Why in the News?
India ranks 130th out of 193 countries in the 2025 Human Development Report (HDR), marking continued progress in human development according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
About Human Development Index (HDI):
- HDR has been published by UNDP since 1990, exploring various human development themes.
- HDI is a composite index that measures the average achievement in human development based on 3 key indicators:
- Life expectancy at birth (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being).
- Expected years of schooling and Mean years of schooling (SDG 4: Quality Education).
- Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (SDG 8: Economic Growth).
India’s Progress on HDI:
- India ranks 130th, improving from 133rd in 2022.
- India’s HDI value increased from 0.676 in 2022 to 0.685 in 2023, remaining in the medium human development category.
- Life expectancy in India reached 72 years in 2023, the highest recorded since the inception of the index, reflecting recovery post-pandemic.
- Children in India now stay in school for 13 years on average, up from 8.2 years in 1990, driven by initiatives like the Right to Education Act and National Education Policy (2020).
- India’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is $2,230 in 2023, reflecting moderate economic growth.
- Among BRICS members, India trailed Brazil (89th), Russia (59th), China (75th), and South Africa (110th).
- Regionally, Sri Lanka led while Nepal and Bhutan lagged.
| [UPSC 2003] As per the Human Development Index given by UNDP, which one of the following sequences of South Asian countries is correct, in the order of higher to lower development?
Options: (a) India-Sri Lanka-Pakistan-Maldives (b) Maldives-Sri Lanka-India-Pakistan (c) Sri Lanka-Maldives-India-Pakistan* (d) Maldives-India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka |
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