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Public Spending & Human Development - A Comparative Study of Indian States

1. The document discusses public spending and human development in Indian states based on the human development approach. The human development approach focuses on improving human lives by expanding people's capabilities and freedoms rather than just economic growth alone. 2. Key aspects of human development include having a long and healthy life, being educated, and enjoying a decent standard of living. Additional choices involve political freedom, guaranteed human rights, and self-respect. 3. The document will analyze public spending and its relationship to human development outcomes across Indian states.

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Rajalakshmi Subramaniam
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41 views2 pages

Public Spending & Human Development - A Comparative Study of Indian States

1. The document discusses public spending and human development in Indian states based on the human development approach. The human development approach focuses on improving human lives by expanding people's capabilities and freedoms rather than just economic growth alone. 2. Key aspects of human development include having a long and healthy life, being educated, and enjoying a decent standard of living. Additional choices involve political freedom, guaranteed human rights, and self-respect. 3. The document will analyze public spending and its relationship to human development outcomes across Indian states.

Uploaded by

Rajalakshmi Subramaniam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Public Spending & Human Development

- A comparative study of Indian States

1.1. Human Development Approach

The concept of human development emerged in the late 1980s based on the conceptual
foundation provided by the researchers Dr. Amartya Sen and Dr. Mahbub ul Haq. The HD
approach puts people at the center of the development agenda, where economic growth and
wealth are considered means to development, not an end by itself. Put simply, the starting
point for the human development approach is the idea that the purpose of development is to
improve human lives by not only enhancing income but also expanding the range of things
that a person can be and can do, such as be healthy and well nourished, be knowledgeable,
and to participate ins viewpoint, development is about removing the obstacles to what a
person can do in life, obstacles such as lack of income, illiteracy, ill health, lack of access to
resources, or lack of civil and political freedoms. As expressed by Sen: ”...the twin
recognition that human beings can 1) fare far better, and 2) do much more to bring this
about may sensibly be seen as the two central thesis of the human development approach.”
(Fukuda-Parr, Sakiko, Shiva Kumar, A.K. ed., 2003). 3) do the needful to the people. The
first Human Development Report defines human development as a process of enlarging
people’s choices. To lead a long and healthy life, to be educated and to enjoy a decent
standard of living are the three most critical choices identified in the first HDR. Additional
choices include political freedom, guaranteed human rights and self-respect. This research
will discuss about

1. Introduction

“ The care of human life and the happiness and not their destruction is the only legitimate
object of good government”
- Thomas Jefferson
(To Maryland Republicans, 1809)

From philosophers to political economists several great minds have embraced the paradigm
shift from sheer economic development to that of Human development, understanding that
the people and their well-being are the ends any government should aim at and not income
or GDP, which acts just as a means and not the end itself. This approach was formalized as
the “Human Development Approach” with the creation of Human Development Reports in
order to sensitize, orient and guide nations to a path of people-centric development.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which has taken this giant
responsibility of the Human Development Reports, defines human development as “ a
process of enlarging people’s choices” (HDR, 1991). The choices range from essential ones
such as long healthy life, access to acquire knowledge and a decent standard of living, to
additional choices such as socio, economic and political freedoms and guaranteed human
rights. However for measurement purposes, three key elements – longevity, knowledge and
decent standard of living are considered to arrive at a composite measure.

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