Correct option is B
Correct Answer: B) Infant mortality rate
Explanation:
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index used to measure a country's development by assessing three key dimensions of human well-being:
- Life Expectancy: Indicates the average number of years a person is expected to live, reflecting health and longevity.
- Education: Measured by the adult literacy rate and the gross enrollment ratio in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, later revised to include the mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling.
- Standard of Living: Measured using real per capita income (adjusted for purchasing power parity or PPP).
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is not a direct component of the HDI. While it is a critical indicator of health and development, it is used separately in other indices, such as the Human Poverty Index (HPI) or as part of broader health assessments.
Information Booster:
● HDI was introduced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its 1990 Human Development Report.
● It ranks countries on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 1 (highest), with higher values indicating better human development.
● The 2023 Human Development Report highlights climate change and inequality as major challenges to human development.
● Norway, Switzerland, and Ireland often rank among the top countries with the highest HDI scores.
● India ranked 132 out of 191 countries in the 2022 Human Development Report.
Thus, while Infant Mortality Rate is a significant indicator, it is not a constituent of the HDI.