Economic Review 2012-13

13. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT During 1960s and 70s, the Proponents of Economic Growth model proposed, through theories like Big Push, Structural Adjustment, Industrialization etc, that poverty can be tackled through improvement in income via investment to influence demand-supply fundamentals. These efforts bear fruits up to a certain extent. Green revolution in many countries increased food production and pulled substantial proportions of population out of poverty. Despite these achievements, large number of people, especially in developing countries, remained prone to food insecurity and limited access to education and health. As a result an alternative paradigm i.e. Human development gained prominence in 1980s which advocated investment in human capital especially livelihood, education and health. Dr. Amartya Sen who was the main advocate of this thinking took it further by proposing that increased access to entitlements for well being are the prerequisite to a good life rather than just their availability in the market. In the words of renowned economist Dr. Mahbub ul Haq the objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives. Human Development, by contrast, brings together the production and distribution of commodities and expansion and use of human capabilities. It also focuses on choices - on what people should have, be and do to be able to ensure their own livelihood. Human development is moreover, concerned not only with basic needs satisfaction but also with human development as a participatory and dynamic process. Like other measures of progress viz. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), per capita income etc. the articulation of Human Development in numbers is a challenge in itself because it is difficult to determine its various dimensions. As a result, researchers worked on various measures and finally agreed, with some reservations, upon Human Development Index (HDI). The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of Human Development, measuring the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions- a long and healthy life; access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The HDI is a simple mean of normalized indices, measuring achievements in each dimension. The human development approach does not replace one aggregate statistics (GDP) by another (HDI) and then seek to maximize the numerical value of the replacement. Rather it views the objective of development as inherently multidimensional. The concept of human development sees economic growth and higher consumption not as ends in themselves but as means to achieve human development. The focus is on ensuring long, healthy and creative lives for people.

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Global Human Development Report- 1993 was launched in New Delhi. It was a watershed moment in history of development for the country, which was reflected by a commitment towards Human Development in its Eighth Five Year Plan. After this, country witnessed slew of development programmes based on this concept like Reproductive Child Health (RCH), School feeding programmes, Elementary Education programmes, Wage programmes etc. The complexity of this concept resulted in different approaches in different times. Growth in income was more focused in 80s whereas education and literacy were popular themes in 90s. Similarly, Right based development was the flair of last decade with policies like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Right to Education and Right to Food. The first India Human Development Report was published in 2001. It advocated a governance approach to human development, adopting the UNDP's concept of governance. Further, it views governance as a continuous interplay between (a) institutions, (b) the delivery mechanism and (c) the supportive and subordinate framework of rules, procedures and legislation. The second India Human Development Report (IHDR 2011) is published in 2011. It argues that interventions in human capital and expansion of human functionings are key requirements for economic growth to be more successful in reducing income poverty, and calls for an integration of social and economic policies with a specific focus on inclusion of marginalised sections. IHDR 2011 shows that the HDI has increased by 21 percent between 19992000 and 20072008 (the latest year for which it can be estimated). Equally important, it shows that the increase in HDI in the States that are among the poorest has been much faster than the national average, and hence there is a convergence-taking place between states in terms of HDI. In 1981, 1991 and 2001, Rajasthans HDI and ranks were 0.256 (12th rank), 0.347 (11th rank), and 0.424 (9th rank), respectively among 15 States. According to the recently released India Human Development Report 2011: Towards Social Inclusion, by the Institute of Applied Manpower Research, Planning Commission, the HDI rank of Rajasthan is 17 in the year 2007-08 (0.434) among 29 states, where seven north eastern states have been combined excluding Assam. The first HDR of Rajasthan, brought out in the year 2002, had its theme as Promoting sustainable livelihoods in an era of Globalization. The report focused on problems in agriculture on the one hand, and the extent of sectoral imbalances on the other. Gender and health issues were identified to be of paramount importance. An update on Human Development for the State was prepared in 2008. It highlighted the current status of the various HDIs in the State. Rajasthan has also prepared District human Development reports (DHDRs) of 13 districts namely; Banswara, Barmer, Chittorgarh, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Jalore, Jaisalmer, Karauli, Tonk, Sirohi, Udaipur and
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Sawai Madhopur, These reports are available on the website of Economics and Statistics Department.
Status of HD in Rajasthan

As per the 2011 Census, Rajasthan has recorded a literacy rate of 67.06 per cent compared to 60.41 per cent in 2001, registering a net increase of 6.65 percentage points during 2001-2011. The figures for male and female literacy rates are 80.51 and 52.66 percent respectively in 2011. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in the State in 1998 was 508 per one lakh live births (as per Sample Registration System 1997-98). Whereas it slumped to about 318 as per SRS 2007-09. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the State remained stagnant for most of the nineties. However, in the new millennium, decline in IMR was sharper. The aggregate IMR declined from 85 in 1995 to 80 in 2001 to 67 in 2004 (SRS Bulletin, April 2006) and presently, it is 52 (SRS Bulletin October, 2012 for year 2011). The percentage of institutional births increased from mere 12 per cent during NFHS-1 (1992-93) to 21.5 per cent during NFHS-2 (1998-99) and thereafter to 32.2 per cent during NFHS-3 (2005-06). As per Annual Health Survey (AHS) 2010-11, the per cent of Institutional Deliveries is 70.2. As per SRS 2011, Crude Birth Rate and Crude Death Rate were 26.2 and 6.7 respectively. As per census 2011, Sex Ratio in Rajasthan is 926 while juvenile sex ratio (0 to 6 years) is only 883. A Gender Cell has been set up in the Directorate of Women Empowerment to promote mainstreaming concept of gender budgeting. During 2004-12, per capita income at current prices has increased from ` 18,565 to ` 53,735 and from ` 18,565 to ` 28,851 at constant prices (2004-05). IHDR 2001 made it a point that devolution of power and decentralization of decision-making is a key to ensure Human development as it would provide space to communities to access its determinants like Livelihood, Health and Education in more efficient manner. This decentralization would accompany civil service reforms to promote accountability, efficiency and transparency. It would also help in ensuring inclusion of marginalized sections like women, SCs, STs, minorities and children. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment heralded an era of local self governance in India by providing space to three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions. Instead of this enabling environment, different States follow different paths in the empowerment of these institutions. Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act laid down powers & functions of Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samities and Zilla Parishads, subject to conditions, specified by the State Government from time to time. Article 243 ZD of constitution provided for a District

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Planning Committee at Zilla Parishad level to provide overall guidance on district planning for optimal utilization of resources, manpower and expertise. Rajasthan also moved forward in constitution of these District Planning Committees. The XI Five Year Plan (FYP) of the country places strong emphasis on decentralized and outcome-based planning. It expects decentralised planning to improve effectiveness of development programmes and to facilitate inclusive growth, the latter by ensuring equitable participation and benefit sharing by disadvantaged social groups. The Planning Commission issued Guidelines to establish the district plan process as an integral part of preparation of state plans. In this context, the State government is committed to strengthen bottom up planning and allow local bodies to their legitimate role in development. State Government has already transferred Funds, Functions and Functionaries of five key departments namely Elementary Education, Agriculture, Medical & Health, Women & Child Development and Social Justice to PRIs. State Funds; have been provided to the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) as untied funds for making local need based plans. Also, State intends to create required number of posts of Panchayat Development Officers and Junior Engineers in all 9,177 Gram Panchayats (GPs) to strengthen local planning process. The State Government is also implementing an UNDP supported project Capacity Development for District Planning (CDDP) under UN- Planning Commissions Convergence Programme (GoI-UN JPC programme). The programme is being implemented in five districts namely Sawai Madhopur, Barmer, Sirohi, Chittorgarh and Udaipur. The districts were selected on the criteria, such as, low Human Development Index, high Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe population, high Infant Mortality Ratio. The objectives of this programme are: Assistance to the State in attaining MDGs by 2015. Strengthening of Integrated District Planning process. Capacity Building of Institutions involved in planning process. Improvement in service delivery in important sectors viz. Education, Health and Livelihood.

Following activities are implemented under this project: Strengthening training institutions in Rajasthan. Build capacities of Officials and Panchayati Raj Institutions on development issues. Mobilize community for strengthening of Decentralized Planning system. Following activities December, 2012: were undertaken during the year 2012-13 upto

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A comprehensive training module on Incorporating Millennium Development Goals in District Planning is prepared. Panchayat level Gender responsive plans were prepared with participation of community in three Panchayats of Badgaon block in Udaipur. Three Panchayats in Kotra block of Udaipur have prepared Result Based village plans after a block level training on Result Based Management (RBM) concepts in 2012-13. Before this, officials were trained on RBM concepts at the State and national level. District Facilitators placed under this project have prepared detailed reports on Human Resources, Budget Envelops and National Flagship programmes in five convergent districts. District and block level officials and PRI members in Udaipur were trained on the concept of Fiscal Devolution and generating local resources for planning.

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