The Government of India, incidentally, came up with its own “MDG report card” last February. What was intriguing about the government’s response was the inordinate attention it paid to the last goal: there was much whinging about the gaps that still exist in terms of the international assistance promised.

India, according to the report card, must reduce by 2015 the proportion of people below the poverty line — from nearly 37.5 per cent in 1990 to about 18.75 per cent in 2015. There was some optimism that the country’s high growth figures will help it achieve that target. There was recognition, too, that while achieving universal primary education in terms of enrolment may be possible, wiping out the drop-out rate — which stood at 34.89 in 2002-2003 — is considerably more difficult. The government also believed that it is making progress in closing the gender gap in education: “The female-male proportion in respect of primary education was 71:100 in 1990-91, which has increased to 78:100 in 2000-01; and from 49:100 to 63:100 in the case of secondary education.” As for under-five mortality, it is committed to bringing the level down to 42 per 1000 live births by 2015. In 2003, the figure stood at 60. Maternal mortality, similarly, is required to decline to 109 per 100,000 live births. In 1998, it stood at 407. India hoped that given the rise in the proportion of births attended by health personnel, this will be achieved. It is also fairly optimistic about combating diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. As for the promise to “ensure environmental sustainability”, the government claimed that because of its “persistent efforts”, about a fifth of the country’s area is under forest and that “energy use has declined consistently from about 36 kilogramme oil equivalent in 1991-92 to about 32 kilogramme oil equivalent in 2003-04”. It also said that it is on track about halving, by 2015, the proportion of population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

... contd.