The plain Janes

Renuka Chowdhury disappoints. She would certainly have been more colourful as a minister with independent charge but, if her career interes...

Renuka Chowdhury disappoints. She would certainly have been more colourful as a minister with independent charge but, if her career interests were not entirely at odds with the national interest, she should have had no problems about accepting a berth in the Health Ministry. At the risk of appearing to support stereotypes, it might be recalled that one of the main factors prompting women8217;s reservations was more balanced and responsible governance. If the validity of that thesis is accepted, then health would be a crucially important portfolio, and no responsible woman should dream of rejecting it. But to be fair, perhaps Chowdhury cannot really be faulted for demurring. It has become accepted practice to classify ministries as sexy or plain, rather than crucial or ordinary. The home, external affairs and finance ministries are sexy. Labour, health and mines are plain Janes.

It is no wonder, then, that in terms of human development, UNDP places India at the 135th position in a list of 192 countries. In other words, there are just 57 countries worse off than India 8212; and that includes a whole slew of rather exotic locations like Haiti and Malawi. Canada, which has the highest human development index, spends 9.9 per cent of its GDP on health. The US, second on the list, spends 6.6 per cent. A couple of notches down, the Netherlands spends 8.7 per cent. The three countries have one doctor for every 455, 667 and 400 people respectively. In comparison, India8217;s figures are niggardly: we invest 1.3 per cent of GDP in health and every doctor is expected to look after 2,175 people. The situation in education is just as disturbing. India invests 3.9 per cent of GNP in schools and colleges, while the Netherlands puts in almost twice as much. Besides, it is difficult to recall a single election in which a major party8217;s manifesto prominently featured health or education. Take any developed nation, on the other hand, and the pattern is reversed.

These statistics are particularly disturbing because India does not depend on conventional resources to gain entry into the world economy. It depends, rather, on a strong base of skilled manpower. Ministers never tire of citing human capital as the most attractive asset we have to offer to overseas investors. Yet, paradoxically, government policy seems to be aimed at setting up manufacturing and trading infrastructure. Human resource generation is expected to be the result of private initiative. Good external and trade relations the product of two of the sexy ministries 8212; are indeed crucial to development. They help create a climate that brings in capital. But there will be precious little development unless there is adequate human resource to work that capital. If the workforce is either too debilitated, or indifferently instructed, it is unreasonable to expect any worthwhile progress. Common sense would dictate that labour, health and education are the very portfolios on which a minister can leave his or her mark. Of course, that will never be appreciated. They are unsexy by definition, remember?