With the Gujarat Assembly elections scheduled to happen in two phases on December 1 and 5, an evaluation of financial, social and environmental indicators brings forth contrasting outcomes. While Gujarat is economically some of the superior States in India, it fares poorly on social indicators, even that includes on the backside of the record on a few of them. The State tops the record on manufacturing-related indicators. But this has come at a price as Gujarat options on the backside of the record on a number of environmental measures.
Table 1 exhibits Gujarat’s rank on social indicators and its precise rating in a parameter in 2019-20, 2015-16 and 2005-06. The desk additionally lists the change in Gujarat’s rank in 2019-20 in comparison with 2015-16. The prime three States in a parameter are additionally given for comparability. For occasion, Gujarat had 39% of stunted kids (low height-for-age) in 2019-20 and ranked 26 out of 30 States. The three finest States that yr have been Kerala (23.4% of stunted kids), Punjab (24.5%) and Tamil Nadu (25%). On this indicator, Gujarat’s rating fell two spots in 2019-20 from 2015-16, the yr when the State was positioned twenty fourth out of the 30 States.
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Notably, throughout most social indicators, there was no appreciable enchancment in the previous couple of years. For occasion, the inhabitants of females who attended college was 72% in 2015-16 and elevated to 72.9% in 2019-20. Only females aged six and above have been thought-about.
The share of wasted kids (low weight-for-height) improved marginally from 26.4% to 25.1%, whereas the share of underweight (low weight-for-age) kids recorded a small rise from 39.3% to 39.7%. On each these indicators the State ranked 29 of 30 States analysed in 2019-20.
What is putting is that the State’s relative efficiency worsened in 2019-20 in comparison with 2005-06 on most social indicators. In the share of the feminine inhabitants who ever attended college, the State ranked 15 of 28 States in 2005-06; in 2019-20, it ranked 19 of 30. In the share of wasted kids, the State’s rank worsened from 16 out of 28 States to 29 out of 30 States. In truth, on all of the social indicators analysed, the State’s rating worsened within the 15-year interval.
However, Gujarat’s financial efficiency was among the many finest within the nation. In each 1993-94 and 2020-21, the State ranked 6 of 27 States in Per Capita Net State Domestic Product (present costs) as proven in Table 3.
Also, its financial may is majorly supported by the manufacturing sector, which employs 20.8% of the State’s workforce. This is the second highest share among the many 30 States thought-about ( Table 4).
While the State leads the nation by way of financial efficiency, it lags behind on environment-related indicators ( Table 5). The State generated the best quantities of hazardous waste and fourth-highest plastic waste within the nation. The fossil fuels consumed per capita are additionally the third highest. Only 80% of industries adjust to wastewater therapy norms.
Among instructional indicators, Gujarat is among the many worst-performing States ( Table 6). In 2018-19, it ranked above 20 of the 30 States on indicators similar to enrolment in elementary, increased secondary and college-level training. It additionally had the next dropout fee on the secondary stage.
Given the superior financial efficiency and inferior social and environmental rankings, Gujarat’s place on the Human Development Index was middling in 2019 and 1990 (16 and 17 out of 30 States, respectively). This is seen in Table 2.
Source: NFHS, MOSPI, Global Data Lab, NITI Aayog
Also learn: High stakes: On the 2022 Gujarat Assembly Elections and the BJP
Source: www.thehindu.com