The 2025 Human Development Report (HDR), titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI”, explores the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for human development and the choices that can be made to ensure AI contributes positively to human progress .
Key Highlights of the 2025 HDR:
- Global Trends: The global Human Development Index (HDI) has seen its smallest increase since 1990, excluding the crisis years of 2020-2021 . If pre-COVID trends had continued, most countries could have reached very high human development by 2030, but this is now likely to be delayed by decades . The disparity between the richest and poorest nations is widening, with high-HDI countries continuing to make progress while low-HDI countries face stagnation .
- AI and the Future: AI is rapidly spreading, with 1 in 5 people globally already using AI tools . While 60% of surveyed individuals believe AI will create new job opportunities, half fear it could replace or transform their current roles . The report emphasizes the need for inclusive, human-centered AI policies to ensure AI contributes positively to human development, rather than exacerbating inequalities or displacing jobs .
- India’s Performance: India has been ranked 130th out of 193 countries and territories in the 2025 HDR . This is an improvement from 133rd in 2022 . India’s HDI value has risen from 0.676 to 0.685, placing it in the “medium human development” category and approaching the threshold for “high human development” (HDI ≥ 0.700)
India’s Progress :
- Life Expectancy: Increased from 58.6 years in 1990 to 72 years in 2023, the highest ever, reflecting a strong post-pandemic recovery, attributed to national health programs .
- Education: Mean years of schooling have increased, with children now expected to stay in school for 13 years, up from 8.2 years in 1990, thanks to initiatives like the Right to Education Act 2009 and the National Education Policy 2020 .
- National Income: Gross National Income per capita rose over fourfold, from USD 2,167 in 1990 to USD 9,046 in 2023 based on 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) .
- Poverty Reduction: 135 million Indians escaped multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21, contributing to HDI improvement .
- AI Skills: India is emerging as a global AI leader with the highest self-reported AI skills penetration, and 20% of Indian AI researchers now remain in the country, a significant rise from nearly zero in 2019 .
Challenges for India:
- Inequality: Inequality has reduced India’s HDI by 30.7%, one of the highest losses in the region .
- Gender Disparities: Female labor force participation (at 41.7%) and political representation continue to lag .
- Regional Comparison: Among India’s neighbors, China (78th), Sri Lanka (89th), and Bhutan (125th) rank above India, while Bangladesh (130th) is on par. Nepal (145th), Myanmar (150th), and Pakistan (168th) are ranked below India .
How AI Can Contribute to Human Development:
- Enhancing Productivity and Economic Growth: AI is expected to significantly boost productivity, allowing focus on innovation in sectors like manufacturing, services, and agriculture .
- Improving Access to Healthcare: AI improves accuracy in radiology and oncology, streamlines clinical workflows, optimizes resource allocation, and supports remote monitoring and telemedicine .
- Transforming Education: AI enables personalized learning through adaptive platforms, with real-time support from AI tutors and chatbots .
- Empowering Governance: AI is streamlining public service delivery by improving efficiency, enhancing transparency, and detecting fraud in welfare schemes .
- Addressing Inequality and Promoting Inclusion: AI tools can identify and bridge gaps in service delivery, particularly for marginalized communities, ensuring equitable access to opportunities .
India’s Strategies to Improve HDI:
- Gender Equality: Implement the 106th Constitutional Amendment ensuring one-third reservation for women in legislatures and strengthen their decision-making roles .
- Address Inequality: Strengthen inclusive initiatives such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, and Jan Dhan Yojana .
- Improve Health and Education: Increase investment in primary healthcare, prioritizing universal access to nutrition through schemes like Poshan Abhiyaan, and improve teacher training and curriculum reforms under NEP 2020 .
- Leverage AI: Utilize AI for inclusive services like e-health monitoring, e-learning, and agriculture advisories, ensuring ethical governance through transparent policies . The 2025 HDR underscores that India’s progress in human development requires confronting inequality and leveraging AI for inclusive and sustainable progress .
- for more word reports click www.eminentnews.com
