India ranks 115 in human development report

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 10. The United Nations has called for major initiatives to ensure that new technologies addressed the pressing needs of the world's poor.

In its annual Human Development Report (HDR) presented to the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today, it expressed concern over disparities in the spread of technologies both between and within countries. The report cited an urgent need for stepping up research efforts in four principal areas - vaccines for malaria, HIV and TB; high-yielding, pest-resistant and drought-tolerant varieties of staple foods in Asia and Africa; low-cost computers and wireless connectivity for the poor; and low-cost energy systems.

The report continued with its ranking of countries according to the Human Development Index, which is based on a combined measure of longevity, educational attainment and ability to buy basic goods and services. India is ranked 115th, 34 notches below Sri Lanka but well above Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The report also examined the progress made by developing countries towards targets set in the Millennium Declaration goals for poverty eradication. Only 11 developing countries, including India, are on course to meet the goal of halving poverty by 2015 but 70 countries are far behind or slipping.

Bangalore scored 13 out of 16 points as the global hub of technological innovations. Of the 46 global hubs, Silicon Valley got 16 out of 16 points.

However, India was not listed among technology leaders or potential leaders, but with 26 dynamic adopters.

On a less flattering note, the HDR pointed out that India was losing $ 2 billions annually through brain drain. ``For instance, 1,00,000 Indian professionals a year are expected to take visas recently issued by the U.S. - an estimated resource loss for India of $ 2 billions. Many Asian countries are experiencing a crippling brain drain of trained professionals, who they had spent large amounts of money educating.''

It made a strong case for fair use of intellectual property rights and illustrated how the concept had been subverted by the developed world in its favour. It called upon developing countries to secure their interests by invoking safeguard provisions, such as compulsory licensing. While developed countries had often invoked such provisions, countries of the South were still to benefit from safeguards provided under the patent regime.

At the outset, the report referred to the uneasy relationship between development and technology. ``The belief that there is a technological silver bullet that can solve illiteracy, ill-health or economic failure reflects scant understanding of real poverty.'' But if the world turned its back on technological innovations, it risked marginalising itself and denying developing countries the chance to offer breakthrough development opportunities to poor countries.

The report also incorporated cautionary public policy advice to ensure that technology did not sweep development off its feet; instead its potential benefits were rooted in a pro- poor development strategy. It pointed out that the 20th century's gains came from technological breakthroughs but it must be kept in mind that technology was created in response to market pressures and not the needs of the poor, who had little purchasing power.

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