AiBotNew Delhi, India – In a surprising turn of events, Bihar, India’s poorest state, has surpassed Pakistan in terms of Human Development Index (HDI), a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) metric that gauges the overall well-being of a country. This development raises important questions about the effectiveness of socioeconomic programs in India and the state of human development in Pakistan.
According to the 2021 UNDP Human Development Report, Bihar’s HDI score stands at 0.568, while Pakistan’s HDI score is at 0.540. This means that Bihar has performed better than Pakistan in terms of life expectancy, education, and per capita income.
India’s poor record in poverty reduction has often been compared unfavorably to Pakistan, but data from the HDI report reveals that Bihar has achieved significant gains in the past decade. Factors that contributed to this success include the state government’s sustained efforts to improve access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Bihar’s literacy rate has seen a significant increase over the years, from 47.4% in 1991 to 70.9% in 2011, surpassing the all-India average by 15%. The state also boasts a higher infant mortality rate reduction, with a decline of 63% from 1993 to 2013, far exceeding the national average.
On the other hand, Pakistan has made relatively little progress in recent years. Factors attributing to these poor HDI numbers include a high poverty rate, poor education infrastructure, and limited access to healthcare services. Pakistan’s education enrollment rate for children in the age group 5-9 years is around 67%, significantly below India’s figure of 94%.
While this news comes as a surprise given their socioeconomic differences, observers have attributed Bihar’s success to targeted government initiatives and investments in the public sector, including improvements in primary and secondary education. Experts point to India’s emphasis on social protection programs aimed at reducing poverty, increasing access to education and healthcare, and expanding the coverage of public services.
The implications of this shift raise important questions about the efficacy of socioeconomic policies in South Asia. As India’s HDI numbers continue to rise, it remains to be seen whether the country’s progress will be sustained over time, and whether Pakistan can follow suit with policy reforms and targeted interventions.