Kerala best on all counts

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath may have to eat his words if he happens to read the latest social progress report which assessed Indian states based on the quality of life index. Kerala topped in terms of all social progress indices (SPI) scoring 68.09 points, while cow belt states like Bihar, UP and Madhya Pradesh – ruled by BJP and its allies – scored just 44.89, 50.95 and 55.3 points, respectively. During BJP’s Janaraksha Yatra, Adityanath had said that Kerala should take a leaf out of UP’s book on how to run hospitals.

The SPI report looked at three major indices like basic human needs, foundation of well-being and opportunities. For each aspect, Kerala was way ahead of other states. The project analysed the social progress of twenty-eight states and one union territory from 2005 to 2016.


The paper is unique in the sense that it covers both macro and micro issues like medical care, nutrition, personal safety, access to knowledge and information, environmental quality, personal rights and freedom and financial inclusion. The most significant point in this survey is that despite not achieving highest net state domestic product (volume of goods and services produced within the boundaries of a region), states like Kerala achieved the highest score on social progress, while states with larger economy like Gujarat underperformed.

The evidence supports the conclusion that economic measures cannot be the sole driving force for inclusive growth. “Kerala’s infant mortality rate was always lower than national average and the state had begun skill development schemes like

Naipunya Samunnathi

much before the central government thought about it,” said economist Mary

George

, former member of public review expenditure committee.

She pointed out that the second Tendulkar report had said that the poverty rate in Kerala was 12%, while the national average was 22%. “We have been empowering our women through initiatives like Kudumbashree. This has not only increased family income but even empowered women,” she said.

Former planning board vice-chairman KM

Chandrasekhar

said that Kerala was always a topper when it came to human development. “We should aim to bring the state on par with Nordic countries, where government revenue accounts for almost 50% of GDP. The government along with private sector and labour unions play a key role in the economy. These countries tax heavily but spend efficiently. They provide superb public health and childcare, proficient public education, quality infrastructure and social equality. The results are low unemployment rate, small budget deficits, less poverty and small trade deficits,” he said, adding that methodology and parameters used are unclear and further elucidation is needed.

But, experts pointed out that the state is bracing up for challenges like increasing aged population, low agriculture-industrial growth and high unemployment rates. “Remittances pushed up Kerala’s growth rate to a great extent and in districts like

Malappuram

, community members have been leveraging this prosperity into sectors like education,” George said. The report concluded stating that every state had room for improvement and economic performance alone does not provide a complete picture of the society.