The Delhi Government’s Human Development Report (HDR) 2013 has given the much needed shot in the arm for Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
The findings of the Perception Survey 2013, which will be released on Saturday, reveal that the citizens of Delhi are satisfied with the quality of life they lead. The assessment was made on the basis of critical indicators like employment, education and healthcare as well as the issue of public safety and security that has been a source of widespread concern in the recent past. The Report will be released by Vice President of India Hamid Ansari on Saturday.
This is the second edition of Human Development Report since 2006 when it was first released. The second edition of HDR based on the Perception Survey, conducted across 8,000 households, probes how people rate various developmental issues as well as what their own aspirations are as citizens of the State.
“Even, among the lowest income group, 64 per cent of households surveyed reported being satisfied with the quality of life. Delhi has seen enhanced income, expansion in economic opportunities and improved access to basic services and other capability enhancing measures during the last few years,” the report stated.
However, equality between various income groups continues to be a concern with access to some of the services remaining riddled with disparities. “The disparities are visible when various income groups and types of settlements are taken into account. There are gender gaps in work participation and literacy. There also appears to be an issue with regard to public safety for the citizens in the States,” it read.
The HDR emphasises on the need to ensure public safety to all citizens, promote environmental safety stating both are relevant to all sections of society, inclusive of women, children and the elderly. The report states that the common aspiration across communities was to secure a government job either as a teacher or in law enforcement.
While 30 per cent respondents felt that the number and quality of work opportunities in Delhi were average, a similar proportion felt that work opportunities had improved with time. “The issue of safety for all — especially groups vulnerable to violence and discrimination — has become increasingly important in the human development discourse. With this perspective, an assessment of public safety issues in the city shows that while official statistics do not peg Delhi high in terms of the crime rate, its citizens, especially women, perceive public spaces to be unsafe. However, statistics do reveal a disturbing trend of increasing vulnerability of children from a safety perspective,” the report reads.
The HDR says that there is a need to focus on reducing inequalities through greater formalisation, universalisation of social security, economic enhancement of women and improvement in the quality of services for achieving greater progress on the human development front.
While encompassing both the achievements and emerging challenges that constantly confront this culture hub, the report not only relies on latest statistics and available information, but also analyses the findings of a large survey across 8,000 households, which was carried out to identify perceptions and aspirations of the citizens belonging to various groups.