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India@60: A Global and Developing nation
15 August 2007
Today India celebrates 60 years of independence, a journey which has been full
of triumphant moments and momentous challenges. Home to a world-beating
information technology industry and a multitude of cultures, castes and
languages, India is the world’s largest democracy. A nation that has for decades
been the spiritual travel destination of choice for thousands of young idealists
is now a meeting point for investment bankers, international business and
technological minds the world over. Everybody is sitting up and paying attention
to India.
Today's anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate India's achievements - but it is also a chance to reflect on the challenges that face India in the years ahead, as DFID continues to support it in its fight against poverty.
A land of economic growth and chronic poverty
India has accomplished a great deal since its independence, making slow but
solid progress in reducing the number of people living below the poverty line.
For example, more than 60% of the population can now read or write, compared to
20% 60 years ago, and child mortality has fallen by two-thirds.
However, despite the country’s success and economic growth rate, chronic poverty
persists. More than 350 million people in India still
live on less than a dollar a day;
almost half of all children below the age of three are malnourished; every year
more than 1 million women and children die due to lack of healthcare; and it
is thought that at least 80 million people go to bed hungry. If India is to
provide a secure and prosperous future to its 1 billion plus people, reducing
poverty is essential.
India is famed for the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit that exists on every
bustling street corner. However, more than 90% of its workforce is employed in
the informal sector, which, though vibrant, does not provide social security.
And as entrepreneurial as the country is, severe discrimination and social
exclusion are faced by the majority of lower caste and tribal people, who are
among the poorest 20% of the population. And gender inequality too remains a
pervasive form of social exclusion.
DFID India: Fighting poverty in the long term
DFID’s support to the Government of India has made a significant difference
in the fight against poverty. Working at the national level and in the four
states of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, DFID has
invested over £1 billion in the last five years. With a strong and committed
team of about 100 staff, DFID India has focused on helping find long term
solutions to poverty.
DFID’s priorities have been to strengthen the ability of the Government to
develop and implement policies that benefit the poor, make the Government
more accountable to those it represents, and improve access to better
quality services for poor people, particularly in health and education.
DFID supports programmes which help poor people improve their own livelihoods,
and give them a bigger say in decisions affecting their lives. A key priority is
to promote changes that are sustainable in terms of the earth’s resources and
DFID is working with the Government to enhance India’s resilience to the effects
of climate change.
Health, education and finance
How DFID is leading on development in India:
- There has been considerable national progress in disease control, bringing polio close to eradication, reducing tuberculosis and helping keep HIV below 1% prevalence. DFID is a key supporter of the Government of India's
National Aids Control Programme, National Polio Eradication Programme and Revised National Tuberculosis Programme.
- India is making important inroads towards the goal of Universal Primary Education. As a result of the Government’s efforts over the past few years and in particular after the launch of its
- DFID has directly supported the growth of the
Livelihoods, rights and partnerships
- DFID’s rural livelihood programmes in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have lifted millions out of poverty, particularly socially excluded tribal and caste groups in remote and marginalised areas.
- Urban municipal reform programmes supported by DFID have provided several million slum dwellers in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal with improved water, sanitation and other local services.
- DFID established a £27 million
- DFID has also developed strategic relationships with key partners in India in order to accelerate progress towards the MDGs. Partnership Trust Funds have been established with the
The way ahead: Engaging with the Three Indias
DFID will remain fully committed to supporting the Indian Government in
achieving its poverty targets and Millennium
Development Goals. As India grows and transforms over the next five to ten
years, DFID seeks to engage with the distinct ‘Three Indias’:
- The Global India, which is the modern face of India as a global power, and plays an important role in international affairs;
- Developing India, where people live on low incomes close to or below the poverty line and access to basic services are limited;
- Poorest India, where the great majority of people are living in extreme poverty, mostly migrant urban slum dwellers, marginal farmers and excluded groups facing discrimination.
DFID is currently consulting on a new country strategy for India up to 2015. Please give us your views by following this link: Ending poverty in India - consultation on DFID's plan for working with Three Indias.
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