Assam Human Development Report 2003

The Assam Human Development Report provides an account of the status of human development, across districts of the State and identifies the challenges for future action. While analyzing the human development attainments, the report considers also the atypical characteristics of the State, in particular the geographical location and insurgency. The report documents successes in different sectors, e.g. in literacy and improvements in access to health facilities. It also records that despite the considerable development that has occurred since Independence, Assam has levels and rates of growth of income below the average for the country, high incidence of poverty and an evident gender gap in development. For the first time an attempt has been made to calculate at the district level the Human Poverty Index (HPI). On the basis of the analysis, the tasks identified are: to achieve higher growth for all, to bring basic services within the reach of each and every citizen of the State and to reduce disparities and inequalities. Decentralisation and involvement of community are identified as strategies to achieve faster and inequitable development in the State.