However, in terms of pure index, India’s position did improve from 0.28 in 1990 to 0.61 in 2006, which implies countries in the world have grown and improved their lot much faster than India. This slip in ranking is broadly reflective of poor performance in terms of health and education services as shown by their respective individual rankings (Annex 5).
Health Since, a transition from high mortality to a state where people generally lead a long and ailment free life is a desirable social goal, India’s policies have been focussed on this aspect since beginning and there has been significant improvement over the years in terms of various demographic indicators such as life expectancy, infant and child mortality and maternal mortality rates.