IndiaHuman Development Reports in India

From Analysis to Action

K. Seeta PrabhuUNDP India

Presented at IGIDR 19 June 2009

India The Setting

HD Analysis- State HDRs & Challenges

Policy Impact

Moving to HD Action

SSPHD

What Next?

Structure of Presentation

India

India- The Setting

• 1.15 billion people- median age: 24. 8 years• Rich diversity

– Hindu : 80.5 %, Muslim: 13.4 %, – Christian 2.3 %, Sikh 1.9 %– 15 national languages

• Parliamentary Democracy • Federal Republic – Focus on Decentralisation• Independent Media• Right to Information Act

India

High Growth but Challenge of Inclusion…..

• High growth rate - poverty declined from 36%-27.5 % between 1994 and 2004 (1$a day- 34 . 2%, 2$a day- 80.4%)

• HDI value in 2005 India -0.619, rank 128• China -0.777, rank 81• Absolute numbers of deprived gigantic • 301 mn Poor >total pop Brazil 181mn + Japan 128 mn• 296 mn Illiterate > total pop United States 292 mn• 233 mn Undernourished = total pop Indonesia 217 mn +

Ghana 21 mn• India’s performance will have impact on MDGs globally

India

HD Analysis - The Demand

India’s Eighth Plan (1992 - 1997) ‘Human development ultimate goal of all planning’

Global launch of HDR 1993 in New Delhi acted as trigger

First step towards State level HDR by Madhya Pradesh

Govt prepared HDR from own resources - released1995

Followed by Govt of Karnataka - 1999

UNDP role - technical support

Demand from other State governments

India

The Response

Planning Commission (Govt of India) - UNDP projectCapacity Development for State HDRs 1999-2002-

2005Given India’s size and diversity focus on provincial HDRsUNDP commitment - 500,000 USD

- Dedicated unit formed in August 2000Principles of HDR preparation- Government ownership

Participatory process Independence of analysis

India

HDR Preparation Gathers Momentum

Jammu & Kashmir

Himachal Pradesh

Punjab

Uttaranchal

Uttar Pradesh Bihar

JharkhandWestBengal

Assam

Sikkim

Arunachal Pradesh

NagalandManip

urTripuraMizora

mMeghalaya

Orissa

Madhya Pradesh Chhattisg

arh

Rajasthan

HaryanaDelhi

Gujarat

Maharashtra

Andhra Pradesh

Karnataka

TamilNadu

Kerala

Goa

Andaman & Nicobar Island

Follow-up underway with Planning Commission-UNDP assistance

SHDRs launched

SHDRs being finalised

India

Challenges

Govt ownership and participatory process - Initiatives

• Wide ranging participation – NGOs, academics, government

• Open review of draft • Chhattisgarh- people’s participation• NHDR Award for Participatory processes • Chhattisgarh clip.wmvGovernment’s fear of public opinion• Adversarial nature of dialogue

between NGOs and Govt

India

Challenges

Govt ownership & Quality of Analysis- Initiatives• Independent institutions/researchers

– Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Kerala

• Data from authentic sources- Census, NSS, NFHS• Editors from media – Maharashtra• Reputed academics as lead authors – West Bengal

HDR award for Excellence in Quality of Analysis in 2004Constraints

– Defensive government departments– Lack of understanding of product as different from departmental report – Fear of public backlash

India

Challenges

Govt ownership & independence of analysis-Initiatives

• Involving media from the beginning• Involving wide range of stakeholders• Soft advocacy on potential use for policy actionConstraints• Change in political regimes -Chhattisgarh, UP• Proximity of state elections –Himachal Pradesh • Strong opinions of diverse groups – Manipur• Social groups issues not addressed- NHDR evaluation

India

Impact of State HDRs

• Increased allocation to social sectorsMadhya Pradesh & Maharashtra HD budget

• Newer Institutional mechanisms- holistic planning and monitoring– Poverty and HD division in Karnataka – HD and poverty chapterin Economic Survey - Karnataka– HD Mission in Maharashtra for low HDI districts

• More intensive study on priority issues for policy action– Sikkim focus on education system– West Bengal focus on landlessness

India

NHDR Evaluation

• NHDR Evaluation- India as case study- p.26• ‘State Reports have affected social policies most

especially those dealing with education and health and have led to more policy oriented research’

• ‘In some States, HDRs have had a particularly strong impact including major media attention, mentioned in State Assembly debates and establishment of new government policies to address issues raised’

• ‘In general, have led to better understanding of the concept of human development’

• Limitation – still equated with HDI – broader concept yet to be understood fully

India

Moving Beyond Analysis to Action

Planning Commission (Govt Of India) UNDP Project CCF II 2004-2007

Strengthening State Plans for Human Development UNDP core resources – USD 5 million – now close to11

million USD up to 2009

Thrust AreasThrust Areas– Capacity Building for Human DevelopmentCapacity Building for Human Development– Strengthening State Statistical SystemsStrengthening State Statistical Systems– Financing for Human DevelopmentFinancing for Human Development

India

Thrust Areas – Capacity Building for HD

• Institutional Mechanisms– HDRC units for coordination of HD initiatives – Steering Cmt drawn from all relevant

departments• Influencing Planning and Policy

– District HDRs in low HDI districts- tools for planning

– State Level MDG based PRSPs– Chapters on HD in State Plans/Economic Survey

India

Capacity Building for HD

Capacity Building-Training in State Administrative Training Insitutes- Curriculum in Universities with UGC support-Gender training added with additional core

resources (1.5 million USD)• Advocacy

- State Level Strategies supported with DFID funding (1.5 million USD)

- 23 Films by Film and Television Institute of India - Calendars on MDGs and HD

India

Financing Options

• Social Sectors mainly in State Government domain in division of responsibilities between Centre and States

• State governments experienced fiscal stringency during period of economic reforms

• Initiatives– Action Research on financing options for State

Governments

– Policy notes on options both on revenue and expenditure sides

– Quarterly Training Programme by the Central Bank of the country on Financing for Human Development

India

Strengthening Statistical Systems

• Partnership with Central Statistical Organisation• Focus on training and methodologies for

estimating– District level per capita District Domestic

Product– District poverty – Advisory Cmt with Planning

Commission– District IMR and Life Expectancy – District level HD/MDG indicators for HD

monitoring

India

Progress and Impact

• XII Finance Commission’s use of HDI • XI Five year Plan focus on Inclusive growth- HD approach• HD chapters in 8 State level Five Year Plans• Courses on HD in 3 Universities• HD integrated into Indian Administrative Service course• 15 State Training Institutes deliver HD modules on regular

basis for state & district departmental staff - through satellite in Karnataka for local bodies (17000 at a time)

• Project expansion from 8 states to 14 - spur to complete SHDRs

India

Next Steps

• HD monitoring-people oriented process- PAHELI - HD Report Cards

• Use of HD cards by UNDAF districts for UN system planning – demand from Rajasthan, Orissa and Punjab

• Linking NREGS with human development – Swaminathan’s suggestion – action initiated by Rural Development Ministry

• Gender disaggregated data and gender budgeting with UNIFEM – training on gender budgeting for State Governments

• Special focus on disadvantaged sections

India

Next Steps

• Integration with Governance portfolio Capacity building initiatives for local bodies

• Integrated planning surpassing departmental boundaries

• Integrated in UNDP Cy Programme• 50 District HDRs at various stages of finalisation –

Bankura, Malda and Birbhum already released – used as tools for district planning

• State governments extending DHDR preparation to all districts – e.g West Bengal

• National HDR in 2009?

India

What helped

• Strong commitment by all concerned• UNDP

– Dedicated staff within UNDP– Dedicated and sustained core resources over two

project cycles

• Planning Commission– Strong ownership– Consistent monitoring– Persuasion in State plan discussions

• Political commitment – Legislators’ forums in States– Continuous dialogue with parliamentarians on HD

India

Looking forward to

• HDRs- 50 District HDRs as tools for district planning• HDRs- 13 city PRSPs owned by municipal corporations• Data- district level HD monitoring- report cards• Advocacy- Films, MDG oriented PRSPs • Research - network of young research scholars on HD• Teaching -Graduates and Diploma holders in HD – TISS

Certificate Course on HD and Social Accountability in 2009

• Action- District collectors and panchayat members sensitised to HD approach-use DHDRs as tools

• Financing options for HD identified and acted upon• HDI used for resource allocation by XIII Finance Cmn

India