Date:20/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/07/20/stories/2004072000221002.htm

Back Cause for concern

This is with reference to the editorial "The human under-development" (Business Line, July 17). It is of great concern that India could get again only the 127th place in the Human Development Report. One of the important areas of concern for India is high infant mortality rate.

One of the criteria for arriving at the Human Development Index is "Life Expectancy" (LE) which is taken at the time of birth (0-year). To say otherwise, the infant mortality rate gets automatically included in the HDI. In India, the infant mortality rate is estimated to exceed 70 per 1,000 live births whereas it is below 35 in China. The Centre should, therefore, take concrete steps to reduce the postnatal deaths of infants and of course, maternal deaths too.

C. Ramesh

Keeramangalam (TN)

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