INDIA
In the second of the series of Sunday special stories, dna’s Gargi Gupta examines why Bihar, despite its exemplary economic growth in the past 10 years, continues to lag in HDI rankings
This is the state where more than one in every two children under the age of six is malnourished and underweight, where three out of four children are anaemic, and where as many as 261 women die for every 1,00,000 who give birth — one of the highest in the country.
Why does Bihar continue to be perennially 'Bimaru', and languish at the bottom of the human development rankings? According to the Economic Survey 2011-12, Bihar dropped two ranks in the HDI rankings since 2007-08, that is, people in the the state actually saw their quality of life — in terms of education, health and income levels — become worse.
It is all the more surprising since Bihar had the highest growth rate — 10.17% — in gross state domestic product in 2005-12, the period coinciding with the government of Nitish Kumar; its per capita income also grew the most among Indian states at 15.44%. The number of poor in the state also went down by more than 20%.
So why does the state lag behind? According to Rajan Khosla, director of Poorest Areas Civil Society, an organisation that works to reduce development inequality in India's poorest states, feudal structures and caste prejudices continue to be so deeply entrenched in Bihar that it comes in the way of effective implementation of health and education programmes. "Mid-day meals, anganwadi centres are all there, and the state has taken some measures such as the Mahadalit mission, but it has not helped. Children of the lower caste are treated so badly by upper-caste teachers that they drop out," he said. Thus, it is not surprising that gross enrollment ratio in Bihar, which indicates the number of children enrolled in schools, is consistently below all-India levels.
Rajesh Tandon, president, PRIA (Participatory Research in Asia), felt that the steps Bihar has taken to improve its education and health-care infrastructure will take more time to show results. "But in the last few years, the state has definitely lost momentum. This is partly because of the political problems, which has affected the local panchayat's ability to over development programmes," he said. Tandon also faulted the state government's model of growth, which emphasised agriculture at the expense of industrialisation. "Farm productivity has gone up but, industrialisation and urban infrastructure have lagged. Bihar also has the largest number of villages with 10,000 plus population," he added. No wonder, the state has the highest unemployment in urban areas among Indian states of 73%.
Dr Shaibal Gupta, a social scientist at the Asian Development Research Institute in Patna, blamed Bihar's "development deficit". "Even during the British reign when it was a part of the Bengal presidency, Bihar got very little funds," he said. Supporting the demand for "special category status" for Bihar, which has been gathering steam in the state of late, Gupta said, "Even at this pace of development, it will take another 20 years for the state to catch up with the rest of India."
IND vs NZ, 2nd Test Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs New Zealand match
How To Prepare For The UPSC CSE 2025 Exam?
'India supports dialogue and diplomacy, not war': PM Modi at BRICS Summit
This woman lost in Dubai's desert orders camel via Uber, netizens say 'your camel has arrived'
Good news for Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Paytm gets NPCI nod to..., shares surge over 7%
Fan requests Rohit Sharma to deliver her message to Virat Kohli, here's how Indian captain responded
Rajkummar Rao recalls being scammed in Delhi during struggle days: 'The man had...'
Robbers pose as customers in jewellery shop, what owner did next will leave you shocked
Maharashtra Elections 2024: NCP releases 1st list of 38 candidates; Ajit Pawar to contest from…
Japanese Shah Rukh Khan leaves Bollywood Badshah's fan impressed, social media says...
Will KL Rahul be retained by LSG ahead of IPL Auction? New report provides BIG update, it says...
'Wayanad will have two MPs': Rahul Gandhi after Priyanka files nomination for bypolls
I Want To Talk teaser: Abhishek Bachchan announces his next with Shoojit Sircar, to release on...
Diwali 2024: When is Deepawali, October 31 or November 1? Check dates, mahurat timings and more
JEE Main 2025 exam date to release TODAY: Know how to register, check exam calendar HERE
Jhalmuri fever hits London: Video of British man selling Kolkata-style street food goes viral, watch
SC slams Centre as Delhi air worsens, calls environment laws...
Ex-cricketer suggests replacing KL Rahul with THIS batsman for 2nd Test vs NZ, he is…
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee smashes bottle, hurls it towards Chair in row over Waqf meet
Know how Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani's children Isha Ambani and Akash Ambani got their names
Family finds venomous snakes under their bed, what happened next will leave you in shock
This company's Vice President gets fired after raise and bonus, reason will leave you shocked
Mukesh Ambani-led Jio Financial eyes JVs with Allianz SE in insurance sector
IMD's BIG update: Cyclone Dana forms over Bay of Bengal, to cross Odisha-Bengal coasts on...
This company gifts cars as Diwali bonus, calls its employees celebrities, is owned by…
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan skips her family gathering
When Ratan Tata opened up about his parents separation, first love and childhood, he said...
Blow to Mukesh Ambani ahead of Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani's birthday, Reliance stocks...
Saudi Arabia's futuristic megacity project Neom a big threat to migratory birds? Experts say...
Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t know about this iPhone feature, left speechless, know here
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio offers superhit Diwali plan, unlimited 5G internet for just Rs...
Bengaluru Rains: Schools closed, WFH advisory for private companies as IMD issues yellow alert
Israel confirms killing of Hashem Safieddine, presumed successor of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah
Big move by Anil Ambani, his company to invest Rs 10000 crore to set up India's largest...
Meet Indian genius, who was born in small town, today leads AI innovations of Google, she is...
Woman stays at luxury resort worth Rs 3 lakh for free, claims she used...
Delhi AQI update: Air quality worsens to 'very poor' level at 349, becomes 'severe' in these areas
PM Modi to hold bilateral talks with Xi Jinping at BRICS Summit today
Odisha, West Bengal brace for Cyclone Dana: How was it named and what it means?
POCSO case: Mumbai Police ask Ekta Kapoor, her mother to appear for questioning tomorrow
Watch: Can you identify all the actors in this clip from 1991?
Priyanka Gandhi to file nomination for Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll today
Meet woman, whose father used to sell milk, cracked UPSC exam with AIR 62 to become...
Delhi: No water supply in Capital for 12 hours on Friday due to…; check list of affected areas
Salman Khan resumes shooting for Sikandar amid death threats from Lawrence Bishnoi
India, Pakistan extend Kartarpur Sahib corridor agreement for five years
DNA TV Show: What is BRICS currency? Is it possible to introduce it today?
IPL 2025: Three-time IPL champion set to join Gujarat Titans as batting coach - Reports
PM Modi, Xi Jinping to hold bilateral meet on sidelines of BRICS Summit on Oct 23, first in 5 years
New Himalayan snake species named after Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio, it will be called…
Cyclone Dana: Schools closed in West Bengal, Odisha for 4 days from...
Delhi govt to provide special assistance of Rs 5000 monthly to...
Rape-accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein diagnosed with bone marrow cancer
IND vs NZ: Sarfaraz Khan or KL Rahul; Who will find a spot in 2nd Test? India coach says…
Mumbai Police interrogates Ekta Kapoor, her mother Shobha Kapoor in case under POCSO act
Mukesh Ambani may team up with govt to sell food products through...
Bengaluru: Several feared trapped as under-construction building collapses
Best Cheap VPS Hosting Providers: Top Picks for Hosting Under USD 10
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal set to raise Rs 8500 crore, says it is meant to...