While India has performed relatively well vis-à-vis other developing countries (including its Asian neighbours) in terms of economic growth, India is yet to show the world that there is considerable progress in terms of human development indicators. Where India went wrong? Why did we not take care of our human resources? Discuss in the classroom.
India has achieved relatively good economic growth compared to other developing countries, but this growth has not translated into comparable progress in human development indicators. The primary reason is that India's economic growth has been driven mainly by the service sector, while a majority of its people still depend on agriculture for their livelihood. This sectoral imbalance means that the benefits of growth have not reached the masses equitably.
The Human Development Index statistics reveal India's shortcomings clearly. With an HDI rank of 134 and a value of 0.644, India significantly lags behind China, which ranks 75th with a value of 0.788. Critical indicators such as life expectancy at birth (67.7 years in India versus 78.6 in China), infant mortality rate (26.8 per 1000 live births), and maternal mortality rate (103 per 1 lakh births) show that basic healthcare infrastructure remains inadequate. Additionally, mean years of schooling stands at only 6.6 years, and 21.9% of the population still lives below the poverty line.
While India has taken many initiatives to develop infrastructure and improve living standards, the over-dependence on agriculture and unequal distribution of growth benefits have hindered substantial progress in human development.
Explanation
This question is from the 'Work These Out' section of the chapter comparing India, China, and Pakistan. The answer draws from Table 8.5 and the textual analysis of developmental paths. The key insight is that India's service-sector-led growth hasn't created widespread human development benefits, unlike China's manufacturing and service sector growth. Students should highlight the contrast between economic growth and human development outcomes using specific data from the table.