Human Development Report (HDR)

• The Human Development Report (HDR) is an annual publication by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), first launched in 1990. It aims to:
  • Assess human development across countries.
  • Identify global challenges affecting human well-being.
  • Recommend policies to enhance human development.
• The report emphasizes a shift from traditional economic growth metrics to a broader understanding of development, focusing on people's health, education, and standard of living.

Human Development Index (HDI)

• The Human Development Index (HDI) is the core measure in the HDR, developed by Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen. 
• It evaluates three key dimensions:

• These indicators are combined to produce a composite index, with values ranging from 0 (lowest) to 1 (highest). Countries are categorized as:
  • Low Human Development: HDI < 0.550
  • Medium Human Development: 0.550 ≤ HDI < 0.700
  • High Human Development: 0.700 ≤ HDI < 0.800
  • Very High Human Development: HDI ≥ 0.800

India's Performance in HDR 2023-24

• In the Human Development Report 2023-24, India ranked 134th out of 193 countries with an HDI value of 0.644, placing it in the Medium Human Development category. 
• This marks an improvement from its rank of 135th in 2021.
• Key indicators include:
  • Life Expectancy: Increased from 67.2 years in 2021 to 67.7 years in 2022.
  • Expected Years of Schooling: Rose from 12.0 years to 12.6 years.
  • Mean Years of Schooling: Increased to 6.57 years.
  • GNI per capita: Grew from $6,542 to $6,951.
• These improvements reflect progress in health, education, and economic standards, contributing to India's upward movement in the HDI rankings.

Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI)

• The IHDI adjusts the HDI for inequality in the distribution of each dimension across the population. India's IHDI value is 0.444, indicating a 31.1% loss in human development due to inequality.

Gender Inequality Index (GII)

• The GII measures gender inequalities in three key dimensions:
  • Reproductive Health: Maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rates.
  • Empowerment: Share of parliamentary seats held by each gender and population with at least some secondary education.
  • Labour Market: Labour force participation rates for women and men.
• India's GII value is 0.437, ranking 108th out of 166 countries. Despite improvements, challenges remain, particularly in labour force participation, where a significant gender gap persists.

Global Trends and Insights

• The HDR 2023-24 highlights several global trends:
  • Uneven Recovery: While some countries have achieved record human development, many of the poorest have not returned to pre-crisis levels.
  • Widening Inequality: After two decades of convergence, the gap between the richest and poorest countries has started to widen from 2020.
  • Need for Global Cooperation: The report emphasizes the importance of reimagining cooperation to address global challenges in a polarized world.