India’s Human Development Index (HDI) improved slightly, ranking 130th out of 193 countries in the 2025 Human Development Report, up from 133rd in 2022.
India’s HDI value increased from 0.676 in 2022 to 0.685 in 2023, showing strong recovery after the pandemic.
Life expectancy in India reached 72 years in 2023, the highest since the HDI index began in 1990.
Children are expected to stay in school for an average of 13 years, up from 8.2 years in 1990.
Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased from $2,167 in 1990 to $9,046 in 2023.
The report praised government programs like MGNREGA, Right to Education Act, and National Rural Health Mission for improving the country’s status.
Income and gender inequality remain significant issues, affecting India’s HDI score.
The country has high inequality losses (30.7%) in HDI due to these disparities.
The female labor participation rate is 41.7% in 2023-24, but a stronger system is needed for women to enter and stay in the workforce.
Political representation of women remains a challenge, with no clear timeline for constitutional changes on women’s legislative seat reservations.
13.5 crore people escaped multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21, but educational gaps still exist for underprivileged children.
The report highlighted India’s growing presence in AI research, retaining 20% of AI researchers, up from almost zero in 2019.
India must leverage AI for development in areas like agriculture, healthcare, education, and public services, but needs proper policies to prevent AI from worsening existing inequalities.
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