Abstract

Objective: To assess human development index through health, education and standard of living variables parameters as per the UNDP guidelines in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu in India.

Methods: This study is based on secondary data sources from Census of India 2011, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, 2014 and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board survey data 2011. The health data pertaining to Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) collected from Health Department, Tirunelveli during 2013-14. Literacy rate, Gross Enrollment Ratio of Primary Education (GER) and GER of Secondary education have been collected from education department during the year 2013-14. In addition, access to cooking fuel, access to toilet, access to drinking water and access to pucca house have been collected from District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Tirunelveli District.

Findings: The HDI has been constructed for 19 blocks and a corporation in the district employing the present methodology. The index value varies from 0.88 (corporation) to 0.41 (Manur and Kuruvikulam). The high value for standard of living index and health index has determined to a large extent the HDI value of the corporation. On the contrary the low value of standard of living index and education index pushed down the HDI value of Melaneelithanallur to the lowest one in the district, placing it at the 20^thrank. Tenkasi has an HDI value of 0.75 and is at the second spot because of its high positions in education index (0.78) and health index (0.76), Manur is at the 19^th rank with 0.41 as HDI value because of its low rank in education index (0.36) and health index (0.42).

Application: According toUNDP guidelines, human development index have been computed based on 10 major parameters were taken from three core areas of living standard, education and health.

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