India Tops in Illiteracy and Defense Spending

[RiazHaq]

One out of every three illiterate adults in the world is an Indian, according to UNESCO.

One out very two hungry persons in the world is an Indian, according to World Food Program.

Almost one out two Indians live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day.

And yet, India spends $30 billion on defense, and just increased the defense budget by 32% this year.

Here are some more recent comparative indicators in South Asia:

Poverty:

Population living under $1.25 a day - India: 41.6% Pakistan: 22.6% Source: UNDP

Underweight Children Under Five (in percent) Pakistan 38% India 46% Source: UNICEF

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2007 India: 63.4 Pakistan: 66.2 Source: HDR2009

Education:


Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, male Pak istan: 80% India 87% Source: UNICEF

Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, female Pak istan 60% India 77% Source: UNICEF

Economics:

GDP per capita (US$), 2008 Pak:$1000-1022 India $1017-1100

Child Protection:

Child marriage under 15-years ; 1998–2007*, total Pak istan - 32% India - 47% Source: UNICEF

Under-5 mortality rate per 1000 live births (2007), Value Pakistan - 90 India 72 Source: UNICEF

Haq's Musings
South Asia Investor Review

 

[sab]

Man you gave a link of a site which is famous for twisted information and India bashing. Anyway we should not get involved in unnecessary arguments as I know (I see everyday ) there are hungry and illiterates in my country and they are lot in number. Now you ask yourself whether the condition in your country is any better.

In india Mid-day meal programme for school children has become nation wide and it is praised for its success from many quarters. The main objectives of the progrmme was to improve school enrolement attendence (socialization among students of all castes and relegions as an indirect effect), addressing malnutrition among children, empowerment of women (provisioning employment of women in this scheme). For more informations you can google a bit.

My personal opinion it is the best scheme GOI has undertaken since our independence. It is now the largest school lunch programme in world. Allocation for this scheme was 4813 Cr in 2006-2007. More than 12 Crore students have been covered so far. I hope India's performance will be improved in child education and health. In real life I feel happy seeing those girls who used to come for house works are now going school (thogh my mother is becoming crazy in absense of a maid)

Hope you, people of Pakistan will raise your voice to force Gvt of Pakistan to do the same (hope you wont consider it as immitation). As I believe condition in pakistan or bangladesh is similar. Only a healthy and educated future generation can go beyond narrow patriotism and bring peace.

 

[RiazHaq]

I think it's you who is deluded about the reality of India's abject poverty and extreme hunger and deprivation.

The data about hunger and malnutrition is from Indian researchers who published ISHI (India State Hunger Index) in 2008 that said many of the states I mentioned (Gujarat, Bihar, Chatisgrah, Madhya Pradesh etc) are worse off than Haiti.

http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ishi08.pdf

Here's a recent LA Times story about deepening poverty in India:

But here in the Bundelkhand region in central India that is among the nation's more impoverished areas, the problem is exacerbated by climate change and environmental mismanagement, they say, suggesting that ecological degradation and global warming are changing human life in more ways than just elevated sea levels and melting glaciers.

"Before, a bad year would lead to a good year," said Bharat Dogra, a fellow at New Delhi's Institute of Social Sciences specializing in the Bundelkhand region. "Now climate change is giving us seven or eight bad years in a row, putting local people deeper and deeper in debt. I expect the situation will only get worse."

An estimated 200,000 Indian farmers have ended their lives since 1997, including many in this area, largely because of debt.

A 2007 study of 13 Bundelkhand villages found that up to 45% of farming families had forfeited their land, and in extreme cases some were forced into indentured servitude. Tractor companies, land mafia and bankers routinely collude, encouraging farmers to take loans they can't afford, a 2008 report by India's Supreme Court found, knowing they'll default and be forced to sell their land.

Popular Articles, Stories & Photos for December 01, 2009 - Los Angeles Times rk1-2009dec01



Whatever I say is based on data that I cite from reliable sources. Unfortunately, it is not acceptable to many Indian Chowkies who attack me personally whenever the data I talk about makes India look worse than their own positive assessment of the situation there. A lot of them believe the media BS about resurgent India which almost always leaves out the realities of high levels of illiteracy, poverty, hunger, disease and lack of basic sanitation facilities.

I think, as civilized people, we all need to learn to deal with reality as it is, and not lash out personally against any one who we disagree with.

The reality, as I have stated repeatedly, is that both India and Pakistan continue to follow the misguided policies to shortchange the very basic necessities of their people to build bigger arsenals, and to enrich those who are already much better off than the rest of their countrymen. The result is the very low levels of human development in South Asia.

Haq's Musings

 

[Trisonics]

Mr Haq you still go of on a tangent when countered to explain your original post. For you to have any credibility, please explain the topic again with respect to

1) Why is India spending all this money on replacing 60s and 70s wepaonary

2) What is the situation around its borders?

3) From the time India's economy has started to grow, what measures in terms of poverty and illiteracy has India taken? How long will it take to bear some fruit? Has there been any improvement during this time?

4) what about India's enemies? How much do they spend on defense? what has their growth been in illiteracy and poverty in the same parameters that you used to make your statement?

Thanks in advance!

also, sincerely, and with all due respect, what is your expertise in this field? Do you have any active research or published material with any international organization? Please do share material other than your blog. I'm patiently waiting for a reply from your side.

Please do not take this as offensive but I wish to know your research and your expertise.

Thanks Again!!!

 

[hero]

We can't ignore the treat from neighbors. If we stop spending and modernize army then we will be colony of other country. India is colonized by muslims and british people for over 1000 yrs.

We don't want to be slave again..

 

[RiazHaq]

Mr Haq you still go of on a tangent when countered to explain your original post. For you to have any credibility, please explain the topic again with respect to

1) Why is India spending all this money on replacing 60s and 70s wepaonary

2) What is the situation around its borders?

3) From the time India's economy has started to grow, what measures in terms of poverty and illiteracy has India taken? How long will it take to bear some fruit? Has there been any improvement during this time?

4) what about India's enemies? How much do they spend on defense? what has their growth been in illiteracy and poverty in the same parameters that you used to make your statement?

Thanks in advance!

also, sincerely, and with all due respect, what is your expertise in this field? Do you have any active research or published material with any international organization? Please do share material other than your blog. I'm patiently waiting for a reply from your side.

Please do not take this as offensive but I wish to know your research and your expertise.

Thanks Again!!!

Why is it India spending so much on defense? A $30 billion with a 30% increase year-over-year to replace weapons? I think it is simply to establish India's hegemony and threaten its neighbors. Case in point: Gen Lamba's and Gen Kapoor's recent threats to take on both China and Pakistan and to take Rawalpindi in a few hours.

What is the situation around its borders? The smaller nations like Pakistan are trying to fend off India's threatened assaults on them.

What measure has India taken? Whatever India has done is not making a dent in the problem of poverty, hunger and deprivation. Rural poverty is worsening in India, as evident by 200,000 farmers suicides in the last ten years.

Last year, Indian Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed acknowledged that India is worse than Bangladesh and Pakistan when it comes to nourishment and is showing little improvement.

Speaking at a conference on "Malnutrition an emergency: what it costs the nation", she said even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during interactions with the Planning Commission has described malnourishment as the "blackest mark".

"I should not compare. But countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are better," she said. The conference was organized last year by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region.

According to India's Family Health Survey, almost 46 percent of children under the age of three are undernourished - an improvement of just one percent in the last seven years. This is only a shade better than Sub-Saharan Africa where about 35 percent of children are malnourished.

India has recently been described as a "nutritional weakling" by a British report.

4) What have India's enemies done? Both China an India spend slightly higher percent of GDP on defense than India. But China's literacy rate has risen to over 90 percent vs India's 61 percent. And Pakistanis, while feeling the everpresent threat of India and its war rhetoric (such as recent talk by Gen. Lamba and Kapor), are not as hungry and poor as Indians.

A recent British government report has described India as nutritional weakling. There is widespread hunger and malnutrition in all parts of India. India ranks 66th on the 2008 Global Hunger Index of 88 countries while Pakistan is slightly better at 61 and Bangladesh slightly worse at 70. The first India State Hunger Index (Ishi) report in 2008 found that Madhya Pradesh had the most severe level of hunger in India, comparable to Chad and Ethiopia. Four states — Punjab, Kerala, Haryana and Assam — fell in the 'serious' category. "Affluent" Gujarat, 13th on the Indian list is below Haiti, ranked 69. The authors said India's poor performance was primarily due to its relatively high levels of child malnutrition and under-nourishment resulting from calorie deficient diets.

Babu Matthew, country director for ActionAid India, said: "The dark side of India's economic growth has been that the excluded social groups have been further marginalized, compounding their hunger, malnutrition and even leading to starvation deaths."

Among the developing countries ranked by Action Aid for Hunger, Brazil wins the top spot with B grade (no country gets an A on a scale from A to E), with the aid agency praising President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's support for land reform and community kitchens for the poor.

ActionAid said Brazil's success shows "what can be achieved when the state has both resources and political will to tackle hunger".

China (B grade) is also gets high marks for cutting the number of hungry by 58 million in 10 years through strong state support for smallholder farmers.

But the report is critical of resurgent India, which receives the lowest possible E (essentially an F) grade for hunger. It says 30 million Indians have been added to the ranks of the hungry since the mid-1990s and 46% of children are underweight. Pakistan, with grade D, is also ranked low, with 31% of its children underweight. Bangladesh, receiving C grade, is praised for reducing the number of chronically food-insecure people from 40 million to 27 million in the past 10 years and for improving childhood nutrition in the past two decades. But the report says Bangladesh has a long way to go to reduce overall malnutrition and build a sustainable agricultural system.

Haq's Musings: Persistent Hunger on World Food Day in South Asia

 

[Trisonics]

Why is it India spending so much on defense? A $30 billion with a 30% increase year-over-year to replace weapons? I think it is simply to establish India's hegemony and threaten its neighbors. Case in point: Gen Lamba's and Gen Kapoor's recent threats to take on both China and Pakistan and to take Rawalpindi in a few hours.

What is the situation around its borders? The smaller nations like Pakistan are trying to fend off India's threatened assaults on them.

What measure has India taken? Whatever India has done is not making a dent in the problem of poverty, hunger and deprivation. Rural poverty is worsening in India, as evident by 200,000 farmers suicides in the last ten years.

Last year, Indian Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed acknowledged that India is worse than Bangladesh and Pakistan when it comes to nourishment and is showing little improvement.

Speaking at a conference on "Malnutrition an emergency: what it costs the nation", she said even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during interactions with the Planning Commission has described malnourishment as the "blackest mark".

"I should not compare. But countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are better," she said. The conference was organized last year by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region.

According to India's Family Health Survey, almost 46 percent of children under the age of three are undernourished - an improvement of just one percent in the last seven years. This is only a shade better than Sub-Saharan Africa where about 35 percent of children are malnourished.

India has recently been described as a "nutritional weakling" by a British report.

4) What have India's enemies done? Both China an India spend slightly higher percent of GDP on defense than India. But China's literacy rate has risen to over 90 percent vs India's 61 percent. And Pakistanis, while feeling the everpresent threat of India and its war rhetoric (such as recent talk by Gen. Lamba and Kapor), are not as hungry and poor as Indians.

A recent British government report has described India as nutritional weakling. There is widespread hunger and malnutrition in all parts of India. India ranks 66th on the 2008 Global Hunger Index of 88 countries while Pakistan is slightly better at 61 and Bangladesh slightly worse at 70. The first India State Hunger Index (Ishi) report in 2008 found that Madhya Pradesh had the most severe level of hunger in India, comparable to Chad and Ethiopia. Four states — Punjab, Kerala, Haryana and Assam — fell in the 'serious' category. "Affluent" Gujarat, 13th on the Indian list is below Haiti, ranked 69. The authors said India's poor performance was primarily due to its relatively high levels of child malnutrition and under-nourishment resulting from calorie deficient diets.

Babu Matthew, country director for ActionAid India, said: "The dark side of India's economic growth has been that the excluded social groups have been further marginalized, compounding their hunger, malnutrition and even leading to starvation deaths."

Among the developing countries ranked by Action Aid for Hunger, Brazil wins the top spot with B grade (no country gets an A on a scale from A to E), with the aid agency praising President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's support for land reform and community kitchens for the poor.

ActionAid said Brazil's success shows "what can be achieved when the state has both resources and political will to tackle hunger".

China (B grade) is also gets high marks for cutting the number of hungry by 58 million in 10 years through strong state support for smallholder farmers.

But the report is critical of resurgent India, which receives the lowest possible E (essentially an F) grade for hunger. It says 30 million Indians have been added to the ranks of the hungry since the mid-1990s and 46% of children are underweight. Pakistan, with grade D, is also ranked low, with 31% of its children underweight. Bangladesh, receiving C grade, is praised for reducing the number of chronically food-insecure people from 40 million to 27 million in the past 10 years and for improving childhood nutrition in the past two decades. But the report says Bangladesh has a long way to go to reduce overall malnutrition and build a sustainable agricultural system.

Haq's Musings: Persistent Hunger on World Food Day in South Asia

I was waiting for an expert analysis not the same old rants, Pakistani POVs, "i think statements"....

While its a shame to see India's dismal figures ..it still doesn't prove why we shouldn't spend on defense.

I can give you "My Opinion" on why we need to increase it ..but then its my opinion and can be easily dismissed as an Indian POV..

no offence, but I like your blog since it has what I need wrt India's poverty all in on place..I may use the info there sometime and oh yes I do appreciate all the hard work you do wrt India being a Pakistani. Thanks! I would also appreciate any links to your wisdom on Pakistan and Bangladesh current positions on the same topic. I may need that as well sometime.
Thanks Again!

 

[RiazHaq]

I would also appreciate any links to your wisdom on Pakistan and Bangladesh current positions on the same topic. I may need that as well sometime.
Thanks Again!

There is a lot of data on my blog regarding Pakistan's poverty, hunger, illiteracy, food, shelter, clothing, health, sanitation, etc etc. It's easy to search for it, too.

 

[sab]

It is pathetic to see we are still arguing who among us (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) is first from behind when we all know our kids are hungry in streets. Decades of poor performance in social development and economic empowerment in many regions has resulted in increased insurgencies (in North-east) and recent growth in MAOists elements (which our PM described as the biggest threat for the country). Similar situation in Pakistan lead to Islamic militancy ( hope you agree alleged foreign hands in both cases would have failed if the population were in good conditions. Extrimists would have hard times to find new recruits)

The ranks 61, 65 or 71 hardly makes any difference in reality. As we are fortunate lots we can interact with each others we should use this space for constructive purposes that might benefit our countries in real life. I should say that would be more patriotic than writing pages to say 'my military arsenal is better than yours'...

 

[Naradmuni]

One out of every three illiterate adults in the world is an Indian, according to UNESCO.

One out very two hungry persons in the world is an Indian, according to World Food Program.

Almost one out two Indians live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day.

And yet, India spends $30 billion on defense, and just increased the defense budget by 32% this year.

Here are some more recent comparative indicators in South Asia:

Poverty:

Population living under $1.25 a day - India: 41.6% Pakistan: 22.6% Source: UNDP

Underweight Children Under Five (in percent) Pakistan 38% India 46% Source: UNICEF

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2007 India: 63.4 Pakistan: 66.2 Source: HDR2009

Education:


Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, male Pak istan: 80% India 87% Source: UNICEF

Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, female Pak istan 60% India 77% Source: UNICEF

Economics:

GDP per capita (US$), 2008 Pak:$1000-1022 India $1017-1100

Child Protection:

Child marriage under 15-years ; 1998–2007*, total Pak istan - 32% India - 47% Source: UNICEF

Under-5 mortality rate per 1000 live births (2007), Value Pakistan - 90 India 72 Source: UNICEF

Haq's Musings
South Asia Investor Review

"Haqs musing" again ??

 

[Robo]

One out of every three illiterate adults in the world is an Indian, according to UNESCO.

One out very two hungry persons in the world is an Indian, according to World Food Program.

Almost one out two Indians live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day.

And yet, India spends $30 billion on defense, and just increased the defense budget by 32% this year.

Here are some more recent comparative indicators in South Asia:

Poverty:

Population living under $1.25 a day - India: 41.6% Pakistan: 22.6% Source: UNDP

Underweight Children Under Five (in percent) Pakistan 38% India 46% Source: UNICEF

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2007 India: 63.4 Pakistan: 66.2 Source: HDR2009

Education:


Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, male Pak istan: 80% India 87% Source: UNICEF

Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, female Pak istan 60% India 77% Source: UNICEF

Economics:

GDP per capita (US$), 2008 Pak:$1000-1022 India $1017-1100

Child Protection:

Child marriage under 15-years ; 1998–2007*, total Pak istan - 32% India - 47% Source: UNICEF

Under-5 mortality rate per 1000 live births (2007), Value Pakistan - 90 India 72 Source: UNICEF

Haq's Musings
South Asia Investor Review

This will be obvious becasue of large population,




Burst your one Myth.... of your wrong Myth , Challange you answwer me..

1.25 USD is equivalent to 110 INR roughly.

Wait for Next Writing where i Will Burst your Manipulation of DATA .......

 

[Naradmuni]

Poverty:

Population living under $1.25 a day - India: 41.6% Pakistan: 22.6% Source: UNDP

Underweight Children Under Five (in percent) Pakistan 38% India 46% Source: UNICEF

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2007 India: 63.4 Pakistan: 66.2 Source: HDR2009

Education:


Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, male Pak istan: 80% India 87% Source: UNICEF

Youth (15–24 years) literacy rate, 2000 to 2007, female Pak istan 60% India 77% Source: UNICEF

Economics:

GDP per capita (US$), 2008 Pak:$1000-1022 India $1017-1100

Child Protection:

Child marriage under 15-years ; 1998–2007*, total Pak istan - 32% India - 47% Source: UNICEF

Under-5 mortality rate per 1000 live births (2007), Value Pakistan - 90 India 72 Source: UNICEF

Why the F would you like to compare India with pakistan in every pathetic criteria you can come up with? Dude, there is am unpatchable and enormous difference between India and Pakistan. I assume your stats and your unnecessary obsession with equating India and Pak on an even scale, may be just an act to bolster your inferior ego. Theres otherwise very little to rejoice other than the fact that pakistani children are less underweight than Indian children. Well, Go ahead, whatever works for you!!

The stats you mentioned and the gap that exists is continuiously closing in year after year. BTW what does child marriage has to do with defence spending? Try to avoid moronic comparisons and even more, moronic conclusions. Any other of your opinion justifying or objecting to Indias defence spendings is welcome.

 

[sab]

We can't ignore the treat from neighbors. If we stop spending and modernize army then we will be colony of other country. India is colonized by muslims and british people for over 1000 yrs.

We don't want to be slave again..

Thoughe it will be off topic but i should say it is not defence spending or modernization of army but the integrity of people that helps a nation to mentain its soverignity. Needs for a good army comes next. India were fragmanted in smaller states that is why Islam got the opportunity to spread in the sub-continent. Again the credit goes to the Mughals and british (though it is a different issue whether they were opressive) in middle and modern ages (long after the Mourya and Pal kingdoms) to raise the concept of India again in land with such diverse popuation.

 

[Kinshuk]

Now,

Mr RiazHaq,

Please read my post very carefully.

I see your clear attempt to belittle India here on this forum.

You said high defence spending clearly mentions an attempt to threaten our neighbours, so are you you threatened? And if you are not why the hell are you worried if India is having so big poor Population..

For your information, it is our headache to deal with our people and its none of your concern, your thread just sounds so stupid and shows your crass personality at the first place.

India, has poor population and it has got nothing to do with our defence spending. You just give me an impression that you just care to start a blog and post thrash on forums to insult India when your knowledge about Economics is Zero.
National Security is the top most priority of any nation and India is doing whatever it takes to achieve that. And in a case where we have so loving nation on our western front from where infiltration never stops.

Poor Population?

Ok let me come to this, Indian govt though corrupt at different level but still you cannot imagine the amount of welfare projects and Sakharta mission, much higher than Pakistan, exist in the country. I request you to change your opinion as the country is not poor, its people are. And the country is not responsible for that,

Here we take an example,

It is the lax (negligent) attitude of the people which makes them poor, But those who keep positivity towards life, want to do something, I have millions of example including my own father, those people came up from the core of the earth and are doing well. In India, You have the opportunity but I have seen many prefer to beg instead of studying.

You have made a stupid comment and you are comparing a two different issue which cannot be compromised at any level, But I am sorry it shows your education level..

It would have made a real sense if you had started a thread on India's social issues. That is the reason why people are poor in India, But those who are not **** to these issue are doing pretty well.

A few days back a begger came to me asking for some money, I told him I will give you 20 bucks but first bring a piece of cloth and clean my vehicle. He refused to do that. What do you think should be done to such people? What can I or the govt of India should do to them?
I can only laugh at your posts. What do you expect, GOI should stop funding Armed forces and distribute the money among poor??

How sad if that happens in Pakistan, But thats encouraging beggary. We refrain from doing that. Sorry

Or if you think develop schools, employment opportunities etc etc. Then please don't bother we are having jobs from all over the world, just you need to be educated to have one. And those who don't want that can f**k off and carry on with begging, its not hampering India's progress.
What price should we pay to safe guard our citizens?

The same price we are paying.



Guys stop replying to this thread, it will die soon, this is one of the uneducated threads talking about literacy.

 

[secularguy]

There is a lot of data on my blog regarding Pakistan's poverty, hunger, illiteracy, food, shelter, clothing, health, sanitation, etc etc. It's easy to search for it, too.

Sirji ,A Humble Question- Have you ever visited India?It ain't that Bad as you expects.Poor India is What Makes Some Happy?OR Is it You Want to Compare Pakistan and India?It is Unjust IMHO.Compare pakistan with few states in India.India's Poor are concentrated in few states. if you visit India,Study the Demographics ,It will Help Remove the Niqab which prevents Easy Understanding of India.

We ,Indians have friendly competition on getting more Investments in Our states and At the same time Proud of India's growth.The Few States Which were lacking in investment and developments too are slowly waking Up.
I strongly recommend You research on Pakistan vs China or Pakistan vs Sri Lanka as well.Pol Khulega.