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The term ‘human development’ may be defined as an expansion of human capabilities, a widening of choices, ‘an enhancement of freedom, and a fulfilment of human rights. The concept of human development was introduced by Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq in 1990who described it as development that enlarges people’s choices and improves their lives. At the beginning, the notion of human development incorporates the need for income expansion. However, income growth should consider expansion of human capabilities. Hence development cannot be equated solely to income expansion. Income is not the sum-total of human life. As income growth is essential, so are health, education, physical environment, and freedom. Human development should embrace human rights, socio-eco-politico freedoms. Based on the notion of human development. Human Development Index (HDI) is constructed. It serves as a more humane measure of development than a strictly .income-based benchmark of per capita GNP. From this broad definition of human development, one gets an idea of three critical issues involved in human development interpretation. These are: to lead a long and healthy life, to be educated, and to enjoy a decent standard of living. Barring these three crucial parameters of human development as a process enlarging people’s choices, there are additional choices that include political freedoms, other guaranteed human rights, and various ingredients of self- respect.
The Human Development approach considers the values of Equity, Productivity/Efficiency, Participation or Empowerment and Sustainability to be integral. These principles need to be adhered to during the programme planning stages to ensure that programmes are human development compliant.
There are four major principles of human development paradigm and as noted by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq he considered them as four essential pillars of human development.
These are:
- Equality,
- Sustainability,
- Productivity/efficiency, and
- Participation and Empowerment.
Equity : Equity refers to making equal access to opportunities available to everybody. The opportunities available to people must be equal irrespective of their gender, race, income among others. It recognizes that those who have unequal opportunities should receive differential treatment to put them at par with others. For example, children, women, differently-abled and ethnic minorities face different kinds of deprivation. Their specific needs have to be addressed to enable them to make choices and utilize opportunities.
Efficiency/ Productivity: Broadly refers to effective use of available resources. From the Human Development perspective it implies maximizing the use of material, human and community resources. Any effort made to enhance wellbeing should make use of all available resources in the best possible manner. This will have the maximum impact on widening choices. Like equity, efficiency too is a dynamic concept, what may be efficient today may not be efficient in the long run and efficiency may mean different things for different people and communities. This dynamism needs to be understood before efficiency is aspired for.
Participation and Empowerment: Empowerment is a foundational principle of human development. People have to be empowered to be able to shape their lives and exercise choices. People experience sense of empowerment when they are involved in the planning and decision making processes of any initiatives that affect them. People no longer remain mere beneficiaries of change but can pursue the goals they value.
Sustainability: The human development paradigm aspires to make development sustainable which simply means continuity in the availability of opportunities. Sustainable development broadly refers to development undertaken in such a way that it does not jeopardize the opportunities available to future generations. Though the concept is often used while referring to the environment, it is not limited to that alone. Sustainability is a multidimensional concept which concerns itself with environmental, cultural, financial and social aspects of life. For example, developmental agendas that lead to excessive spending, increase in debt servicing burden and eventual debt trap are unsustainable. Sustainable development focuses on the need to maintain the long term protective capacity of the biosphere. This then suggests that growth cannot go on indefinitely; there are, of course, ‘limits to growth.’
taxes on property – inheritance taxes are key. Land reform is also crucial and redistribution may be required to provide the poor with productive assets.
Challenging embedded power imbalances. Power relations can cause and sustain inequity. Tackling harmful power relations takes time, and the empowerment of disadvantaged people must be combined with improving accountability mechanisms and reforming democratic institutions. It is important to build a vibrant civil society and an independent media. Addressing unhelpful attitudes and beliefs can also help foster social cohesion and build a pro-equity social contract.
There are a number of challenges and obstacles to implementing pro-equity policies, many of which themselves stem from inequities. In light of this, development agencies have a special role: by virtue of being external actors they may have more room for maneuver to help equalise life chances. To deliver on equity, agencies should incorporate a more systematic understanding of equity and inequity into their policy decisions, implement pro-equity policies and influence developing country governments to address inequity. More than this, equity should be embedded in decision-making tools and procedures.
Development practitioners were enthusiastic in including a more extended debate on issues such as participation, sustainability, gender and equity matters. Hence in the 1996 HDR, Human Development dimensions were specified as follows:
Basic empowerment depends on the expansion of people's capabilities expansion that involves an enlargement of choices and thus an increase in freedom.
COOPERATION -People live within a complex web of social structures This sense of belonging is an important source of well-being. It gives enjoyment and direction, a sense of purpose and meaning. SUSTAINABILITY - It thus involves considerations of intergenerational equity. What needs to be sustained are people's opportunities to freely exercise their basic capabilities.
SECURITY - Joblessness is a major source of insecurity, undercutting people's entitlement to income and other benefits. One of the most basic needs is security of livelihood, but people also want to be free from chronic threats. (UNDP 1996, 55-56)28.
as a useful measure of development since income growth enables persons in expanding their range of choices.
