'India unlikely to meet all Millennium Development Goals'

NEW DELHI: Despite satisfactory economic progress after the global financial crisis, India is unlikely to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set to improve its various social indicators, says a senior official.
While the country has met targets in areas like poverty reduction, and is close to meeting those for literacy rate, it is unlikely to do so with regard to infant mortality rate.

"Despite resilience shown by the Indian economy in the face of global economic crisis, its impact on the development process have resulted in less than desirable progress in some economic and social areas. There are impressive achievements in several sectors but all MDGs are unlikely to be met," Chief Statistician T C A Anant said in a report prepared on MDGs by Central Statistics Office.

MDGs are international development goals that United Nations member states, including India, and numerous international organisations had agreed to achieve by 2015.

These include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality; reducing the child mortality rate and ensuring environmental sustainability.

The CSO report contains updated information about progress achieved so far with respect to the eight goals disaggregated into 12 targets and the 35 indicators relevant for India.

According to the report, India has achieved the MDG target regarding poverty eradication. It had to halve the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day between 1990 to 2015.

In 1990, India had 47.8 per cent such poor people and thus the proportion of this population was to be reduced to 23.9 per cent. However, India's poverty ratio was 21.92 per cent for 2011-12.

Similarly, India has to half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015.

It is estimated that in 1990, the proportion of underweight children below 3 years was 52 per cent. In order to meet the target, the proportion of under-weight children should decrease to 26 per cent by 2015.

The National Family Health Survey shows that the proportion of under-weight children below 3 years declined from 43 per cent in 1998-99 to 40 per cent in 2005-06. At this rate of decline the proportion of underweight children below 3 years is expected to reduce to 33 per cent by 2015, which indicates India is falling short of the target, said the report. PTI KKS CS SA 03031550 NNNN