Kumaraswamy releases human development report

Bangalore, Dec 15 (UNI) The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population in Karnataka are a decade behind the rest of the population in development, although their status in the State is much better when compared to the national level.

This was indicated by the Karnataka Human Development Report, released here today by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. Karnataka was the second State to have brought out the second report after Madhya Pradesh.

The SCs form a sizeable chunk of the State population with over 101 sub-castes. The Human Development Index (HDI) of the State was 0.65 compared to 0.541 in 1991, improving by 20 per cent. The HDI status for SCs was 0.575, while that of STs was 0.539. The State occupied seventh place at the national level. Kerala topped the list in the country with a HDI of 0.746, followed by Maharashtra at 0.706.

The report revealed that while Karnataka's position at the international level was 120, India was 127.

The report said it was a disturbing factor for any policy maker that a significant segment of the population was far behind the socio-economic development of the rest of the State's population.

Yet their status in the State was comparatively better than the all India norm, indicating the larger dimensions of the issue at the national level, it added.

State Chief Secretary Malati Das, highlighting the status of the SCs/STs, stressed the need for greater expenditure to uplift them.

Poverty alleviation programmes must specifically target SCs/STs as other deprivations arise out of income poverty. Pooled funds could be deployed more intensively in interventions designed to reach these populations, she said.

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