Human Development

Table of Contents

Human development encompasses the changes that occur throughout a person’s lifespan, from infancy to old age. The changes may occur in different domains like biological, psychological, cognitive, and social. Human development is focused on people and their opportunities and choices.

For Eg:- Biological changes means increase in height

Cognitive changes means memory enhancement

Concept Of Human Development

People knew about human development in 1990, after publishing the Human Development Report. The report tells us that focusing on how people actually live rather than judging a country only by how much money it makes is a right way of finding Human Development.

Core Elements Of Human Development

People

Human development focuses on improving people’s lives. It sees income growth (economic growth) as a medium to development not a final goal (end itself).

Opportunities

Here people’s abilities are developed when they are freedom and giving them a opportunity to use them. Following are the three basic foundation for human development.

Living a long, healthy, and creative life

Gaining knowledge

Having the resources needed for a decent standard of living

Choices

It talks about without forcing people, giving them many options in life to choose any specific one. There is no guarantee everyone will be happy, we just can create conditions where people can grow, use their talents, and live the kind of life they value.

Human Development Index

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living.

It examines three main items:

The length and quality of people’s lives

How much education they get

Quality of life, income or lifestyle How well they live.

Table 1: HDI according to UNDP

Dimensions	Indicators	Dimension Index
Long and healthy life	Life expectancy at birth	Life expectancy index
Knowledge	Expected years of schooling Mean years of schooling	Education index
A decent standard of living	GNI per capita (PPP$)	GNI Index

HDI aggregates all the above three dimensions of human development into just one number that is how much the country has progressed overall.

Few Variations Of HDI

Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI):

To adjust the HDI to account for inequality within a country.

Calculation: Measures the distribution of each dimension of the HDI (life expectancy, education, income) and adjusts for inequality, reflecting the actual level of human development considering disparities.

Gender Development Index (GDI):

To measure gender disparities in human development. Calculation: Compares the HDI values of males and females, highlighting gender gaps in health, education, and income.

Gender Inequality Index (GII):

To capture gender-based inequalities in reproductive health, empowerment, and economic status.

Calculation: Uses indicators like maternal mortality, adolescent birth rates, parliamentary representation, educational attainment, and labor market participation to assess gender inequality.

Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):

To measures acute poverty by considering multiple deprivations in health, education, and living standards. Calculation: Uses indicators such as nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, and assets.

Relation between Human Development and Infrastructure Development

(Human Development After Infrastructure Development or Vice-Versa?)

The dialectic model of infrastructure and human development can justify the relationship between them. The link is given in the bottom of this article to see the diagram of “dialectic model of infrastructure and human development”. Both depend on each other. Good Infrastructure helps humans to grow, and capable humans grow Infrastructure.

Infrastructure Supports Human Development

Better Infrastructure improves quality of life.

Eg:- Roads, Electricity, Clean water and sanitation, Internet access make people’s life easy. Because students reach school in time, Working at night becomes easy, public will be healthy, Online education is possible.

Human Development Strength Infrastructure

When people have enough knowledge, skills and strong attitude they can build best Infrastructures, make the system strong, use technology to serve other people.

In this way the cycle continues. They grow through a two way ongoing relationship.

Differences Between Human Development and Infrastructure Development

Human Development	Infrastructure Development
It focuses on people’s internal and external development.	It focuses on internal and external aspect of environment.
Person’s Personality would develop.	Here, socio-economic aspect of the country would develop.
It is a social subject.	It is both; political and socio-economic aspect.
It is an effort to make people capable.	It is a developmental (progressive) work done by human.
It includes only one aspect of development.	It includes total (all) aspects of development.

Why Human Development Is the Foundation of a Nation’s Overall Progress?

Human Development is the most powerful pillar to build Nation in the long-term because no Nation can grow without the growth of its people. Infrastructures like roads, buildings, industries are only possible after being people knowledgeable, healthy, wealthy, skilled and capable.

The theory “dialectic model of infrastructure and human development” also supports that Human Development Strength Infrastructure.

We all know that country with strong human development

(human development index) has better social, economical and environmental life, their quality of life is much better than developing and under-developed country.

So, a productive workforce can attain following objectives:

Better innovation and creativity
Lower poverty and inequality
Stronger social stability
Faster economic growth

That’s why, alone money(income) can’t achieve better way of living. But it requires other approaches of human development like capability(choices), opportunities and basic need or welfare.

Watch Diagram here:- https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-dialectic-model-of-infrastructure-and-human-development_fig1_261474584