Narendra Modi faults human index report, says 2007 data used
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has questioned the findings of the human development report that portrayed his state as a poor performer on social indicators, saying it used 2007 data.
By Mahendra Kumar Singh, TNN | Updated:
NEW DELHI: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has questioned the findings of the human development report that portrayed his state as a poor performer on social indicators, saying it used 2007 data. Modi also questioned the timing of the report, which was released on Friday, a day before the National Development Council meeting.
"The report used 2007 data. Ask them why they chose this timing to release the report," Modi said.
The report, which was prepared on the basis of government data of 2007-08, said Gujarat was the only developed state in the country where the percentage of malnourished children was higher than the national average. According to the report, the state had 44.6% underweight children, compared to the national average of 42%.
Modi, who takes great pride in Gujarat's economic performance, was not pleased at having his state mentioned in the same breath as laggards.
The report, prepared by the Institute of Applied Manpower Research of Planning Commission, also painted a grim picture of iron deficiency among women in the state. The percentage of women with severe anaemia is 2.6 in Gujarat - well above the national average of 1.8%. In Bengal and Bihar, just 1% of women suffer from this ailment. Bengal has 38.7% malnourished children, the report said.
It appeared that there was a negative relationship between wealth indices and percentage of women suffering from anaemia, the report said, adding that this was because anaemia was a result of various factors, an important one being the lack of balanced diet.
"The report used 2007 data. Ask them why they chose this timing to release the report," Modi said.
The report, which was prepared on the basis of government data of 2007-08, said Gujarat was the only developed state in the country where the percentage of malnourished children was higher than the national average. According to the report, the state had 44.6% underweight children, compared to the national average of 42%.
Modi, who takes great pride in Gujarat's economic performance, was not pleased at having his state mentioned in the same breath as laggards.
The report, prepared by the Institute of Applied Manpower Research of Planning Commission, also painted a grim picture of iron deficiency among women in the state. The percentage of women with severe anaemia is 2.6 in Gujarat - well above the national average of 1.8%. In Bengal and Bihar, just 1% of women suffer from this ailment. Bengal has 38.7% malnourished children, the report said.
It appeared that there was a negative relationship between wealth indices and percentage of women suffering from anaemia, the report said, adding that this was because anaemia was a result of various factors, an important one being the lack of balanced diet.
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