Indicators of Development

Development moving on an uneven path because State have a very high GDP that might be derived from the exploitation of rich oil reserves but their segments of the population live in poverty and lack access to basic education, health and decent housing. The UNDP has given indicators on that basis the Planning Commission of India prepared the Human Development Report for India. It used states and the Union Territories as the units of analysis. Later, each state government prepared the state level
Human Development Reports, using districts as the units of analysis. Some of the important indicators have been discussed below:

Indicators of Economic Attainments

Rich resource base and access to these resources by all, particularly the poor, down trodden and the marginalised is the key to productivity, well-being and human development. Gross National Product (GNP) and its per capita availability are taken as measures to assess the resource base/ endowment of any country.

Indicators of a Healthy Life

Life free from illness and ailment and living a reasonably long life span are indicative of a healthy life. Availability of pre and post natal health care facilities in order to reduce infant mortality and post delivery deaths among mothers, old age health care, adequate nutrition and safety of individual are some important measures of a healthy and reasonably long life.

Indicators of Social Empowerment

“Development is freedom”. Freedom from hunger, poverty, servitude, bondage, ignorance, illiteracy and any other forms of domination is the key to human development. Freedom in real sense of the term is possible only with the empowerment and participation of the people in the exercise of their capabilities and choices in the society. Access to knowledge about the society and environment are fundamental to freedom. Literacy is the beginning of access to such a world of knowledge and freedom.