A GLIMPSE OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

The Human Development Report (HDR) published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates the HDI (Human Development Index) in terms of three basic capabilities: to live a long and healthy life, to be educated and knowledgeable, and to enjoy a decent economic standard of living. According to HDR 2011, the HDI for India was 0.547 in 2011 with an overall global ranking of 134(out of the 187 countries) compared to 119 (out of 169 countries) as per HDR 2010. However, a comparable analysis of the trends during 1980-2011 shows that although lower in HDI ranking, India has performed better than most (including high and very high human development) countries in terms of average annual HDI growth rate. (Economic Survey 2011-12)

Progress on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is summarized in table 1 (given below). Summary suggests that India is bridging the gaps in education, healthcare, water and sanitation and telecommunication connectivity at satisfactory rate. More efforts are required in the area of poverty reduction, mal-nutrition, child mortality and sustainability.

Table 1:

GOALS / TARGETS

DESCRIPTION

INDICATORS

STATUS

Goal 1	Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Target 1	Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day	Indicator - Poverty Headcount Ratio	Poverty reduction calls for new and sharper rate of reduction
Target 2	Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger		Persisting under nourishment
Goal 2	Achieve Universal Primary Education
Target 3	Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary education	Net Enrolment Ratio in primary education Proportion of pupils starting Grade 1 who reach Grade 5 Literacy rate of 15-24 year Olds	Achieving Universal primary education ahead of MDG target Youth literacy is progressing on track
Goal 3	Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Target 4	Estimate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education , no later than 2015	Ratio of girls to boys in primary , secondary and tertiary education Ratio of literate women to men ,15-24 years old Share of women in wage employment in the nonagricultural sector	Gender disparity in primary and secondary education is set to disappear Gender parity in youth literacy tends to be a reality Women’s share in wage employment is yet to improve
Goal 4	Reduce Child Mortality	Under- Five Mortality Rate Infant Mortality Rate Proportion of one year old children immunized against measles	Faster improvement in child survival required
Goal 5	Improve Maternal Health
Target 6	Reduce by three quarters between 1990 and 2015, the Maternal Morality Ratio	Maternal Mortality Ratio ( MMR) Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel	Life risk to motherhood takes a turn for the better More gaps to be bridged for achieving safe motherhood
Goal 6	Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases
Target 7	Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS	HIV prevalence among pregnant women aged 15- 24 years	Trend reversal in prevalence of HIV/AIDS continues
Target 8	Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of Malaria and other major diseases.	Prevalence and death rates associated with Malaria Prevalence and death rates associated with Tuberculosis	Reversing trends in Prevalence of Malaria and TB
Goal 7	Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Target 9	Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs, and reverse the loss of environmental resources.	Proportion of land area covered by forest Ratio of area protected (to maintain biological diversity) to surface area Energy use per unit of GDP( Rupee)	Environmental measures covered up much of  losses
Target 10	Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation	Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural Proportion of population with access to improved sanitation, urban and rural	Earlier achievement of safe drinking water to all Improved Sanitation facility still eludes half the households
Goal 8	Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Target 18	In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication	Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 population Internet subscribers per 100 population	Connecting India is in fast progress

Source: Table prepared from the details published in MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS INDIA COUNTRY REPORT 2011, Central Statistical Organization, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India

Probably, the biggest among these challenges is poverty reduction. The lasting solution would promote reduction in poverty by creating an environment, which would provide beneficiaries with a means to earn for themselves and become self reliant. For this, one of the ways is to indentify certain traditional sectors (based on demographic analysis of available skills) and adopt favorable policies in these sectors to promote small scale entrepreneurship with a thrust towards special promotion to village level entrepreneurship. Trainings on self employment and on financial literacy need to be conducted as a part of awareness generation and capacity building exercise.

Ease of availability of banking services to most ordinary person residing in remotest location is required to promote entrepreneurship. Promotion of Financial Inclusion is an attempt in this direction. Following RBI Guidelines ‘Business Correspondent Model’ and ‘Business Facilitator Model’ have been introduced to take banking to unbanked populations. Experiences so far with implementations of these models were not encouraging as banks are not able to generate workable revenues through implementation of these models. Such effort could be further enhanced by a) Facilitating poor people at grass root level to use banking as a mechanism to help themselves on their endeavors to enhance earnings b) Introduction of innovative financial instruments targeted at low-amount / high-volume savings of rural population, c) Giving incentives to banks on achieving high scale no-frill account transactions and d) Supporting banks to understand the financial behavior of different segments in low earning capacity.

There are also different financial institutions to further the cause of upliftment of the weaker sections of society. The National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSCFDC), National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC), and National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) provide credit facilities to their target groups at concessional rates of interest for various income generating activities. During 2011-12, 1.42 lakh beneficiaries were disbursed loans as on 31 December 2011, as compared to 1.34 lakh beneficiaries during the corresponding period of 2010-11. (Economic Survey 2011-12)

 

But, the bigger hurdle in creating an environment which would enhance the possibilities for productive engagement of poor (and unskilled masses) is to bring about an attitudinal change (to fully utilize the changing environment) among masses trapped in poverty due to hopelessness in a lacking environment. The difficulty becomes more obvious in a country (like India) with high volume, great diversity, un-even development and lacking coordinated effort (convergence and synchronization in projects/schemes/programs undertaken).

In parallel, problems of mal-nutrition, child mortality and sustainability would need much effective government programs. In this regards, awareness generation at different levels across the society may contribute to accelerate efforts of government. Much of the elaborations on how can government programs be executed effectively depends on how well governance could be improved. Many experts believe that establishment of E Government would result in improved governance and better execution of government programs related to improvement of socio-economic conditions.

Thus, going ahead, following could be the main priorities:-

a)    Working towards MDI and towards improving Human Development through making available all the basic infrastructure and institutional support.

b)    Creating opportunities for rural self employment.

c)    Bridging the disparity on accessibility to resources across different sections of society.

REEFERENCES:-

Please refer to REFERENCES section given in the blog ‘ICT FOR DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA’

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ICT FOR DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

India is one of the fastest emerging economies in the world. Developments in last couple of decades have not only influenced institutional, technological and demographic change but also induced innovations and promoted entrepreneurship. This has led to improvement in macroeconomic performance of the country. However, favorable macroeconomic performance could not contribute towards significant reduction of poverty among the larger section of Indian population. The rate of poverty decline has not been higher in the post-reform period (period since 1991 onwards).

The improvements in some other non-economic dimensions of social development have been even less favorable. The most pronounced example is an exceptionally high and persistent level of child malnutrition (46% in 2005–6) (Chatterjee, P., 2007: Child malnutrition rises in India despite economic boom. The Lancet, 369, No. 9571, pp. 1417–1418). Probably, this is just the beginning; a much more challenging future awaits India. This has been summarized as under:-

"In 2011, looking back at the first decade of the 21st century – 2000-2010 - we strongly believe that this decade indeed can be called – India’s Decade of Development..... Going forward however, India will face enormous challenges in the areas of rural development, urban sustainability, national infrastructure, and human capital and population" 

To shape a better future for Indian citizens, both government and non-government agencies are trying to analyze characteristics of link between on-going endogenous changes (induced by changing socio-economic environment) in the society and their development outcomes. The link between the two would be a critical input for understanding the dynamics of national transformation for an all inclusive development.

The ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is being seen as the key enabler in national transformation. Sheer volume and diversity in demography poses a big challenge in assimilation of new technologies (like ICT) in India. Further, rapid innovations and inventions across the globe in the field of ICT are consistently changing the technological landscape. Therefore, quick design and fast implementation of ICT solutions is necessary to keep in pace with changing technology and to take maximum advantage on investments. Therefore, possible ways and means in which this technology may be useful for development needs to be assessed comprehensively.

However, ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) should not be viewed as magic solutions to endemic and deep-seated problems of inequity and disadvantage in India. Rather, ICTs should be seen as an integral part of development policies and projects aimed at bettering the lives of all Indians, including the poor and disadvantaged (Geoff Walsham, ICTS FOR THE BROADER DEVELOPMENT OF INDIA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE LITERATURE, 2010).

This work is an attempt to identify the important development paths (dimensions), which may be critical for transforming India towards better standards of living for its citizens. This would be followed with illustrations on existing scenario for each of the dimension, so that a broad understanding on the way ahead could be understood. In the end, how ICTs are can make difference in development (across all the dimensions) is discussed.

(Picture-1: ICT Key Enabler in Development Spectrum across National Transformation; Left to Right – Each Column represents a Dimension, thus Dimension – 1 to 4 are shown in picture;  Source: Author)

Picture-1 attempts to summarize critical areas of development for national transformation in one table. In the picture, it has been assumed that a synchronized effort (from various actors and stakeholders) directed towards improving national environment for industrial development, socio-economic conditions and sensible governance would eventually lead to improved standards of living. The extreme left column (Dimension-1) in the picture shows that quick Technology Transfer, promotion of Research and Development (RnD) and continuous Industrial Innovations would lead the nation towards excellence in industrial use of technology. For industrial sector, this would result in enhanced capabilities to meet demanding volumes in traditional businesses and would also be helpful in capturing a bigger share in lucrative knowledge based businesses dealing with newer technologies. This would eventually increase industrial productivity of the nation. The column next to this (Dimension-2) emphasizes that building an infrastructure and developing an institutional support for knowledge management, skill development, banking facilities and entrepreneurship incubator facilities would support entrepreneurship at all levels and generate employment opportunities. It is a widely accepted fact that under liberal business environment and democratic governance, entrepreneurship is the key driver of the economy. The following column (Dimension-3) shows that efforts to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set by the United Nations and efforts for better socio-economic, healthcare and legal support system for the society would lead to better prospects for human development. Extreme right column (Dimension-4) shows that e-Government would result in better service delivery to citizens, which intern would enable citizen empowerment and improved governance.

Considering the fact that India has stable governments with good law and order, cordial industrial relations and adequate legislation, while coming up with the Development Spectrum (Picture-1), it has been assumed that governments (functioning in India) are able to facilitate a reasonably fair distribution of public money across different sections of society through various welfare schemes and supportive policies. It is also assumed that no situation of crisis (like war, market collapse, environmental disaster) requiring urgent and dedicated government attention arises in the coming decades.

In general, ICT enhances the core capabilities of accessibility, speed, accuracy and volume in execution of development plan and therefore, it helps in productive use of available resources. Let us try to investigate the existing scenario in the above mentioned dimensions, so that, it may be possible to speculate on key strategies for future developments.    

Dimension - 1

A brief illustration on scenario for the dimension is given in following post in this blog:-
 A GLIMPSE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
 (link - http://santoshbehar.blogspot.in/2012/06/glimpse-of-industrial-technology.html)

Dimension - 2

A brief illustration on scenario for the dimension is given in following post in this blog:-
 A GLIMPSE OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA
 (link - http://santoshbehar.blogspot.in/2012/06/glimpse-of-innovation-and.html)

 Dimension - 3

A brief illustration on scenario for the dimension is given in following post in this blog:-
 A GLIMPSE OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
 (link - http://santoshbehar.blogspot.in/2012/06/glimpse-of-social-development-in-india.html)

Dimension - 4

A brief illustration on scenario for the dimension is given in following post in this blog:-
 A GLIMPSE OF E-GOVERNANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
 (link - http://santoshbehar.blogspot.in/2012/06/glimpse-of-e-governance-for-development.html)

ICT for Development (across the Dimensions of Development)

Following points illustrate that ICT can accelerate and synergize efforts across above mentioned four dimensions:-

1.    There exists a positive relationship between ICT investment and the increase in productivity and competitiveness according to several research studies that have come up with the following conclusions: (a) the relationship between ICT and growth is obvious in developed economies that have already reached a threshold in its distribution and use; (b) there is a time gap from the start of investment and the resulting increases in productivity and growth due to the process of assimilation and adaptation of ICT; and (c) education, human capital and the economic environment are keys to exploiting the potential offered by ICT. More importantly, the conclusions of research studies point to one essential aspect: access to information can transform production processes, increase the learning ability of the population, and improve the living conditions of the poor. (Reference - Aiding development, accelerating innovation through ICT, published on January 20, 2012, e-Gov)

2.    Use of ICT enabled processes across different sectors in industry, government and society may be helpful in collecting adequate and authentic data (socio-economic, environmental and industrial data). Institutional leaderships enriched with such representative data would be in much better position to use analytics for understanding ground realities, availability of resources, policy making and general administration.

3.    Innovation, technology transfer, and the use of ICT are essential skills for making companies more productive and more competitive (through process improvement), and therefore are decisive factors in strengthening the economy. It is important to take initiatives to promote and support innovation, transfer, and implementation of ICT for purposes of production, competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth, while according priority to SMEs, micro-firms, and rural producers, as well as to sectors showing a high potential for economic development and job creation such as the ICT sector, which is helped by its inherent technological advantages in competing in a global market.

4.    Two of the most powerful forces in the world today are the spread of ICT and the global effort to achieve more widespread social and economic development," states a paper prepared by the Digital Opportunity Initiative (DOI), a public-private partnership between Accenture, the Markle Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme.

"It has long been suggested by some that these forces are in opposition: the development agenda aims to help developing countries make great strides forward and to close the gap between rich and poor countries, while ICT, according to this line of thought, reinforces the advantages of the developed countries and perpetuates the disadvantages of those that are less developed."

DOI, however, believes ICT can be a powerful enabler of development. ICT initiatives targeting specific development goals have proved successful and can be regionally or nationally scaled, "contributing to the critical mass and the threshold levels needed to ignite a virtuous cycle of development". It continues: "In such circumstances, the increasing use and pervasive impact of ICT can substantially enhance the ability of developing countries to address the full range of development goals."

The DOI identifies the three characteristics of ICT as a development enabler:

1. Adoption of a holistic and multi-dimensional approach.

2. Co-ordinated actions, strong partnerships and local implementation.

3. Global, national and local linkages.

The World Economic Forum also acknowledges the role information and communications technologies (ICT) are playing as a "critical enabler to sustainable socio-economic growth and also a vital ingredient for effective regional co-ordination in the creation of larger markets".

Of course, ICT is also an important factor in globalisation - a process, some argue, that places developing economies at a further disadvantage to developed economies. It warns that for ICT infrastructure to continue its rapid growth curve, governments should also give attention to a number of complementary businesses and processes need to be in place. ('The role of ICT in human development Part Three', by Herman Manson, published in www.mediatoolbox.co.za)

5.    Probably following views could be imporant for practically implementing ICT for Development in India:-

“We have seen in our work in Pondicherry and elsewhere in southern India that the poor are able to take to new technologies like fish to water, if they are enabled to do so through practical training.” M. S. Swaminathan

     “Combating poverty through the use of digital technologies is not simply about hooking the poor to computer networks. The user of the technology or the beneficiary of the service has to be at the core of the design and implementation process.” Clotilde Fonseca
   
     “The process of integrating new technologies into development processes through education, empowerment, capacity building and productivity is not necessarily ‘faster and cheaper’. It requires significant investments that must be sustained over time. This is one of the great challenges for governments, communities and international agencies.” Clotilde Fonseca

 REFERENCES:

http://www.ejisdc.org/ojs2/index.php/ejisdc/article/viewFile/665/317

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_development_in_India#cite_note-Chatterjee_2007-3

http://globalcenters.columbia.edu/southasia/files/mumbai/content/CGC_WP4_Indias_Decade_of_Development_II.pdf

http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.pdf

http://unfccc.meta-fusion.com/kongresse/SB28/downl/080607_SB28_2_Tirthankar_Mandal.pdf

http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/mar/23/slide-show-1-india-to-face-huge-skills-gap-due-to-low-employability.htm

http://www.nistads.res.in/indiasnt2008/t4industry/t4ind4.htm

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/economy/article2147876.ece

http://mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/Cause%20or%20Consequence.pdf

http://www.economist.com/node/21554506#footnote1

http://indiabudget.nic.in/survey.asp

http://www.techmonitor.net/tm/images/8/82/09mar_apr_sf1.pdf

http://egov.eletsonline.com/2012/01/aiding-development-accelerating-innovation-through-ict/

http://www.slideshare.net/stephenmcclelland/the-enabling-role-of-ict-to-improve-productivity-and-industrial-competitiveness

http://www.slideshare.net/stephenmcclelland/the-enabling-role-of-ict-to-improve-productivity-and-industrial-competitiveness

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4375363?uid=3738256&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=47699077934107

http://www.gersterconsulting.ch/docs/ict4d_book_part_7_ict_for_poverty_reduction.pdf

http://www.mediatoolbox.co.za/pebble.asp?p=54&relid=3118

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