PQLI Measure of Development: A Study of Literacy and Basic Resources in India *

GeoJoumal 10.1 75-81 1985 by D. Reidel Publishing Company 0343-2521/85/0101-007591.05 75 PQLI Measure of Development: A Study of Literacy and Basic Resources in India * Roy, B.K., Ph.D., Deputy Registrar General (MAP), India, Office of the Registrar General, New Delhi- 110066, India Abstract: There are various tools to measure infrastructural development as applied with considerations of statistical data and geographical phenomena. As example, the 'Physical Quality of Life Index' (PQLI) measure has been tested on death and birth statistics and some consciousness has been reached of being reasonably acceptable tool to measure awareness of dynamism of such phenomena. An attempt has been made to consider some special data on resources and literacy in population independently and tested some issues to examine the gaps in the contemporary situation of India's development. This is the central theme outlined in this experiment to focus intensive research modifications on the concept developed by Morris D. Morris. It is essential that this research may be viewed critically by all concerned to further investigate on the issues for application on other sets of data and regions. Introduction Economic characteristics are commonly used for measures of a country's development. Economists, geographers, statisticians and other concerned use a variety of techniques including per capita GNP, per cent of labour force in agriculture, per capita energy consumption etc. to indicate and classify regions' or nations' economy. Certain limitations of comparison often create misleading interpretations, such as in GNP evaluation as validity of per capita GNP as single indicator is probably highest in developed countries and least in the fast developing nations or regions. This creates sometimes psychological gaps in understanding the situation at such levels. The technique of 'Physical Quality of Life Index' 1 ) (PQLI) as propagated by Morris (1977) is suggested to be a comprehensive method to measure development through scores or indices on certain specific indicators. This method does not of course attempt to incorporate many other social and psychological characteristics suggested by the term "quality of life - security, justice, freedom of choice, human rights, employment, satisfaction, etc.". In this paper considering the above quality, an attempt is being made to study the method of PQLI with a limited application on some cultural aspects to test the response in some basic values such as 'literacy' and 'basic resources' in India on the basis of census and non-census data. This may provide an understanding of the 'narrowness' in these features to judge the contemporary situation. However, a departure is made in this essay to test the hypothesis on non-synchronous data as considered for evaluation. Method of Investigation The method of PQLI is a device based on simple indexing system: measuring the performance of individual areas or regions on a scale between 0 and 100, where "0" represents an explicitly defined "worst" and "100" explicitly defined "best" performance at a particular point of time. This may be represented by Vxn Im = ~ V1

76 GeoJoumal 10.1/1985 Tab 1 Statistical magnitude and areas of literacy rate and PQLI of selected districts where 'Ira' is the indicator of PQLI, 'V' is the value of the concerned areal unit, 'n' is the constant as provided in the methodology and V1 being the highest value of the units considered. With this simple derivation, two sets of data have been examined, viz., (i) literacy 2) in total population according to 1981 census and (ii) factors of cultural developments measuring "basic resources", i.e., net sown area, double cropped area, irrigated area, production of cereals, pulses, etc. in agricultural sector 3) and among population sector variables such as total population (1981), dependency ratio (1971) and caloric availability of food per adult in population districtwise. These factors are weighted and indices brought out according to: nl n 2 Is Z = ~ Kr Xr + ~ r s ys wherez = Development Index Xr Kr ys Is n 1 n 2 = Measure factor (in index units); this factor increases as Z increases = Index per unit of factor Xr = Measure of factor (in its units), this factor decreases as Z increases = Index per unit of this factor = Number of factors Xr = Number of factors Kr Thus, the proportional participation in population sector reduced to PQLI scale to show distribution and performance of basic resources in development which is in consonance with the generally expected pattern of the same in the response greatly towards real distribution of areas. Discussion and Results Measure of PQLI of Literacy The findings on literacy in total population reveal certain interesting results. The results, as mapped (Fig1) on literacy as graded, indicate a synchronous belt of 'very high' in Alleppey, Kottayam and Ernakulam in Kerala and in metropolitan areas of the country. The 'high' and 'highmedium' areas spread over the western coastal belt through parts of Tamil Nadu. The sporadic spread over parts of Orissa, West Bengal and eastern region of India also conform to expectations. In this context, a compact region in Haryana-Punjab is significant in location. The central Indian regions over parts of Maharashtra, in Buldana through Amaravati and a few districts namely, Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh are showing indication towards development in this factor. However, the most important is the PQLI of literacy measure set by the grade 31-55 ('medium'} over the remaining parts of India. This follows the poorest regions in this regard in 30 and below ('low'~ grade in India. The poorest is East Kameng precisely. Tab 1 shows the magnitudes and differentials in the 1981 literacy rates of the selected districts which place the representative units of India for perception of the problem. The situation has improved during the last decades but male/female differentials in literacy is appreciably wide all through India. The smaller administrative areas such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur show literates population at the percentage increase level (1971-1981) of 90.70 %, 77.95 %, 53.25 % respectively but the narrowness lies at the PQLI 'low' level in6 districts of east Arunachal and at a 'medium' level in 3 districts of west Arunachal Pradesh. Similar variations are noted in the other regions of the eastern states of I ndia. Population content in literacy, as a variable of socioeconomy, shows 349.81 million people in the PQLI measuring grade of 31-55 ('medium'} which covers 218 districts of India as medium (Tab 2). The PQLI grade of 30 and below ('low'} covers 144.87 million people in 102 districts where 12.35 % are literates against 48.48 % in the former region. In the 'very high" through 'high-medium' PQLI grades the population and area are relatively small and hence the percentage of literates is also low.

GeoJoumal 10.1/1985 77 r ". ". N A ~_,..,~.....,,,,.,......... ).j... :j,j.,,.,.... INDIA PQLI OF LITERACY (Inclusive of 0-4 oge)... ~-'-w.,,/...,... ''' :"'.~. KILOMETRES I00 0 I00 200 300 400 ] I I BOUNDARY~ INTERNATIONAL... ~, STATE / U.T...... ~. DISTRICT ~..J- - -t "~ _~.''~.., ~.. -'-.~.,,.,,,. /" z~.,',~.,~4;. %'./....... '~- -,~'..... d,:jj~-= ""~...... L -- -- ~. "/~........ :..~-:=~.'T~-~ ~'-. ~., i....,:#%'. ",~?" ":'~'~c'-~.~-:" i, L" " V " ".~-=', -~'~,- j-_,% I.'~.:,'.,~_ ;.~ '.~.',~,~,~..~-- ~,~-~,.. ~:~ :.. : ' :': :8~ t': - / ".4.3- ~,.,~'j/ P Q L I OF LITERACY VERY HIGH 90 AND ABOVE o o_;, HIGH ijjiilihhir 78 -- 89 HIGH MEDIUM 56 -- 77 MEDIUM 31 -- 55 LOW 30 AND BELOW 0 DATA NOT AVAILABLE Fig1 India - PQLl of literacy (inclusive of O-4 age)

78 GeoJouma110.1/1985 """.',,~ "-~""" "'" "~"k. "- (.., N A %...~" "~'') -~ -1 I N D I A POLl OF BASIC RESOURCES (Excluding Indusfrial oufpufg) KILOMETRES,oo I o,oo ~?o ~?o 1oo.~... q..,,< : a"" "-%"'--~--:"... ~' ' ' ('-\ " z'-_... ""~-~'" ' "" "--'L.~I BOUNDARY, INTERNATIONAL...,~ STATE / U.T...... ",.. ~ DISTRICT... ~.,'.? /'-~'~..~ ~.. "~,,p. ",.~. f """';~N A.I,t " ~-.~ ~...,~"''/" N ~ " A ~,r F-.:-.~.~ _ "..L---. _ i-.~-j ~ - ~-J-'~ : :.~'~'-'~- _ /-~,. :I _~<~...;.~ ~.,..~.j LN Ai I. ~ ~^-~.~.,,~.....i -- -- E";~'-. ' ::~--"-~21,- _, "" ":'-~...,.~.~ - ~'r.~. ~,9,; _.:_ o NA ' P o L I WEIGHTED AVERAGES ~NA o H,OH ~ 3, -- 55 ~ ',[ ',',[ H l H ii HIGH MEDIUM ~ 56 -- 77 " MEDIUM I--- -- t 78 -- 89 o X LOW Ii!~1 90 AND ABOVE.,~ ~.'~ NA DATA NOT AVAILABLE Fig 2 India - PQLI of basic resources (excluding industrial outputs)

GeoJoumal 10.1/1985 79 Tab 2 4) Literacy and PQLI types and characteristics The classification of data (Tab 2) also exhibits curious patterns of the social status in terms of literates if assessed at rural and urban levels. Numerically, urban literates are high in the 'medium' and 'high-medium' zones amounting to 37.92 and 30.79 million population respectively. In other regions of PQLI, the literacy gaps are sharp. It is interesting that the rural literates in PQLI zones of 'highmedium' and 'medium' regions are appreciably conspicuous which show transitive relation. This evidently shows as how varied development of literacy is over the country. A useful purpose of assessing the secular change may be attained if 1971 data on literacy is recast on the set up of 1981 jurisdictions to assess the process of development of this basic need for a meaningful quality of life enquiry and to judge real achievements through a time series data. Measure on Basic Resources The aim to assess the distribution of cultural development on the four factors in agricultural sector and three factors in population related sector as indicated in the research plan is to consider whether literacy or status of literacy in any way can be helpful in raising the cultural development in basic resources utilization. With this presumption, it is convenient to assess empirically whether areas having high literacy status help to increase performance of agricultural variables. In this, the weightage of Government policies has not been provided. On the resources, the population and calories intake as transformed as factors how react and whether any relation with literacy level areas can be connected. Some clarifications of these would be attempted with reference to the following assessment of basic resources development. Tab 3 5) Statistical magnitude and areas of basic resources in selected districts

80 GeoJoumal 10.1/1985 Tab 4 6) Resources (except industrial inputs) and PQLI types and characteristics The device as worked out above on the basic resources to certain extent presents a reality of distribution of the total achievement in this direction (Fig 2). The development according to PQLI of basic resources in the 'medium' grade in districts is conspicuous in concentration. Punjab- Haryana, parts of Tamil Nadu and Kashmir Valley are rated 'high'. The reflection mainly is due to production values of cereals and pulses etc. which have raised the rating considerably. The 'high-medium' region is peripheral to the former, but at the same time includes some isolated areas in coastal Kerala and Karnataka; Kurnool through Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, south West Bengal, major parts of En. region and a significant area over Uttar Pradesh in 'highmedium' measure. This trend is mainly due to rice production. In Uttar Pradesh, the areas of Ganga-Yamuna Doab show marginal differentiations in the districts. Does it show that the development in the basic resources is overshadowed by the growth and density of population? On the contrary, the belt formed over Banda through Bahraich of Uttar Pradesh in PQLI grade 55-77 shows a sign of hope in these districts at least in the utilization of basic resources. This region belongs to the so-called chronic area of food deficit where agricultural situations face shortage of irrigation, predominance of cultivable waste lands and low yield. Population pressure being high, the sign of development is coming through in this zone recently. Whether in such areas more marginal lands are cultivated or there is any significant migration from this area which in this turn, might explain apparently high PQLI here; this needs a micro-level probing. Peculiarly a large part of India lies in 'medium' grade. Besides, the low 90 and above areas characteristically are the poorest and underdeveloped where the population is without doubt cause adverse effect. The reflection of population factor and its responses on resources have greatly caused there geographic variations. The capability of environment as perceived through the magnitudes of data shows an indication of opportunities gaps as revealed by PQLI measures appropriately in India (Tab 2). The country being agriculturally oriented has still to go a long way to mitigate this inequality. Remedial measures are still to be initiated at intensive level. The selected districts in Tab 3 indicate characteristic geographical regions from the areas ranging from the core of green revolution in Ludhiana in Punjab to dry Churu of Rajasthan and least developed Phulbani of Orissa. With this magnitude of areal distribution in India, it seems that the resource development as considered here is temporal. Tab 4 further outlines the human resources in view of PQLI assessment grades for certain understanding. The above short analysis of specific values definitely lead to give positive assertions to certain proportion of population in the development while in a majority of areas this shows denying and lacking positive assertions of investment and development. It is clear that out of 412 districts of India, 29 districts claim 'high' PQLI of resources for 54.64 million people (7.97 %) in which rural and urban proportion stands at 7.43 and 9.77 %. 'High-medium' type shows specific distribution in India where one should infer reasonably good land capability supporting 240.70 million people. In this zone the urban and rural components are near balanced. The 'medium' zone having the largest number of districts of the country mostly lie in inferior land capability where probably the investment may be lacking through the years and hence remained poor in resources development. The 'low' regions of resources development, lying in PQLI 90 and above grade, are responsible for more than 100 million people who are residing in 103 districts out of which data for only 34 districts are available for resources analysis in this context. This total perspective of India genuinely shows extreme regional disparities. Post Script The present methodology and interpretation as discussed in this paper concern with delineation of disparities and inequalities in India. To start with, themes related with literacy and basic resources development leading to identification of PQLI gradations is the main objective set in this paper. Thereby the scope leads many of us to examine geographical distribution of these qualities of human adaptation in the country. It also emerges whether literacy propagates development of basic resources. This is to be examined in detail.

GeoJoumal 10.1/1985 81 If these two inferences of PQLI are compared, probably the positive interaction is difficult to establish. However, both being factors of transformation in the process of development present a crucial state of quality of life and economy in districts and to certain extent provides visualization of pattern of regional disparity. As outlined, the distribution of basic resources as considered in agricultural sector are so varied that the utilization is not optimum. The cultivable wastes as reclaimed through the country are marginal and even sub-marginal productive. The core arable areas have been little benefitted by extension programmes but the degree of success is divergent. However, yields have increased in concentrated areas only of the country. The land capability, therefore, presents a varied and complex situation for further development. In the human factors of population sector the density have gone very high due to constant increase in population. At the same time food and population ratio is adverse through the country in 'medium' and 'low' grades of PQLI regions. Here two precise factors are responsible for creating PQLI classes of 'very high' through 'high-medium' grades of basic resources. The coastal and En. regions areas of the country predominately grade in 56-77 PQLI of basic resources on the map excluding certain areas of Tamil Nadu is due to cultivation of rice and associated crops. giving high caloric intake to the dense population. The specific northwestern areas over Pubjab, Haryana and Kashmir valley show comfortable positions due to high yields of agricultural produce and comparatively less incidence of population on them. Within this magnitude, the entire country shows below expectation level of development. The causes on these issues are yet to be explored by manifold examinations of micro-level data and to judge the "multiplier" effect. Hence, research orientations by all concerned may be of good cause to streamline more rationals on these aspects of research. References and Notes * The views expressed in the paper are of author's own and have no relation to his service in the Government of India's Office of the Registrar General, India. 1) Morris David Morris: Measuring the condition of the World's Poor. The Physical Quality of Life Index, 176 p. Pergamon New York 1977. 2) Literacy data used in this paper according to P. Padmanabha, Provisional Population Totals, Census of India, Paper No. 3, 1981, pp. 120--183. (Literates as per cent to total population are inclusive of 0-4 age.) The incidence of this may be of little effect in this evaluation; however, researchers may reorient if such detailed studies are to be carried out on final census data when available for 1981. 3) Non-census latest data as referred to in this paper are of various years for States/UTs (1975-78) sources. Wherever data not available, the areas are shown N.A. on the map (Fig 2). 4) Tab 2 excludes information at district [eve[ of Assam and ]ammu and Kashmir. 5) The PQLI on Fig 2 and Tab 3 may be read lower the grades higher the index of development of basic resources. Population data are used for ]981 in general. Only dependency ratio has been taken as of 1971 with understanding the limitation as 1981 figures not available in assessment of basic resources. Caloric intake calculated on 1981 population provisional figures while agricultural production data on average of 1975-- 1978 years as latest available. More precise calculation may be desirable when age groups data become available for 1981 Indian Census. These are acceptable calculations for testing hypotheses for this study. 6) Data on basic resources for 59 districts are not available. In Tab 4, the number of districts to that of Tab 3 will not tally as 10 districts of Assam have not been classified in Tab 4 as 1981 census could not be undertaken.