People-centric development need of today, says expert

Special lecture on 'Operationalisation of Human Devt Reports' for people's reps

Historically, development has been treated as income in the income-centric development approach. But, in reality, Gross Domestic Product (GDP)/ per capita income growth does not capture basic aspects of human well-being.

Hence, people-centric development is the need of today, said Nitte University visiting Professor Dr N S Shetty. He was delivering a special lecture on ‘Operationalisation of District Human Development Reports (DHDRs),’ as a part of an orientation programme on the subject held at Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat in Mangalore on Tuesday.

Stating that development should create opportunities, Dr Shetty said that about 60-62 per cent of the national income is contributed by service sector and five per cent by agricultural sector. “But, as far as the employment generation is concerned, only 25-30 per cent of employment is generated by the service sector and the agricultural sector generates 60 per cent employment,” he added.

“There is no use of ruthless and voiceless growth. Development should benefit all communities. In the last 60 years, the development has not been able to benefit the voiceless and there is a need to strengthen the voices of people belonging to deprived class of the society,” he said.

HDR of State

Dr N S Shetty said that in India, the First National Human Development Report was brought out in 2001. In the report, the states have been ranked on the bases of Human Development Index (HDI) and Karnataka is being placed seventh in the report.

Madhya Pradesh was the first Indian state to bring out the Human Development Report. Karnataka has brought out the reports in 1999 and 2005. As per the 2005 report, Dakshina Kannada district is in the second position in Human Development, after Bangalore Urban.

Udupi, Kogadu and Shimoga have attained the third, fourth and fifth positions respectively.

ZP Presient Koragappa Naik inaugurated the orientation programme and said that Mahathma Gandhiji believed in the mantra of village development for the development of the nation. In order to bring Gandhiji’s dream into reality, officials and elected representatives should strive for the development of villages and serve the deprived class towards national development.

University College Development Study Centre Convener Dr C K Hebbar delivered the keynote address. Resource persons Rita Norohna and Sitharam Kevala also spoke.  
Zilla Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat members and officials took part in the programme.

Lecture in English irks people’s reps

Though the resource person Dr N S Shetty had announced at the beginning of his speech that he would be delivering his speech in English, as the subject contains many technical terms, two Taluk Panchayat members interrupted the speaker between the lecture and raised objections in an unpleasent tone for delivering the speech in English.

The members shouted at both the organisers and the speaker and commented that it was a disrespect to the State language. One of the members even boycotted the session.

Quite interestingly, though the programme was meant for people’s representatives, the number of people’s representatives was very less, said an official.