Where democracy impacts human development
T. RAMAKRISHNAN
Gupta has touched upon the Constitutional setting, demographic profile, and different aspects of human development and well-being
DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: Naresh Gupta, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003. Rs. 325.
Democracy and human development, though discussed and debated for many years, have only recently been receiving critical attention from development experts, policy makers, and political leaders. Several examples can be cited to show how pressures of democracy impelled governments to take major initiatives impacting human development. The mid-day meal and the ‘cradle baby’ schemes, both pioneered by Tamil Nadu, are two such instances, and they addressed a host of issues such as school attendance, nutritional status of children, female infanticide, and girl education. In fact, the success of the mid-day meal scheme prompted the rest of the country to adopt it.
In his book, Naresh Gupta, a widely-respected officer of the Indian Administrative Service, has sought to explain how democracy and human development are inter-related by drawing upon a huge volume of data on a variety of HD indices and tapping information from numerous official and media reports.
Concepts
Starting with the concepts of democracy and human rights, Mr. Gupta has touched upon the Constitutional setting, demographic profile, and different aspects of human development and well-being. He traces the roots of the concept of ‘Gross National Happiness’ (GNH) — a concept evolved recently but not widely debated — to Bhutan, and points out that it is essentially a civilisational vision representing non-material values such as living in harmony with nature, social equality, and the spiritual quest for higher levels of being. Elaborating on the broader theme, Mr. Gupta sounds a note of caution that, without bringing in the dimension of spirituality, modern technology will spell destruction. The GNH is a subject that requires to be researched further.
Though Mr. Gupta has not come up with a critical analysis, he has made some points that deserve serious consideration. For instance, his point that dry land farming should be given greater importance and water-intensive crops discouraged is very relevant in the context of the raging inter-State river water disputes and the limitations on augmenting surface water resources.
People’s movement
His idea of launching a people’s movement to promote healthy lifestyles is thoughtful. Some factual errors have crept in: the Kisan Credit Card was launched in 1998 (not 1988 as mentioned in the book) and the Central Ground Water Authority was set up in 1997 (not 1987) More striking is the absence of any elaborate discussion of the challenge posed by extremists such as the naxalites and the insurgent groups of the north-east.
Given Mr. Gupta’s varied experience in administration and his stint as the member-secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, one would have expected him to deal with the implications of subsidies and freebies on development in the long-term.
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