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Expert Comment

Poor human capital

development record

R.N. BHASKAR

OR CHEST-THUMPING HYPER-NATIONALIST No of
government and ruling BJP spokespersons claim- Total schools Source
ing that India is the world’s fastest growing econ- schools affected
Fomy, the third largest global economy and set to Unified District Information System for
become a viswaguru (world teacher), UNDP’s latest Hu- One-teacher Education Plus (UDISE+) 2021-22;
man Development Report 2022-23 is a rude awakening. schools 1,489,115 1,17,285 Reply to the Lok Sabha Unstarred
India’s ranking has slipped from #130 in 2020 to #132 in Question No. 4178 on March 27, 2023
2021. Many of our neighbouring nations — including Ban- Government schools UDISE+ 2021-22; Lok Sabha reply to
gladesh — are ranked higher. without internet and 1,022,386 7,75,386 unstarred question No 646 given on
Surprisingly, there is inadequate awareness within poli- smart classrooms Feb 6, 2023
cy formulators and society that India’s greatest resource is Govt secondary and UDISE+ 2021-22; Lok Sabha reply to
higher secondary
its people. There are too many establishment figures who schools without sci- 117,439 61,421 Unstarred question No. 646 given on
say that a large population is a developmental disadvan- ence lab facility Feb 6, 2023
tage. But China was the world’s most populous country AISHE Report 2020-21; Rajya Sabha
until last year. After Secretary Deng Xiaoping liberated the answer to Unstarred Question No.
Chinese economy from the yoke of socialism in 1978, China India's GER (Gross Enrolment ratio) stands 655 on Feb 8, 2023
at a pathetic 27.3 — mocking the govern-
averaged 10 percent per year GDP growth rate for 30 years ment's claim of 74% literacy.
(1978-2008) and showed the world that when human re- https://knowindia.india.gov.in/profile/
literacy.php
sources are nurtured and rational policies implemented, a
heavily populated country can become a global powerhouse. Source: UNDP Human Development Report (2022-23)
The real test of a nation’s strength depends on how it has As many as 117,000 schools have just one teacher, teach-
nurtured its human resources. But this is precisely where ing all classes and all subjects. Moreover, 775,000 out of
India’s record is pathetic. 1,022,000 government schools are without internet con-
• In terms of life expectancy, India has the worst record, nectivity and smart classrooms. More than half of govern-
except for Pakistan. ment secondary and higher secondary schools don’t have a
• In terms of number of years of school education, India science laboratory. With this degree of deprivation, how can
once again scrapes the bottom, except for Pakistan. our children compete with their peers in developed OECD
• In terms of mean years of schooling, India is better than countries in the new globalised world? The reality is that
only Pakistan and Nepal. most of these children will become unemployable. They
The sole consolation is that India’s data are better than have wasted ten of their most creative years in schools that
Pakistan. But that can’t obfuscate the reality that India is actually destroy talent rather than nurture it.
a pathetic also-ran in global rankings, and that its ranking Further investigation of data will unearth the reality that
slipped in 2021. the majority of such schools and students are sited in the
India’s primary-secondary education data is depressing.
Hindi speaking states of north India whose MPs dominate
Parliament. That is why the proposed delimitation of par-
India’s HDI scores & rank liamentary constituencies under which the BJP govern-
ment at the Centre wants to increase the representation of
Rank Country Score 2021 2021 2021 2020 Hindi states in Parliament, is causing much heartburn in
1 Switzerland 0.962 84.0 13.9 66,933 3 the southern states which have a much better HDI record.
2 Norway 0.961 83.2 13.0 64,660 1 The situation isn’t better in higher education. A study
3 Iceland 0.959 82.7 13.8 55,782 2 of the Central government’s own data indicates that In-
4 Hong Kong, China (SAR) 0.952 85.5 12.2 62,607 4 dia’s GER (gross enrolment ratio) in higher education is a
5 Australia 0.951 84.5 12.7 49,238 5 modest 27.3 percent of youth of college-going age (18-24).
73 Sri Lanka 0.782 76.4 10.8 12,578 75 This is way below the 70 percent score of developed OECD
79 China 0.768 78.2 7.6 17,504 82 countries.
129 Bangladesh 0.661 72.4 7.4 5,472 128 The plain truth is that India needs to develop its abun-
132 India 0.633 67.2 6.7 6,590 130 dant human resources. If we don’t do this soon, India will
143 Nepal 0.602 68.4 5.1 3,877 144 become a country of much bluff and bluster but little else.
161 Pakistan 0. 544 66.1 4.5 4, 624 161 The next HDI Index and Report will be out in March. I don’t
Life expectancy at birth (years) Mean years of schooling have great expectations.
Gross national income per capita (2017 PPP $) HDI rank
Source: UNDP Human Development Report (2022-23) (R.N. Bhaskar is a senior journalist, educationist, and researcher)

36 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2024