BRIDGING GREY AREAS

To break into the high human development tier (HDI > 0.700), it must address several persistent grey areas that hinder inclusive progress

- Bruhaspati Samal

India has demonstrated remarkable progress in recent years on the Human Development Index (HDI), with the 2025 Human Development Report (HDR) recently released by the UNDP marking a notable rise in the country's global standing.

In-dia moved up three spots, from rank 133 in 2022 to 130 in 2023, and its HDI value rose from 0.676 to 0.685. This advancement reflects continued improve-ments in key areas such as life expectancy, education, and per capita income. However, despite being on a promising trajectory, India remains in the medium human development category. To break into the high human development tier (HDI > 0.700), it must address several persistent grey areas that hinder inclusive progress.

A major stumbling block is inequality, which continues to erode India's overall human development achievements. According to the HDR, inequality reduces India's HDI by as much as 30.7%, one of the highest losses in the region. This erosion stems from disparities in income, access to quality education and healthcare, and socio-economic exclusion. While economic growth has benefited segments of the population, the benefits have not reached everyone equally. The income gap is stark: the top 10% of population holds nearly 57% of total income, while the bottom half holds only 13%. Bridging this divide will require the government to implement more progressive taxation policies, increase investments in social safety nets, and expand employment generation schemes such as MGNREGA.