annacoder ([info]annacoder) wrote,
@ 2009-03-22 19:13:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend  Next Entry
Current location:Atlanta, Georgia
Current mood: thoughtful
Entry tags:hdi, india

Why is India ranked 139 in the Human Development Index?
Because the ranking is flawed.

I am no way suggesting that India is competing with the developed countries or anything. But I am sure it is not just 14
places above Sudan. Come on!

So, India is placed in the 139th position because of its HDI of 0.619. When things are taken to 3 decimal places in ranking, you need to
take a closer look.

I am also not saying that the ranking is pulled out of a hat. But, the algorithm definitely needs fine-tuning.

What is more interesting me is the HDI trend for India, from this link: http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_IND.html

Human development index (trends), 19750.419 
Human development index (trends), 19800.450 
Human development index (trends), 19850.487 
Human development index (trends), 19900.521 
Human development index (trends), 19950.551 
Human development index (trends), 20000.578 
Human development index (trends), 20050.619

As you can see, that's a good improvement. I am darn sure it will keep improving. Probably at a higher rate.

In general, I like the concept of such indexes. Sure, most of the numbers will not be accurate.
The weighting of the individual parameters are going to come under scrutiny. But, such indexes
mathematically approximate to the real underlying "true" index if the statisticians know what they
are doing (and I am sure they do). Also, the law of large numbers works to the index's advantage.

Also, I recommend that you look at this: http://hdrstats.undp.org/indicators/16.html

Playing along with this index, China reached our current value somewhere between 1985-90 (
 0.595   0.634
respectively). It current HDI is 0.777 giving it the 81st rank.

Malaysia (63), Thailand (78) had our levels of HDI by 1975 itself.

In the last 5 years, Kazakhstan's (73) HDI grew the most.

India's HDI grew faster, then growth dipped, and picked up in the last leg.
(period)          (growth)
1975-1980 0.031
1980-1985 0.037
1985-1990 0.034
1990-1995 0.03
1995-2000 0.027
2000-2005 0.041


Thanks to  [info]_dodo_ for introducing me to this interesting data.
I would love to get more questions, queries related to analyzing this data. I'll try to find answers.





(Read 5 comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]_dodo_
2009-03-23 02:48 am UTC (link)
• 230 million people are undernourished
• More than half of India’s women are anaemic
• 40 per cent of children under three years are underweight
• 2,19,000 habitations have no access to clean drinking water
• 39 per cent of adult population is illiterate
• 77 per cent of the population spends less than Rs. 20 a day
• The share of wages in the organised industrial sector is among the
lowest in the world
• The agrarian crisis continues. Suicides by farmers have not abated.

And you want to change the algorithm for India?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]annacoder
2009-03-23 03:29 am UTC (link)
Dude... read my post again! All I am saying is that I agree that India's HDI is bad. But, if HDI is supposed to reflect on "human development", I strongly believe that we are just more than 14 ranks away from Sudan. The gap ought be a lot wider.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]parwana
2009-03-23 12:58 pm UTC (link)
I think it has more to do with numbers.

India with one sixth of the population even if moves a million, it is just 0.087% while if Sudan moves that kind of number, it is 2.4%.

Further, Though Sudan may look like pretty dark age country, it might be that we are just looking at the greener India.

We need to remember that people living under poverty line are POOR and this fact cannot be changed just because they get to live in Mumbai.

But yes, I do agree with annacoder on the weighting thing. Any such ranking in my opinion can't be accurate to the last drop of water. I see it very similar to the university ranking of usnews (though at a different scale and domain) where many good universities suffer the ranking heat unnecessarily.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]parwana
2009-03-23 01:01 pm UTC (link)
By the way recent blog entries seem to be coming from a fierce tiger hidden behind the perennial smile of dodo. I am frightened. [meek emoticon]

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]_dodo_
2009-03-24 02:23 am UTC (link)
I am not a tiger, mein ek sher hun.. he he he

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read 5 comments) - (Post a new comment)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…