Himachal Fares Well In Gender Vulnerability Index

Y.S. Rana

The writer is a Hamirpur based Himachali settled in Chandigarh

For centuries and even today women experience more stress, depression and more likely to be victims of violence in the world dominated by men. But in this matter, Himachal Pradesh is figured among the top six states in a new gender vulnerability index (GVI) that ranked states by women’s status on four indices—education, health, poverty and protection from birth to 18 years of age. Himachal Pradesh tops the list among north Indian states. It is stated in the first GVI report ‘Plan India’ UK-based child rights advocacy plan international.   The index has been developed to serve as measurable evidence with the aim of assisting policy makers.

For example, the education GVI is calculated with the help of more than just state literacy figures. It includes drop-outs rate, teacher-pupil ratio and school existing infrastructure. According to report, Himachal Pradesh ranked first across the country in education with a score of 0.693 compared to Punjab 0.663 and Haryana’s 0.560. The state ranked second in protection of women in the country with a score of 0.830. The state has been placed at 15 positions in poverty and health with scores of 0.522 and 0.486 respectively. It acquired overall sixth position with score of 0.604.   Notably, Himachal Pradesh runs neck to neck with Goa in the matter of gender ratio, drop-outs percentage, school infrastructure, quality of education achievements, pupil-teacher ratio, which fetched the state first position. Overall, Himachal Pradesh has been ranked at sixth position across the country.       Punjab is ranked third in education, fourth in protection of women indices, 22 in matter of poverty and eighth in health indices across the country. Punjab acquired overall eighth rank in the country with a score of 0.592. Haryana has dismal records in all the four indices across the country. The state has been ranked at 21 positions in protection of women, 26 in health indices, 17 in poverty and 12 positions in health indices. Haryana acquired 19th position with  a score of 0.516.

Himachal Spent More On Education

Himachal Pradesh spent more on education as a share of total state spending in 2016-17. It spent 19.1% compared to Punjab 15.1% and Haryana 15.3% on education. Telangana, which spent the least as a share of total spending in both years, was ranked sixth on education.

Tops The List Among North Indian States

State                Poverty            Protection         Education         Health  Total score       GVI Rank

Himachal          15                        2                            1                      15             0.604               6

Haryana           17                        21                            12                   26             0.516               19

Punjab              22                       04                           03                    08              0.592               8

* Figures among top six states in a new gender vulnerability index (GVI) that ranked states by women’s status on four indices—education, health, poverty and protection from birth to 18 years of age

* Ranked first across the country in education with a score of 0.693

* Ranked second in protection of women in the country with a score of 0.830

* Placed at 15 position in poverty and health with scores of 0.522 and 0.486 respectively

Goa Tops List

The index scores go from zero to one, with a higher value indicating better performance. Goa tops the list with a score of 0.656 followed by Kerala (0.634), Mizoram (0.627), Sikkim (0.613), Manipur (0.610) and Himachal Pradesh (0.604). The top six small states on the overall GVI that used 170 indicators across the four dimensions–scored above 0.6. Of the 30 provinces (29 states + Delhi), 16 scored above India’s average score of 0.531. Goa, where girls are least vulnerable overall, ranks first on protection, fifth on education, sixth on health and eighth on poverty.

Kerala comes second on the overall GVI due to its second rank on the health index. Mizoram, a close third on GVI, ranks second on the poverty index. Overall performance, however, hides gender inequities in some areas, states the survey.  Sikkim, fourth overall and Punjab eighth, score high on all dimensions except poverty, ranking 18th and 22nd, respectively and lagged behind small states.

At the bottom with a score of 0.410, Bihar is the worst for girls with the state coming in last on two (poverty and health) of the four dimensions. Yet Bihar, one of the poorest states, is ranked 27th and 25th on protection and education, one and five notches higher than Delhi, one of the richest regions. Higher achievements in an area might have a multiplier effect in other areas, leading to overall reduction in vulnerability for girls, the report said.

Himachal-o-Meter

The state’s ups and downs this week

420 Government Schools In Mandi Linked With Website

Mandi: Mandi has emerged as first district of the country that has linked government schools with a hightech website. About 420 high and senior secondary government schools of the district have been included in hightech website. All details related to arrival time of students, homework given by teachers, results of students, daily activities of students, schedule of teachers, vacant positions in the school, details of teachers designated at respected areas and other daily activities and studies of schools will be available in this website. The parents will receive feedback of their wards in their registered mobile numbers. Deputy Director High Education Mandi through Digitilisation of schools has prepared this website. It took one year to prepare this website for Mandi district while the work for government schools was going on for four years.

14 Lives Lost In Road Accidents In One Day

Sundernagar/ Nirmand: Four accidents within 24 hours in different parts of Himachal Pradesh claimed 14 precious lives. Six persons were buried alive in Bajir bawri area of Nirmand tehsil in Kullu district when the car they were travelling in was hit by boulders following a landslide. Besides this six persons died on the same day in Kangoo when a Tempo Traveller fell into a gorge at Kangoo, near Sundernagar, on the Manali-Chandigarh National Highway. The victims were returning to Ambala after attending a marriage. In an another accident, a woman was killed when a car rammed into a truck near the Gammon bridge, while a five-year-old was killed after a private school vehicle swerved off the road at Thati Beed in Banjar, Kullu.

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