A HUMAN DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO THE STATUS OF DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH EAST INDIA

Concept of human development and its measurement as introduced by UNDP in the first Human Development Report 1990 is an approach to measure economic development. It is a composite measure of economic progress and a better substitute to Per Capita Income (measure) that could neither capture nor exhibit exact level of development of human beings nor that of nations. According to HDR 2003, when countries like Georgia, Indonesia and Jamaica having very low per capita income could achieve high levels of human development South Africa in spite of having a very high per capita income achieved low level of human development. Thus, it is the human development that really throws light on the exact level of development of human beings and helps in policy formulation to achieve the development goals in a particular region. Keeping all these points in view the present study was undertaken on the status and progress of human development in a backward region like North-East India comprising eight States which is predominantly inhabited by tribal people. The study reveals that the region in respect of human development is highly lagging behind within the country and as compared to many other countries in the world. The progress of human development not only has been very low in the last two and half decades but also witnessing wide spread rural-urban and gender disparity. It has also been witnessing uneven progress across different States in the region which calls for an immediate intervention on the part of the government.