value increased by 58 per cent (average annual increase of about 1.5 per cent).<br /><br />“With such an increase Pakistan is ranked 10 in terms of HDI improvement, which measures progress in comparison to the average progress of countries with a similar initial HDI level”, it added.<br /><br />Pakistan’s life expectancy at birth increased by more than nine years, mean years of schooling increased by about nine years and expected years of schooling increased by almost 4 years.<br /><br />Pakistan’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased by 92 per cent during the same period. The relative to other countries in the region, in 1980, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh had close HDI values for countries in South Asia.<br /><br />However, during the period between 1980 and 2010 the three countries experienced different degrees of progress toward increasing their HDIs states the Report.<br /><br />The Report introduces the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which identifies multiple deprivations in the same households in education, health and standard of living.<br /><br />The average percentage of deprivation experienced by people in multidimensional poverty is 54 per cent.<br /><br />The MPI, which is the share of the population that is multi-dimensionally poor, adjusted by the intensity of the deprivations, is 0.275.Pakistan’s “HDI neighbors”, India and Bangladesh, have MPIs of 0.296 and 0.291, respectively.</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-24399200998618403932011-01-16T22:18:56.399-08:002011-01-16T22:18:56.399-08:00http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/17/imf...http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/17/imf-health-aid-millennium-development-goals<br /><br />Poor countries with IMF loans 'divert aid from public health'<br />Oxford University-led research finds signs that tough loan conditions imposed by IMF has led to health aid being diverted for other usesMayrajnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-63504636308004042242010-12-20T09:14:38.659-08:002010-12-20T09:14:38.659-08:00The Human Development Index: The debate continues
...The Human Development Index: The debate continues<br />Last week, Francisco Rodríguez, HDRO's Head of Research, addressed some criticisms of the Human Development Index. This week, the debate continues with a new piece by Martin Ravallion, Director of the Development Research Group at the World Bank, and a response by Francisco Rodríguez. <br />Read their articles here:<br />Fretting over tradeoffs? Response to Francisco Rodriguez by Martin Ravallion, Director, Development Research Group, World Bank<br />Interpreting Trade-offs in the HDI: A Response to Martin Ravallion by Francisco Rodríguez, Head of the Research Team, Human Development Report Office, UNDPPavannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-27930336384390323492010-12-04T08:50:31.853-08:002010-12-04T08:50:31.853-08:00Thanks. Greg is a great guy. Have read the sequel ...Thanks. Greg is a great guy. Have read the sequel to Three Cups too. I<br />am sharing this with some of my friends who are doctors working in<br />rural areas. They too feel this can make a difference. PavanPavannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-17146616715794411142010-12-03T22:12:02.045-08:002010-12-03T22:12:02.045-08:00Pavan,
Excellent find! I do think it will help. ...Pavan,<br /> <br />Excellent find! I do think it will help. Thanks for sharing it. <br /> <br />A year ago I read a book titled "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson who has had a lot of experience working in remote rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan building schools. <br /> <br />He has a couple of interesting anecdotes about saving mothers as well as reducing child mortality in Pakistan's Baltistan area. In one story, he talks about a poor Balti villager whose wife and the breast-fed baby girl were very sick after birth. Since Mortenson is a trained nurse, he quickly recognized the symptoms and understood that the problem was caused by toxicity from part of the placenta left rotting in mother's womb but he was afraid that the conservative husband would not allow a man, particularly a foreigner, touch his wife. <br /> <br />After a day or two, Mortenson gathered up the courage to explain the problem to the ailing woman's husband and to asked for his permission and, to his utter surprise, the man agreed. Mortenson then manually pulled the placenta out and saw the woman and the baby recover within a few days. <br /> <br />What this story tells me is that the solutions are there, and it's really a matter of some education of the villagers and basic acess to skilled midwives and nurses in every village.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-91372296904137220852010-12-03T22:11:33.057-08:002010-12-03T22:11:33.057-08:00Riaz,
I came across a news report on BBC regard...Riaz,<br /> I came across a news report on BBC regarding a major trial in<br />progress in Nigeria in which the non-hormonal drug Tranexamic Acid is<br />being used to control post-partum bleeding which is the major cause<br />for maternal deaths. The drug is already in use for menorraghia or<br />heavy menstrual bleeding mostly in western countries and is available<br />over the counter in UK. The drug is administered orally. The drug has<br />already saved hundreds of lives in Nigeria. If the drug is made<br />available in adequate quantitiy in South Asia, I do believe that it<br />could drastically cut down maternal mortality rates. In India,<br />Pakistan and Bangladesh we lose around 1,50,000 women in or after<br />childbirth. The efficacy of the drug has already been proved but it<br />may take several years before its use becomes common. In the meantime<br />we will continue to lose tens of thousands of young mothers in rural<br />areas where there is no nursing or hospital care available. I have<br />written to the Federation of doctors looking after Obstetrics and<br />gynecology. Since the drug is available over the counter in UK, I am<br />sure it will have very limited side effects. In any case it will be<br />given as a one time dose after childbirth. Just thought I would share<br />this and if there is any way to take this forward. Regards. Pavan<br />PS The drug is being manufactured in India but is somewhat expensive<br />by Indian standards, 4 dollars for a course of ten tablets. The price<br />would go down when demand increases.Pavannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-40761229913033936852010-11-22T12:56:36.977-08:002010-11-22T12:56:36.977-08:00Countries like BRIC nations with rapid economic gr...Countries like BRIC nations with rapid economic growth are often promoted by the likes of Goldman Sachs and New York Times, while nations with top social induicators but low economic growth are dismissed as less important. <br /><br />Steven Hill discusses this situation by comparing US with Japan in a piece he wrote for <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/20-0" rel="nofollow">Common Dreams</a>. <br /><br />Here are some excerpts from it:<br /><br /><i>Look at it this way: In the midst of the Great Recession, the United States is suffering through nearly 10% unemployment and 50 million people without health insurance. A new report has found over 14% of Americans living below the poverty line, including 20% of children and 23% of seniors, the highest since President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. That's in addition to declining prospects for the middle class, and a general increase in economic insecurity. <br /><br />How, then, should we regard a country that has 5% unemployment, healthcare for all its people, the lowest income inequality and is one of the world's leading exporters? This country also scores high on life expectancy, low on infant mortality, is at the top in literacy, and is low on crime, incarceration, homicides, mental illness and drug abuse. It also has a low rate of carbon emissions, doing its part to reduce global warming. In all these categories, this particular country beats both the U.S. and China by a country mile.<br /><br />Doesn't that sound like a country from which Americans might learn a thing or two about how to get out of the mud hole in which we are stuck? <br /><br />Not if that place is Japan. During and before the current economic crisis, few countries have been vilified as an economic basket case as much as the Land of the Rising Sun. Google "Japan and its economy" and you will get numerous hits about Japan's allegedly sclerotic economy, its zombie banks, its deflation and slow economic growth. This malaise has even been called "Japan syndrome", sounding like a disease to warn policymakers, as in "you don't want to end up like Japan."</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-70210081440551339332010-11-12T08:50:37.677-08:002010-11-12T08:50:37.677-08:00Here is a NY Times Op Ed by Nicholas Kistoff on Pa...Here is a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/opinion/11kristof.html?_r=2&ref=pakistan" rel="nofollow">NY Times</a> Op Ed by Nicholas Kistoff on Pakistan:<br /><br /><i>Meanwhile, Pakistan seeks postflood aid from Western taxpayers, yet barely taxes its own affluent citizens at home. And its feudal landholders have historically opposed good schools, for fear that poor Pakistanis — if educated — would object to oppression. <br /><br />One reason Pakistan is sometimes called the most dangerous country in the world is this: a kindergarten child in this country has only a 1 percent chance of reaching the 12th grade, according to the Pakistan Education Task Force, an official panel. The average Pakistani child is significantly less likely to be schooled than the average child in sub-Saharan Africa. <br /><br />American myopia historically has played a role. We’ve propped up generals but not the lawyers’ movement for democracy. We’ve allocated billions of dollars for Pakistan’s army but not for schools. And the U.S. has never been willing to take the single most important step: open our markets wide to Pakistani garment exports, so as to provide jobs and strengthen the business sector. <br /><br />Now let’s break for a ray of hope. <br /><br />This is my first trip to Pakistan in years in which the country’s downhill slide seems to have been arrested — and that’s notwithstanding the floods that ravaged the country recently. <br /><br />It helps that the United States has approved the Kerry-Lugar-Berman package to provide civilian aid, earning the U.S. a dose of goodwill in Pakistan. But most important, members of Pakistan’s emerging middle class are stepping up to the plate. <br /><br />They are enraged at the terrorists who have been tearing apart their country, they’re appalled by corruption and illiteracy, and they want peace so that their children can become educated and live a better life. Their obsession is college, not Kashmir. <br /><br />Partly because of middle-class influence, ordinary Pakistanis are increasingly focused on education. About one-fourth of Pakistani children, even from poor families, now attend private schools, simply because the public schools are so wretched. <br /><br />These days the middle class is not only eclipsing the feudal landowners but also rejects the old feudal contempt for the masses. One reflection of the middle-class engagement is the rise of the Citizens Foundation, a terrific aid group started by a group of businessmen frustrated by their country’s appalling schools. <br /><br />Today, T.C.F. runs 660 excellent schools for the poorest citizens. I visited several of these schools on this trip — and, wow! <br /><br />T.C.F. spends 40 percent less per pupil than state schools do, but manages to provide incomparably better education. Here in the most-populous province of Punjab, for example, nearly 100 percent of Citizens Foundation pupils pass government exams, while over the last four years state schools have averaged a 44 percent pass rate. </i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-75874982630437304232010-11-04T19:06:31.913-07:002010-11-04T19:06:31.913-07:00Here is a news report on UNDP findings released to...Here is a <a href="http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a179405.html" rel="nofollow">news report</a> on UNDP findings released today: <br /><br /><i>India lags behind its neighbours, Pakistan and Bangladesh, on human development indices like life expectancy at birth and mean or average years of schooling, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report released Thursday said.<br /><br />Titled "Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development", the report had a global launch and was released at the UN in New York by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon.<br /><br />While India is ranked 119 on the Human Development Index (HDI) among 169 countries -- above Pakistan and Bangladesh which are ranked 125 and 129, respectively -- it lags behind the two on certain development indices.<br /><br />According to the report, life expectancy at birth in India is 64.4 years, while in Pakistan it is 67.2 years. In Bangladesh, life expectancy is 66.9 years.<br /><br />Similarly, mean years of schooling in India is 4.4 years while in Pakistan and Bangladesh it is 4.9 and 4.8 years respectively.<br /><br />Sri Lanka, which is ranked above India on HDI at 91, also fares better than India on the two indices. Its life expectancy at birth is 74.4 years and mean years of schooling is 8.2 years.<br /><br />On some positive note, in terms of growth of income, India is considered one of the top 10 countries. China is on the top position in this index.<br /><br />Finance Ministrys chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu, who was present at the India launch of the report, said: "India has a lot of catching up to do. There is scope to do so much better."</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-78375796518050836202010-10-22T19:04:51.233-07:002010-10-22T19:04:51.233-07:00Two-thirds of India's population lacks basic s...Two-thirds of India's population lacks basic sanitation facilities. They are exposed to a variety of infectious disease resulting in 1.3 million deaths a year accounting for the largest number of victims of infections in the world. Studies indicate the prevalence of infections may be contributing to <a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/07/infections-cause-low-iq-in-south-asia.html" rel="nofollow">lower IQ</a> of Indians. <br /><br />In addition to malaria, dengue fever, and cysticercosis, India also has a huge disease burden of rabies, caused by dog bites. In India, 20,000 rabies deaths (that is about 2/100,000 population) are estimated to occur annually, according to <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dengue-costs-India-almost-30m-every-year-says-WHO/articleshow/6765033.cms" rel="nofollow">Times of India</a>. <br /><br />India might be an emerging economic power, but it is <a href="http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/india-trails-pakistan-bangladesh-in-sanitation_100120219.html" rel="nofollow">way behind Pakistan</a>, Bangladesh and even Afghanistan in providing basic sanitation facilities, a key reason behind the death of 2.1 million children under five in the country.<br /><br />Lizette Burgers, chief of water and environment sanitation of the <a href="http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/tag/unicef/" rel="nofollow">Unicef</a>, recently said India is making progress in providing sanitation but it lags behind most of the other countries in South Asia. A former Indian minister Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4742929.stm" rel="nofollow">BBC</a> that more than 65% of India's rural population defecated in the open, along roadsides, railway tracks and fields, generating huge amounts of excrement every day.<br /><br />A US NIH funded study published in Lancet says over 200,000 Indians die of Malaria among 1.3 million infectious disease deaths reported in the country, according to a report by the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11588212" rel="nofollow">BBC</a>.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-16323820792455323062010-10-20T21:34:22.248-07:002010-10-20T21:34:22.248-07:00A US NIH funded study published in Lancet says ove...A US NIH funded study published in Lancet says over 200,000 Indians die of Malaria among 1.3 million infectious disease deaths reported in the country, according to a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11588212" rel="nofollow">report</a> by the BBC:<br /><br /><i>he number of people dying from malaria in India has been hugely underestimated, according to new research.<br /><br />The data, published in the Lancet, suggests there are 13 times more malaria deaths in India than the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.<br /><br />The authors conclude that more than 200,000 deaths per year are caused by malaria.<br /><br />The WHO said the estimate produced by this study appears too high.<br /><br />The research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.<br /><br />The new figures raise doubts over the total number of malaria deaths worldwide.<br />Difficult diagnosis<br /><br />Calculating how many people die from malaria is extremely difficult. Most cases that are diagnosed and treated do not result in fatalities.<br /><br />People who die of extremely high fevers in the community can be misdiagnosed and the cause of death can be attributed to other diseases and vice versa.<br /><br />As most deaths in India occur at home, without medical intervention, cause of death is seldom medically certified.<br /><br />There are about 1.3 million deaths from infectious diseases, where acute fever is the main symptom in rural areas in India.<br /><br />In this study, trained field workers interviewed families, asking them to describe how their relative died. Two doctors then reviewed each description and decided if the death was caused by malaria. This method is called verbal autopsy.<br /><br />Some 122,000 premature deaths between 2001 and 2003 were investigated.<br /><br />The data suggests that 205,000 deaths before the age of 70, mainly in rural areas, are caused by malaria each year.</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-22632942010713687952010-08-02T11:02:49.368-07:002010-08-02T11:02:49.368-07:00UNDP publishes the Education Index which is measur...UNDP publishes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Index" rel="nofollow">Education Index</a> which is measured by the adult literacy rate (with two-thirds weighting) and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrollment ratio (with one-third weighting). The adult literacy rate gives an indication of the ability to read and write, while the GER gives an indication of the level of education from kindergarten to postgraduate education.<br /><br />On this UNDP education index, Pakistan scores 0.665 and ranks 137, ahead of India's score of 0.638 and ranking of 142nd.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-55102345018005818862010-06-02T10:28:43.293-07:002010-06-02T10:28:43.293-07:00India's official poverty measure has long been...India's official poverty measure has long been based solely upon the ability to purchase a minimum recommended daily diet of 2,400 kilocalories (kcal) in rural areas where about 70 percent of people live, and 2,100 kcal in urban areas. Rural areas usually have higher kcal requirements because of greater physical activity among rural residents. The National Planning Commission, which is responsible for the estimate, currently estimates that a monthly income of about Rs. 356 (about US$7.74) per person is needed to provide the required diet in rural areas and Rs. 539 in urban areas. Factors such as housing, health care, and transportation are not taken into account in the poverty estimates, according to demographers <a href="http://www.prb.org/Articles/2010/indiapoverty.aspx" rel="nofollow">Carl Haub and O.P Sharma</a>.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-89412257102806202362010-05-13T08:59:24.504-07:002010-05-13T08:59:24.504-07:00Here's an interesting commentary by Sudha Rama...Here's an interesting <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HE05Df01.html" rel="nofollow">commentary</a> by Sudha Ramachandra about India's future prospects:<br /><br /><i>The populations of Europe and Japan are already graying, and the working-age populations of the United States and China are projected to shrink too in the next two decades. By 2020 the US will be short 17 million people of working age, China 10 million, Japan 9 million and Russia 6 million. However, India will have a surplus of 47 million people, giving the country a competitive edge in labor costs, which will be sustainable up to 2050, according to a study by Goldman Sachs.<br /><br />Economists say India will catch up with the Chinese economy beginning in 2030, when the latter could cool off as the result of an aging population. "The window of opportunity offered by a population bulge has clearly opened for India," points out noted economist C P Chandrasekhar of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. After decades of evoking despair, India's demographic profile is finally beginning to stir hope.<br /><br />But not everyone views the population bulge with such optimism. Some analysts say it is not enough to have a young population. The working-age population needs to be healthy and literate.<br /><br />India's score on this, while improving, is certainly not inspiring. About 50% of all Indian children are undernourished, a large percentage of them born with protein deficiency (which affects brain development and learning capacity, among other things). This is hardly the ideal foundation for a productive workforce, as the likelihood of a malnourished child growing up to be an able adult is rather dim.<br /><br />There is also the question of whether the population has the skills and knowledge to take on India's future work. Literacy has improved dramatically over the years - just 14% of the population was literate in 1947 versus about 64.8% today - but many who are classified as literate can barely read or write. And 40% of those who enroll in primary schools drop out by age 10. The curriculum in the schools, especially the government-run ones, does not prepare the child for the domestic job market, let alone the global one. The huge "workforce" might not be qualified to do the work.<br /><br />Moreover, India's rich and educated classes are preferring to have small families, so the additions to the population are coming largely from the poor, illiterate sections in society. Nicholas Eberstadt, who researches demographics at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute, points out that while India's overall population profile will remain relatively youthful, "this is an arithmetic expression averaging diverse components of a vast nation. Closer examination reveals two demographically distinct Indias: the north that stays remarkably young over the next 20 years, and a south already graying rapidly due to low fertility." </i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-57286864521120482322010-04-11T09:07:05.190-07:002010-04-11T09:07:05.190-07:00Here's BBC commentary by Soutik Biswas on Indi...Here's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/soutikbiswas/" rel="nofollow">BBC</a> commentary by Soutik Biswas on India's "rights revolution":<br /><br /><i>Ensuring the basics in life remains the biggest challenge for India, six decades after independence.<br /><br />Take food. Some 43% of Indian children younger than five are underweight - far above the global average of 25% or sub-Saharan Africa's 28%. India is a lowly 65th among 84 countries in the Global Hunger Index. Half of the world's hungry people live in India.<br /><br />So the proposed right to food, entitling a poor family to 25kg of rice or wheat at three rupees (seven cents) a kilogram is good news. The bad news is that identifying the deserving poor is a challenge - there are four different government estimates of the very poor or below poverty line (BPL) people floating around. States may inflate numbers of beneficiaries to corner more federal benefits. Then there is the notoriously leaky public distribution system, from where food is often siphoned off by a triad of low-level bureaucrats, shop owners and middlemen.<br /><br />Nobody can deny that the right to education - every child aged 6-14 can demand free schooling - is critical: an estimated eight million children in that age group do not attend school in India. India's 61% literacy rate lags behind Kenya's 85%. But critics point to a lack of teachers - India would need more than a million teachers just to implement the right - and say there are simply not enough schools to cope with the increased demand.<br /><br />Rights don't work miracles. But activists say they are an urgent social intervention to empower the poor in a highly iniquitous society, where it is difficult for the poor to access officials to air their grievances and secure their entitlements. "In a hierarchical society, rights-based movements are a way of moving towards equality," says leading political scientist Mahesh Rangarajan. Also, they put pressure on the state to deliver - the right to information, despite glitches, is making government more accountable.<br /><br />Studies show that sensitive political and bureaucratic leadership combined with grassroots awareness and an engaged local media can translate rights into reality and improve the lives of the poor. Activists point out that money is not a problem - the economy is doing well, revenues are buoyant, federal health and education outlays have been increased. The government has pledged more than $5bn to send 10 million poor children to school.<br /><br />The cynicism over rights mainly comes from India's burgeoning educated upper middle class. It is mostly not engaged with public institutions at all - its members rarely serve in the lower ranks of the armed forces, teach in state schools or work for the government. Yes, there are valid concerns about whether the state has the capacity to deliver on rights. Yes, the Indian state continues to focus on maintaining law and order and collecting revenue. Delivering services is not its strength. Rights could actually help it move towards a functioning welfare state. I would like to hear stories from you - and people you may know - who are reaping the benefits of the rights revolution.</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-34247762695537983602010-02-01T09:36:37.598-08:002010-02-01T09:36:37.598-08:00Here's a British report of India complaining a...Here's a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/7055458/India-accuses-Kevin-McCloud-of-making-poverty-porn-in-Mumbai-slum-programme.html" rel="nofollow">British report</a> of India complaining about "poverty porn":<br /><br /><i>Diplomatic officials are preparing to lodge a complaint with Ofcom, the media watchdog, about the content of McCloud's Channel 4 series, Slumming It.<br /><br />In the two-part documentary, the Grand Designs host visited Mumbai's squalid Dharavi slum. It showed children living amongst open sewers, dead rats and toxic waste, and residents scavenging on the city's rubbish dump. <br /><br />Sources say the Indian High Commission in London granted a filming permit in the belief that McCloud was making a programme highlighting Mumbai's architectural history, and officials were horrified to see the end result.<br /><br />"We thought it would be about the architecture of Mumbai but it was only about slums, nothing else. He was showing dirty sewage and dead rats, children playing amongst rubbish and people living in these small rooms. He never talked about architecture at all.<br /><br />"This was poverty porn made to get ratings, and we are upset," the source said.<br /><br />"Many people know India but for people who don't travel, they will think all of India is like this. Of course it will affect our tourism. It is not representative at all.<br /><br />"We are not saying, 'Don't show Dharavi', but the show was not balanced. There is so much more to Mumbai and so much more to India."<br /><br />The original synopsis submitted by the programme-makers said: "Kevin McCloud's passions are buildings and people and he will explore the architecture of Mumbai... Maharashtrian, British, Gothic and post-modern."<br /><br />The source said: "When the production company applied, they said the name of the documentary was going to be Grand Designs. They said it was part of a 'celebration of all things India' and that he would look at different kinds of architecture. He didn't do any of this.<br /><br />"Only occasionally did he mention the community spirit and the low crime rate and the fact that rubbish is recycled there.<br /><br />"People forget that this nation is 60 years old. We are a young nation and it's not easy to bring 300 million people out of poverty just like that."<br /><br />Slumming It was part of Channel 4's ongoing Indian Winter season. Of the five programmes shown so far, four have been set in the Mumbai slums, including a 'Slumdog' version of The Secret Millionaire.<br /><br />The source accused Channel 4 of "cashing in on the success of Slumdog Millionaire", the Oscar-winning film which kicked off the season.<br /><br />McCloud has praised the community spirit in Dharavi, claiming that the British government could use it as a model for "social sustainability". The Prince of Wales has hailed Dharavi as a model for urban planning.<br /><br />In a joint statement, Channel 4 and the production company, talkbackThames, said: "We have not received a complaint from the India High Commission. The programme explores if city planners and architects can learn from the way Asia’s biggest slum has evolved and developed high levels of sustainability. Kevin McCloud follows everyday life in Dharavi and the film is a balanced and insightful account of his experience there.<br /><br />"While it raises issues such as acute levels of poverty and the lack of sanitation, the programme also highlights many positive aspects of life in Dharavi such as the real sense of community as well as low levels of crime and unemployment. We believe that the film raises some important points around the issues of poverty, sustainability and city planning and is clearly in the public interest.”</i>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-48722697153608968622010-01-25T18:06:35.916-08:002010-01-25T18:06:35.916-08:00One out of every three illiterate adults in the wo...One out of every three illiterate adults in the world is an Indian, according to <a href="http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001865/186525E.pdf" rel="nofollow">UNESCO</a>. <br /><br />One out very two hungry persons in the world is an Indian, according to <a href="http://www.wfp.org/countries/india" rel="nofollow">World Food Program</a>.<br /><br />Almost one out two Indians live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day. <br /><br />And yet, India spends $30 billion on defense, and just increased the <a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/01/indias-arms-buildup-guns-versus-bread.html" rel="nofollow">defense budget</a> by 32% this year. <br /><br />Here are some more recent comparative indicators in South Asia:<br /><br />Poverty:<br /><br />Population living under $1.25 a day - India: 41.6% Pakistan: 22.6% Source: <a href="http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/102.html" rel="nofollow">UNDP</a><br /><br />Underweight Children Under Five (in percent) Pakistan 38% India 46% Source: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/" rel="nofollow">UNICEF</a><br /><br />Life expectancy at birth (years), 2007 India: 63.4 Pakistan: 66.2 Source: <a href="http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/88.html" rel="nofollow">HDR2009</a><br /><br />Education:<br /> <br /><br />Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, male <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html" rel="nofollow">Pak istan: 80%</a> <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_statistics.html" rel="nofollow">India 87%</a> Source: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/" rel="nofollow">UNICEF</a><br /><br />Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, female <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html" rel="nofollow">Pak istan 60%</a> <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_statistics.html" rel="nofollow">India 77%</a> Source: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/" rel="nofollow">UNICEF</a><br /><br />Economics:<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita" rel="nofollow">GDP per capita</a> (US$), 2008 Pak:$1000-1022 India $1017-1100<br /><br />Child Protection:<br /><br />Child marriage under 15-years ; 1998–2007*, total <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html" rel="nofollow">Pak istan - 32%</a> <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_statistics.html" rel="nofollow">India - 47% </a>Source: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/" rel="nofollow">UNICEF</a><br /><br />Under-5 mortality rate per 1000 live births (2007), Value Pakistan - 90 India 72 Source: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/" rel="nofollow">UNICEF</a>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-36795721522051963202010-01-04T09:09:55.187-08:002010-01-04T09:09:55.187-08:00There are an estimated 4.5 million Indian workers ...There are an estimated 4.5 million Indian workers in just the GCC countries, about half of them in the UAE, according to the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/10b78220-dea4-11de-adff-00144feab49a.html?catid=%2076&SID=google" rel="nofollow">Financial Times</a>. <br /><br />The current difficulties in Dubai are exposing India's vulnerability to the possible economic collapse in the Gulf region. The fears are deepening that remittances, worth about $27bn a year, accounting for over 50% of total remittance inflows, from the Gulf to India. The United Arab Emirates is also one of India’s most important export destinations, accounting for about $17.5bn in trade or 10 per cent of India’s merchandise exports.<br /><br />In spite of repeated tales of horror by Indian workers, the Islamic Gulf nations remain a powerful magnet for Indians seeking a way out of abject poverty and deprivation at home. <br /><br />The village of Akhopur is in the district of Siwan in Bihar, India- from where about 75,000 people work in the Gulf. Most work as masons, helpers, carpenters, fitters and drivers, according to a recent story by the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8426394.stm" rel="nofollow">BBC</a>. <br /><br />They often labor in abysmal conditions with little or no facilities, but many say they can at least earn a living since opportunities back home are non-existent.<br /><br />In Akhopur and neighboring villages of Bindusar, Orma and Khalispur, every household has at least two people working in the Gulf.<br /><br />In the wake of recent Dubai troubles, the flow of returnees is ever growing, raising fear of rising <a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/grinding-poverty-in-resurgent-india.html" rel="nofollow">h unger and poverty in resurgent India</a>. <br /><br />Often motivated by religious bigotry rather than than genuine concern, some Indians point to the unacceptable and deplorable treatment of the poor Indian workers in the "Arbi land". <br /><br />But the real question is why are the Indian workers forced to accept degrading treatment in foreign lands? <br /><br />Why is resurgent India so badly failing its people?<br /><br />Why are <a href="http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/102.html" rel="nofollow">42% of Indians</a> forced to live on less than $1.25 a day?<br /><br />Why does Indian official Syeda Hameed believe "countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are better" than India in terms of meeting basic nutritional needs of their children? <br /><br />Why have an estimated <a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/12/climate-change-worsens-poverty-in-india.htm%20l" rel="nofollow">200,000 farmers in India</a> committed suicide in the last ten years?<br /><br />Why are 46% of India's children malnourished?<br /><br />Why does the world call India a <a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/09/is-india-nutritional-weakling.html" rel="nofollow">nutriti onal weakling?</a>Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-83465020734959102862009-10-10T08:43:44.199-07:002009-10-10T08:43:44.199-07:00Anon: "I am using IE8 on Windows Vista
and it...Anon: "I am using IE8 on Windows Vista<br />and it given me warning everytime<br />I log on here. I have t.."<br /><br />Thanks. I'll look into it.<br /><br />Meanwhile, see if upgrading your browser helps. May be your browser is not recognizing the valid certificate.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-87249492361710516322009-10-10T08:18:18.540-07:002009-10-10T08:18:18.540-07:00I am using IE8 on Windows Vista
and it given me wa...I am using IE8 on Windows Vista<br />and it given me warning everytime<br />I log on here. I have to answer Yes<br />to dialog box for me to continue.<br /><br />Just for checking I used FF and it<br />shows a red dot icon at the lower right corner. Clicking on it tells<br />"part of this page was not encrypted before trasmitted over the internet..":Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-40667514383051628902009-10-10T08:07:02.683-07:002009-10-10T08:07:02.683-07:00anon: "for the last few days by browser is wa...anon: "for the last few days by browser is warning me that this site has no certificate."<br /><br />Which browser and version are you using? I use both IE and FF (and iPhone Safari) and don't see any warning.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-34004856897391404892009-10-10T05:50:15.890-07:002009-10-10T05:50:15.890-07:00riaz, on a different note, for the last few days b...riaz, on a different note, for the last few days by browser is warning me that this site has no certificate. just FYIAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com