NEW DELHI: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released Human Development Report 2020 on December 16. The report established India at 131 rank among 189 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI) 2019. India has slipped by two positions, in reference to its rank in the previous year report.
HDI measures countries’ achievement on three basic aspects of human development, which includes life expectancy, education, and per capita income. The index is a summary measure of assessed long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. Norway, Ireland, and Switzerland acquired top three ranks in the index. Countries including India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, were ranked among countries with “medium human development”.
The report stated India’s HDI value at 0.645 for the year 2019. It also said that indigenous children in Cambodia, India, and Thailand show more malnutrition-related issues such as stunting and wasting. However, India received praise for initiatives in green energy, thus securing fifth rank for installed solar capacity.