Assam Human Development Index

Assam Human Development index

  • Human development is a process of enlarging people’s choices. But human development is also the objective, so it is both a process and an outcome.
  • Human development implies that people must influence the processes that shape their lives. In all this, economic Growth is an important means to human development, but not the end.
  • Human development is the development of the people through building human capabilities, by the people through active participation in the processes that shape their lives and for the people by improving their lives.
  • It is broader than other approaches, such as the human resource approach, the basic needs approach and the human welfare approach.
  • The composite Human Development Index (HDI) integrates three basic dimensions of human development. Life expectancy at birth reflects the ability to lead a long and healthy life. Mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling reflect the ability to acquire knowledge. And gross NATIONAL INCOME per capita reflects the ability to achieve a decent standard of living
  • To measure human development more comprehensively, the Human Development Report also presents four other composite indices.
  • The Inequality-adjusted HDI Discounts the HDI according to the extent of inequality. The Gender Development Index compares female and male HDI values.
  • The Gender Inequality Index highlights Women’s Empowerment. And the Multidimensional POVERTY Index measures nonincome dimensions of povertyAssam Human Development Index

Human development—a people-centred approach

  • Human development is about acquiring more capabilities and enjoying more opportunities to use those capabilities. With more capabilities and opportunities, people have more choices, and expanding choices is at the core of the human development approach. But human development is also a process.
  • Anchored in Human Rights, it is linked to human security. And its ultimate objective is to enlarge human freedoms. Human development is development of the people through the building of human Resources, for the people through the translation of development benefits in their lives and by the people through active participation in the processes that influence and shape their lives.
  • Income is a means to human development but not an end in itself. The human development approach in the 1990 Human Development Report also introduced a composite index, the Human Development Index (HDI), for assessing achievements in the basic dimensions of human development. Those dimensions of human development are to lead a long and healthy life, measured by life expectancy at birth; to acquire knowledge, measured by mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling; and to achieve a decent standard of living, measured by gross national income per capita.

Assam Human Development based on 2014 Report of NITI Aayog

  • Assam is one of the 35 states and union territories of India. The total geographical area of the state is 78,438 SQ. KMS. With a total Population of 3.12 crore.
  • Assam is primarily a rural state with more than 98 percent of its area falling under rural areas and a rural population of 86 percent.
  • The state accounts for about 2.4 percent of the total geographical area and 2.6 percent of the total population of the country (Census, 2011).
  • The state is a unique showcase of diversities of myriad forms.
  • As a “land locked”state, it is enormously diverse in terms of its geographical features. Given these features, the state in general faces some distinctive challenges

Life Expectancy at Birth

  • The indicator of life expectancy at birth is used to measure the realised achievement in the Health dimension, that is, ‘to be able to live a long life’.
  • The life expectancy at birth denotes the number of years that a child can expect to live at the time of birth, given the agespecific mortality rates in the population.
  • The life expectancy, however, is an indicator of very long-term improvement in health.
  • The latest available SRS data (2006-10) estimate life expectancy at birth in Assam at 62 years (male 61 years and female 63.2 years) putting the state in the bottom echelon.
  • The life expectancy in rural areas is found to be lower (53.39) than in urban areas (57.97).
  • Religion wise, it is found that Christians have higher life expectancy (58.37) compared to Hindus (54.62) and Muslims (52.98).
  • The life expectancy among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is found to be much lower (51.75) than the state Average (54.0)

Mean Years of Schooling

  • Mean Years of Schooling (MYS) is one of the two indicators used to measure educational achievement in HDRs by UNDP.
  • It replaced the Literacy rate as an indicator under the Education dimension in 2010. MYS indicates the average number of completed years of education of a country’s population.
  • Usually, MYS is estimated for populations aged 25 years and older, which is also the indicator used in the calculation of the HDI by UNDP.
  • Based on the HDR survey data, the MYS for Assam is estimated at 6.1710.
  • Given the normative goal of 15 years which ensures secondary level of schooling11, the present educational achievement in the state is only about 40 per cent of the goal12.
  • Besides, there is a clear rural-urban divide with MYS in rural areas at 5.70 and that in urban areas at 8.59.
  • The second visible divide is observed in male-female achievement levels: the MYS of males is estimated at 6.93 against the MYS of females at 5.32.
  • Differences in MYS are also prominent along religious and social categories.
  • The MYS amongst Hindus is found to be 6.85 compared to 4.49 amongst Muslims.
  • Similarly, MYS is found to be lower (5.92) amongst SCs compared to other social categories.
  • District wise estimates show that MYS ranges from 3.77 to 9.16. The highest MYS of 9.16 is found in Kamrup (M) while the lowest 3.77.
  • In terms of MYS in rural areas, Darrang again figures at the bottom with 3.59 followed by Dhubri with 4.09.
  • The highest MYS in rural areas is observed in Sibsagar (8.26) followed by Jorhat (7.20) and Nalbari (7.07).
  • As far as the MYS among females is concerned, the lowest is found again in Darrang (2.87) followed by Baksa (3.51) and Dhubri (3.50).

Expected Years of Schooling

  • EYS is a measure of the number of years of schooling a child at the start of his or her education is expected to receive, if current rates of enrolment are maintained throughout the child’s life.
  • For Assam, the estimated EYS is found to be 11.85 years. This indicates that, on an average, given the present enrolment pattern in the state, a child is expected to complete at least the secondary level when he or she starts going to school.
  • The EYS in rural areas is found to be 11.80 which is less than the EYS of 12.20 estimated in urban areas.
  • The EYS for males is found to be 11.72 against that of females which is 11.99. Similar divides are also noticed across religious and social categories

Income Per Capita

  • Income per capita is considered as an ‘indirect’ indicator of human development. The first HDR of UNDP (1990) observes that an indicator of ‘command over resources needed for a decent living’ requires data on access to land, credit, income and other sources.
  • In 2010, instead of GDP per capita, Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is taken as the indicator.
  • For allowing cross-country comparison, the GNI per capita of the countries was adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) ratios.
  • Per Capita Annual Income (PCAI) – There are obvious gaps in PCAI in rural and urban sectors. The average PCAI in rural areas is only about 40 per cent of that of the urban areas (INR 22,087 in rural against INR 56,157 in urban areas).
  • It could further be found that the average PCAI of Christians (INR 16,068) is the lowest followed by Muslims (INR 18,228).
  • The average PCAI of Hindus is found as INR 28,092. A similar income gap prevails amongst different social categories as well.
  • District wise, the highest PCAI was found in Kamrup (Metro) (INR 63,444) followed by Jorhat (INR 38,664).
  • The lowest PCAI was obtained in Hailakandi (INR 16,632) followed by Dhubri (INR 16,336). In general, it is found that low PCAIs in border areas, areas with multiple spatial diversities and amongst religious minorities are major downward factors in the income dimension

HDI and the Districts

  • The present report estimates the value of HDI for the state as a whole at 0.557. This tells us that given the desired normative goal, the present level of progress in overall human development in the state is just a little beyond the halfway mark.
  • The highest attainment is observed in Kamrup (M) and the lowest in Hailakandi.
  • In 15 of 27 districts, the average level of achievement in human development is found to be more than the state average

 

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The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country’s HDI value is a summary measure of its achievements in key areas of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living. The HDI is used to rank countries and track their progress over time.

Assam is a state in north-eastern India. It is the largest state in India by area and the third most populous state. The capital of Assam is Dispur. Assam is bordered by Bhutan to the north, Arunachal Pradesh to the north-east, Nagaland to the east, Manipur to the south-east, Mizoram to the south, Tripura to the south-west, Meghalaya to the west, and Bangladesh to the south-west and west.

The HDI for Assam in 2020 was 0.640, which is a medium human development index. This means that Assam is a country with medium human development. The HDI for Assam has been increasing over time. In 1990, the HDI for Assam was 0.450. This means that the human development in Assam has improved over time.

The HDI for Assam is composed of three indicators: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and expected years of schooling. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years that a newborn is expected to live if current mortality rates continue to apply. Mean years of schooling is the average number of years of schooling that a person has completed. Expected years of schooling is the number of years of schooling that a child of school age is expected to complete.

The HDI for Assam is lower than the HDI for India. The HDI for India in 2020 was 0.643. This means that India is a country with medium human development. The HDI for India has also been increasing over time. In 1990, the HDI for India was 0.427. This means that the human development in India has improved over time.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the lower HDI for Assam than the HDI for India. One factor is the lower life expectancy at birth in Assam. The life expectancy at birth in Assam in 2020 was 68.0 years. This is lower than the life expectancy at birth in India, which was 70.9 years in 2020.

Another factor that contributes to the lower HDI for Assam than the HDI for India is the lower mean years of schooling in Assam. The mean years of schooling in Assam in 2020 was 7.2 years. This is lower than the mean years of schooling in India, which was 7.9 years in 2020.

Finally, the expected years of schooling in Assam are also lower than the expected years of schooling in India. The expected years of schooling in Assam in 2020 was 10.4 years. This is lower than the expected years of schooling in India, which was 11.2 years in 2020.

There are a number of things that can be done to improve the human development in Assam. One thing that can be done is to improve the health care system in Assam. This would help to increase the life expectancy at birth in Assam. Another thing that can be done is to improve the education system in Assam. This would help to increase the mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling in Assam.

Finally, the government of Assam can invest in Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE-development/”>Infrastructure Development. This would help to create jobs and improve the standard of living in Assam.

What is the Human Development Index (HDI)?

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country’s HDI value is a summary measure of its achievements in key areas of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living.

What are the components of the HDI?

The HDI is calculated as a geometric mean of three indices: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and expected years of schooling, and per capita income.

How is the HDI calculated?

The HDI is calculated as a geometric mean of three indices: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and expected years of schooling, and per capita income. The indices are normalized to range from 0 to 1, with 1 representing the highest level of development. The HDI is then calculated as the geometric mean of the three indices.

What are the limitations of the HDI?

The HDI has been criticized for a number of limitations, including the following:

  • It does not take into account inequality within countries.
  • It does not take into account non-economic factors, such as environmental sustainability and social Justice.
  • It is based on a limited number of indicators.

What are some alternative measures of human development?

Some alternative measures of human development include the following:

What is the future of the HDI?

The HDI is a valuable tool for measuring human development, but it is important to be aware of its limitations. The HDI is likely to continue to be used as a measure of human development, but it is likely to be supplemented by other measures that take into account inequality, non-economic factors, and a wider range of indicators.

Sure, here are some MCQs about Assam:

  1. Which of the following is the capital of Assam?
    (A) Guwahati
    (B) Dibrugarh
    (C) Silchar
    (D) Jorhat

  2. Which of the following is the largest river in Assam?
    (A) Brahmaputra
    (B) Barak
    (C) Manas
    (D) Dihang

  3. Which of the following is the national animal of Assam?
    (A) One-horned rhinoceros
    (B) Royal Bengal tiger
    (C) Asiatic elephant
    (D) Gangetic dolphin

  4. Which of the following is the Official Language of Assam?
    (A) Assamese
    (B) Bengali
    (C) Hindi
    (D) English

  5. Which of the following is the main religion of Assam?
    (A) Hinduism-2/”>Hinduism
    (B) Islam
    (C) Christianity
    (D) Buddhism-2/”>Buddhism

  6. Which of the following is the main crop of Assam?
    (A) Rice
    (B) Tea
    (C) Jute
    (D) Oil palm

  7. Which of the following is the main Industry of Assam?
    (A) Tea
    (B) Oil and gas
    (C) Jute
    (D) Tourism

  8. Which of the following is the main tourist attraction of Assam?
    (A) Kaziranga National Park
    (B) Manas National Park
    (C) Dibru-Saikhowa National Park
    (D) Nameri National Park

  9. Which of the following is the famous dish of Assam?
    (A) Bhaat-bhaat
    (B) Xaak
    (C) Momos
    (D) Doi-aaloo

  10. Which of the following is the famous festival of Assam?
    (A) Bihu
    (B) Rongali Bihu
    (C) Bohag Bihu
    (D) Magh Bihu

I hope these MCQs were helpful!