{"id":75647,"date":"2025-11-29T17:34:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-29T12:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=75647"},"modified":"2025-11-29T17:34:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T12:04:24","slug":"human-development-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/human-development-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Development in India, India\u2019s Performance, Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Human Development Index is a composite measure assessing a country\u2019s progress in health, education, and standard of living. It uses indicators such as life expectancy, years of schooling, and per capita income. HDI provides a broader understanding of well-being beyond GDP-centric growth. It helps compare countries and evaluate policy outcomes in human development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The article highlights details related to Human Development in India, HDI and its components, Government Initiatives for Human Development in India, challenges and way forward for better India.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Human Development in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Human development in India has steadily improved over the decades, supported by rising literacy, expanding healthcare access, and social welfare schemes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to UNDP\u2019s Human Development Report 2024, India ranks 134 out of 193 countries, with an HDI value of 0.644, showing consistent progress from 0.556 in 2010.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Life expectancy has increased to 67.7 years, while school expectancy stands at 12.6 years, reflecting gains in education and health.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Human Development Index (HDI)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/human-development-index-hdi\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Human Development Index<\/strong><\/a> (HDI), introduced by <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/united-nations-development-programme-undp\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UNDP<\/strong><\/a> in 1990, provides a composite measure of human progress that captures the essence that economic growth is important, but without education, health, and dignity, true development cannot take place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Importance of HDI for India<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offers global benchmarking of India&#8217;s human development outcomes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highlights gaps in states\u2019 performance and guides policy focus<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helps measure long-term social investments (health, education)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhances accountability through global comparisons<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Components of Human Development Index (HDI)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Human Development Index (HDI) is calculated using three major dimensions that reflect basic human capabilities. These indicators provide a well-rounded understanding of how societies are progressing beyond economic wealth.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b> Health<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indicator:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Life expectancy at birth<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reflects overall health conditions, nutrition levels, quality of medical care, disease control, and sanitation coverage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s life expectancy is around <\/span><b>70.1 years (UNDP 2023)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, still below the global average (73.4 years).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> Education<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indicators:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mean Years of Schooling (MYS) + Expected Years of Schooling (EYS)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mean years of schooling in India: <\/span><b>6.6 years (UNDP 2023)<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expected years of schooling: <\/span><b>11.9 years<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Education quality remains a key area of concern despite high enrollment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><b> Standard of Living<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indicator:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (PPP)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s GNI per capita (PPP): <\/span><b>$6,951 (UNDP 2023)<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Income inequality remains high; top 10% hold over 57% of national income.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>India\u2019s Performance in Global Human Development Index<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India ranks 134 out of 193 countries in HDI 2023, placing it in the medium human development category. Over the decades, India&#8217;s HDI has steadily improved from 0.434 in 1990 to 0.644 in 2023, reflecting better access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. But issues like malnutrition, learning losses, gender inequality, and low public spending slow progress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Facts on India\u2019s HDI Performance<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HDI Value (2023): <\/span><b>0.644<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Category: <\/span><b>Medium Human Development<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gender Development Index (GDI): <\/span><b>0.820<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, indicating gender-based inequality<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) drops by <\/span><b>over 25%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to inequality in access<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Reasons for Moderate HDI Rank<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low public health expenditure (~2.1% of GDP)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High malnutrition among children (35% stunting in NFHS-5)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skewed income distribution<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rural-urban and north-south gaps<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Human Development NITI Aayog\u2019s Role and SDG Progress<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/niti-aayog\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>NITI Aayog<\/strong><\/a> is central to India\u2019s human development strategy through evidence-based policymaking and tracking progress on <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/sustainable-development-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals<\/strong><\/a> (SDGs). Its SDG India Index ranks states, encouraging competition and targeted interventions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">States like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu consistently perform well due to strong health and education systems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>NITI Aayog Contributions to Human Development<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>SDG India Index:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Tracks progress in No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Health, Education, Gender Equality, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Focuses on 112 underdeveloped districts, improving health, nutrition, education, and agriculture.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>POSHAN Abhiyaan &amp; Nutrition Strategy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Reduces stunting, anemia, and malnutrition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Education Quality Improvement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Learning outcomes monitored through NIPUN Bharat and school infrastructure reforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>SDG Achievements<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 41.5 crore people lifted out of multidimensional poverty since 2005-06.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clean cooking fuel access via Ujjwala: 10 crore+ beneficiaries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved sanitation coverage through Swachh Bharat: Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across rural India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Human Development in India Government Initiatives<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s development model relies heavily on welfare-driven and rights-based schemes to address multidimensional deprivation. These initiatives cover social security, health, nutrition, digital empowerment, and gender equality.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Health Initiatives<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> World&#8217;s largest health insurance program offering \u20b95 lakh per family<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Strengthening primary healthcare<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>National Health Mission (NHM):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Maternal, newborn, and child health focus<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mission Indradhanush: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It aims for universal immunisation coverage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>2. Education Initiatives<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> School infrastructure + quality improvement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>NEP 2020:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Modernization, flexibility, multi-disciplinary approaches<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Nutrition for school children<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Right to Education Act (RTE), 2009: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>3. Nutrition &amp; Social Protection<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>POSHAN Abhiyaan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Targets stunting, wasting, anaemia<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>ICDS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Maternal-child nutrition &amp; early childhood care<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>MGNREGA:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Largest rural employment program ensuring wage security<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>NFSA:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Subsidised food grains for <\/span><b>81.35 crore people<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>4. Housing, Sanitation &amp; Financial Inclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>PM Awas Yojana:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Affordable housing for rural and urban poor<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Swachh Bharat Mission:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Sanitation success with 11 crore toilets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>PM Jan Dhan Yojana:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 51 crore+ bank accounts \u2192 financial inclusion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Challenges to Human Development in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Human Development in India faces multiple structural challenges arising from socio-economic inequality, regional imbalances, and gaps in health, education, and employment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Health and Nutrition Challenges<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High Child Malnutrition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> NFHS-5 shows <\/span><b>35.5% children stunted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>19.3% wasted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>57% women (15-49 years)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are anemic.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Low Health Spending:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India\u2019s public health expenditure is around <\/span><b>2.1% of GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, lower than WHO\u2019s recommended <\/span><b>5%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> OOPE accounts for <\/span><b>~48%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of total health spending, pushing millions into poverty every year.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>2. Educational Inequality<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Foundational Learning Gap:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ASER 2023 shows <\/span><b>only 43% of Class 5 students<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can read a Class 2-level text; numeracy outcomes equally poor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Dropout Rates:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Secondary level dropout is <\/span><b>~14.6%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, higher among girls due to early marriage and domestic responsibilities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Digital Divide:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> During COVID-19, <\/span><b>~29% students<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lacked access to smartphones or internet for online learning.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>3. Gender Inequality<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gender Gap in Workforce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Women contribute only <\/span><b>18%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to India\u2019s GDP compared to the global average of <\/span><b>37%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Violence &amp; Safety Concerns:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> NFHS-5 reports <\/span><b>29% of women<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> face domestic violence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Education Gap:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Though gender parity has improved, female dropout rates after Class 8 are still high.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>4. Social Exclusion &amp; Inequality<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Caste-Based Disparities:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> SC\/ST communities face gaps in education, health, and income due to historical discrimination.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Disabled Population Challenges:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 2.2% of India\u2019s population is disabled; access to education and employment remains limited.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>5. Regional and Social Disparities<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>State-Level HDI Gaps:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Kerala\u2019s HDI (0.782) is comparable to Eastern Europe, while Bihar\u2019s HDI (~0.576) resembles low-income countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>North-South Divide:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Southern states (Kerala, TN, Karnataka) lead in health and education, while BIMARU states lag.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>SC\/ST &amp; Minority Deprivation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Poverty among STs is <\/span><b>~33%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, almost triple the national average (NITI Aayog MPI 2023).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Urban-Rural Divide:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Rural poverty is <\/span><b>2.5 times<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> higher than urban poverty; access to schools and hospitals also uneven.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthening Human Development in India requires a multidimensional strategy that focuses on reducing inequalities, boosting public investment, and enhancing the quality of essential services. India must shift from welfare-driven approaches to capability-building models that empower individuals through education, health, skills, and social protection<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Increase Public Investment in Health &amp; Education<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raise health expenditure to <\/span><b>3% of GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and education expenditure to <\/span><b>6% of GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as recommended by the NEP and WHO.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthen primary health infrastructure by expanding <\/span><b>Health &amp; Wellness Centres (HWCs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>2. Address Malnutrition &amp; Improve Public Health Outcomes<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expand POSHAN Abhiyaan with stronger monitoring through real-time nutrition dashboards.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrate ICDS, PM Poshan, and health services for a <\/span><b>life-cycle approach<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to child and maternal health.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increase access to safe drinking water and sanitation to reduce diarrheal diseases, which account for <\/span><b>10% of child deaths<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>3. Reduce Income Inequality &amp; Expand Decent Employment<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promote labour-intensive industries like textiles, tourism, food processing, and MSMEs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthen skilling under <\/span><b>PMKVY, Skill India Mission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and link skills to market demand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expand formalisation through EPFO\/ESIC enrollment to reduce informal workforce dependency.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>4. Strengthen Social Protection<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expand coverage of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pradhan-mantri-jan-arogya-yojana\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>PM-JAY<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, pensions, maternity benefits, and unemployment support.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve DBT efficiency through Aadhaar-linked accounts while ensuring inclusion and grievance redressal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>5. Promote Climate-Resilient Development<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India loses <\/span><b>1.8% of GDP annually<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to climate disasters (UNEP 2023).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implement climate-smart agriculture; 50% of farmers still depend on monsoons.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Renewable energy: India has <\/span><b>180+ GW installed RE capacity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; expanding to meet the <\/span><b>500 GW target by 2030<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve air quality: 14 of the world\u2019s top 20 polluted cities are in India; NCAP aims for <\/span><b>40% PM reduction by 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>6. Improve Governance, Transparency &amp; Service Delivery<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India ranks <\/span><b>111\/125<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the Global Hunger Index due to weak state capacity and leakages.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implement social audits in <\/span><b>PDS, MGNREGA, PMAY<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions, only <\/span><b>1.5% of GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is spent through local bodies, far below global norms (5-7%).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Human Development in India improves with better health, education and income levels, but challenges like inequality, malnutrition and learning gaps require strong reforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":74892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[3948],"class_list":{"0":"post-75647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-human-development-in-india","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75647\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}