India's Progress in Human Development
UNDP's HDI Ranking: India is categorized under "medium human development" with an HDI value of 0.644, ranking 134 out of 193 countries.
India’s HDI value improved by 48.4%, from 0.434 in 1990 to 0.644 in 2022.
Although HDI improved from 0.633 in 2021 to 0.644 in 2022, it stagnated in 2019-20.
Neighboring countries like Malaysia(rank:63) Thailand(66), China (75), Sri Lanka (78), Indonesia (112), Bhutan (125), and Bangladesh (129) have higher HDI rankings.
Issues
India's HDI growth lagged behind neighboring countries from 2015-2022, partly due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
India has significant gender disparities, with a 47.8 percentage point difference in labor force participation rates between women (28.3%) and men (76.1%).
Income Inequality: The richest 1% in India holds 21.7% of the total income, higher than several neighboring countries and the global average.
Way Forward
Addressing the gender gap in labor participation is crucial, particularly in urban areas where improvements have been minimal.
Implementing policies to distribute income more equitably can help meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
India should prioritize investments in health, education, and economic opportunities to boost overall human development.
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