India slips on social indicator rankings

Higher economic growth and income levels notwithstanding, India has slipped three places to 127 in the social indicator ranking of 177 nations, which is a cause for concern, the Economic Survey said on Monday.

"The unsatisfactory relative progress, inspite of rapid growth in income, continued to underscore a need for accelerated improvements in education and health," the Survey, presented in the Parliament a day before the Union Budget, said.

Pointing out that India slipped three positions in three years from 124 in 2000 and was way behind China, Sri lanka and Indonesia, it said the country's overall performance on human development has been mixed in the last decade with much slower improvements in health indicators like life expectancy and infant mortality, the Economic Survey said.

Economic Survey 2005-06

Life expectancy at birth is estimated to have improved from 59.7 years in 1991-95 to 63.9 years in 2001-06 for males and from 60.9 years to 66.9 years for females.

"The unsatisfactory relative progress, inspite of rapid growth in income, continued to underscore the need for accelerated improvements in education and health", it said.

There is widespread under-nutrition among women and children with maternal and child health still remaining areas of concern, it added.