• RNA Gheraoes Maoists • Vajpayee-Musharraf ... - Digital Himalaya

NATIONAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2001
Glimmers Of Hope
Despite growing violence and chronic political instability, Nepal has been
able to improve its position in the Human Development Report 200 I
Nepal
278%
The cost of being connected
Monthly Internet access charge as a
pelCef1tage 01 average mcmlhly inco"..,.
By
,'It KESHAB POUDEL
was the best of times; it was the
worst ofumes ... It was the season
of darkness, it was the spring of hope, and
it was the winter of despair. We had everything
before us; we had nothing before
us.
Charles Dickens' opening paragraph
in "A Tale of Two Cities" mirrors the
si tuation of Nepal, which is passing
through a mixture of good and bad times.
At a first glance, Nepal's situation, characterized
by the spread of Maoist violence
and rampant lawlessness, leaves Iittleroom
for hope. If not checked in time, these ills
arc bound 10 impede the country 's march
toward greater freedom and.prosperity.
However, there arc also good times.
Nepalese society is making progress, particularly
in the areas of health, education,
HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT
REPORT 2001
gender equality and expansion of infrastructure.
More people live in freedom
and there are morc families that are educated.
A greater number of children can
read and write. More women can work
and more people have a stake in the
economy.
Imagining such positive progress in
roday's circumstances may seem ro be
very difficult for many. However, countless
Nepalis and foreigners have been
leading the process of change through by
mobilising non-governmental organizations,
civic society, and community participation.
The result: Out of 162 countries
ranked by the United Nations according
to their level of human development,
Nepal ranks 129th.
If the disclosure of the Human Development
Report 200 I is any indication,
Nepal can hope for a prosperous future,
provided it could improve.
the law-aod-order situation .
According to the report,
Nepal's HDI 0.480 in 1999
puts the country at 129th
place out of 162 countries.
Over the last 25 years,
Nepal has been making
steady progress in human
development. In such categories
as poverty index,
gender-related development,
progress in survival ,
priorities in public spending
and technological achievement,
Nepal has made relatively
good progress.
Prepared by the United
Nations, the HDR 200 I has
evaluated the performance
of vari ous countries of the
world assessing social indicators
like health, education,
gender, life expectan cy and
United
Slates
, .2"i.
expenditure in the social sector.
Nepal's Human Development Index
trend shows considerable progress in different
social sectors. Between 1975 and
1999, the index mark has nearly doubled
- from 0.292 to 0.477. [I' we make a
comparison with other countries of the
region, the grow th has been very steady.
In India, it was 0.406 in 1975 and
0.571 in 1999. Bangladesh had an HDI of
0.332 in 1975, which has reached .470
Nepal has seen progress in life expectancy,
infant child mortality rate, an'la.
infant mortality under 5 years of age an ..
literacy rates. "In Nepal, a child born in
the 90s can expect to live 14 years longer
than could a ch ild born in the early 70s.
The infant mortality rate decreased from
165 in 1970 to 75 in 1999, the under-five
mortality rate decreased from 250 in 1970
to 104 in 1999. Over the last twenty-five
years, Nepal's HDI has been steadily increasing.
reducing the gap with neighboring
countries:' said Alessandra Tisot,
United Nations Development Program
Resident Representati ve.
Despite such impressive achievements,
nearly 10 million Nepalis live in
absolute poverty, 47 percent of the population
consum es less than the minimum
level of dietary energy consumption and
more than half of those averthe age of 15
are illiterate.
10 SPOTLIGHT/JULY 20, 2001