India’s SDG focus and its human development issues

The G-20 Summit in 2023, emphasized the need for accelerating the implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Following this, the UN hosted the "SDG Summit" in September 2023, to review progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This context prompts a critical examination of India's human development progress as reported in the UNDP's latest Human Development Report (HDR).

Human Development Index (HDI) Overview

• Current Status: India is classified under the ‘medium human development category’ with an HDI value of 0.644, ranking 134 out of 193 countries. Despite an increase from 0.638 in 2019-20 and 0.633 in 2021, India's HDI ranking is lower than several neighboring countries, including Malaysia (63) and China (75).
• Historical Progress: Since 1990, India’s HDI value increased by 48.4%, from 0.434 to 0.644 in 2022. However, during 2015-2022, India's HDI ranking improved by only four places, lagging behind neighboring countries like Bangladesh, which improved by 12 ranks, and China, which improved by 18 ranks.
• Impact of COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected India's human development dimensions, particularly education and income, contributing to slower progress during the critical 2015-2022 period. The pandemic's repercussions have underscored the vulnerabilities within India's human development framework.

Gender Gaps and Labour Force Participation

• Gender Development Index (GDI): India exhibits substantial gender disparities, ranking among the seven countries with low gender equality in HDI achievements. The GDI indicates significant gaps in human development between men and women, revealing a need for targeted policies.
• Labour Force Participation: The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India shows a 47.8 percentage point gap between women (28.3%) and men (76.1%). This gap is pronounced compared to neighboring countries, such as Bhutan (53.5%) and Bangladesh (39.2%), highlighting systemic barriers to female employment.
• Rural vs. Urban Disparities: The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey indicates that female LFPR in rural areas increased from 24.6% in 2017-18 to 41.5% in 2022-23, while urban areas saw only a slight increase from 20.4% to 25.4%. This disparity necessitates focused research and policy initiatives to enhance women's participation across sectors.

Income Inequality

• Rising Income Inequality: India has one of the highest income shares held by the richest 1%, at 21.7%, significantly exceeding countries like Bangladesh (11.6%) and Nepal (9.7%). This indicates a troubling trend in wealth concentration that exacerbates social inequities.
• Global and Regional Comparisons: India's income inequality surpasses the world average of 17.5% and the South Asia average of 19.6%, signaling a pressing need for policy interventions. Comparatively, regions like East Asia and Europe have lower inequality rates, underscoring India's unique challenges.
• Implications for SDGs: Addressing the intertwined issues of gender inequality and income disparity is crucial for India to achieve the SDGs. Without targeted efforts, the goal of sustainable development remains elusive, necessitating urgent policy reforms.

Practice Question

Q. Analyze the implications of India's Human Development Report findings on its progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly focusing on gender equality and income inequality.