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Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha Dr DEPUTY CHAIRMAN RAJYA SABHA DR. (SMT.) NAJMA HEPTULLA PARLIAMENT HOUSE NEW DELHI I have great pleasure in enclosing the inaugural issue of the Newsletter of the Parliamentarians Forum for Human Development. The Forum, initiated under the agies of UNDP, was formally launched by Hon'ble Vice-President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan on 12th August, 1993. While inviting you to join the Forum, I would request you to kindly fill the enclosed form and send it to the address indicated in it so that I can keep you informed of the activities of the Forum from time to time. We propose to organise three National Seminars on each of the key areas of Human Development, namely economy, health and education. Subsequently it is proposed to undertake projects in selected backward areas to demonstrate Human Development in its actual working. The Forum would also support and undertake research in Human Development—related fields. T shall be grateful if you could send your suggestions in this regard. Your active participation would go a long way in ensuring success to this venture. The Forum is open to all Members of Parliament, Legislative Assemblies and Councils and all Ex Members. You may pass on photocopies of this form to your friends and colleagues who would be interested in joining the Forum. With kind regards, Yours sincerely, (NAJMA HEPTULLA) A newsletter on the Volume I No. 1 activities of the September, 1993 Parliamentarians' Forum for Human Development r- ~,.. I APR I 7 ?QO| Parliamentarians' Forum for L.^™ Human Development Launched ,, : ^rCREIARY-GENERAL A new Parliamentarians' Forum dedicated to the cause of human development in India was launched in New Delhi on 12 August 1993 by the Vice-President of India, Shri K. R. Narayanan, under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), at a well-attended function in the Main Committee Room of the Parliament Annexe, presided over By Shrimati Najma Heptullah, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who is also the Chairman of the Forum. The Minister for Human Resources Development, Shri Arjun Singh, the Minister for Welfare, Shri Sitaram Kesri, and the Resident Representative of UNDP, Mr. Erling Dessau, also spoke on the occasion. A number of other Ministers and a very large contingent of Members of Parliament (who are expected to become active members of the new forum), cutting across party lines, diplomats, UN officials and media representatives were present at the function, The Vice-President of India delivered a thought-provoking and wide-ranging inaugural address on the process and goals of human development. An edited version of his speech is reproduced below: "There are many I recollect that crucial tasks that when the first Parliamentarians Human can perform in Development order to spread Report from the idea of the UNDP appeared importance of in 1990, the UNDP human Resident development and Representative, also in harnessing Mr. Erling Dessau, Parliamentary as organised a The Vice-President of India Dr. K. R. Narayanan addressing the Parliamentarians' Forum. well as popular Sharing the dias with him are (L to R) Mr. Arjun Singh, Dr. Najma Heptulla, seminar in Delhi . Mr. Erling Dessau and Mr. Sitaram Kesri opinion behind at which I was this effort. also present. At Parliamentarians are lawmakers. Through legislation that time the idea of setting up a Parliamentary Forum they can do a lot, especially by cooperating when legislations in order to support the human development movement in concerning human development subjects are in Parliament, this country was germinated. I am happy that so that these are easily passed, rather than facing the usual Dr. Najma Heptullah has now taken up this challenge. extraneous difficulties. Parliamentarians are also active in the field. Most of the human planning process, we enshrined this idea development subjects are grassroots in our Five Year Plans. There is a lot of subjects — decentralisation, the misconception that our planning process organisation and proper functioning of was so obsessed with industrialisation Panchayats, giving self-employment to and higher technology development that people, looking after health and it had not given sufficient importance to sanitation, housing, literacy and the aspect of human development. On education — in all these innumerable the contrary, here are two sentences tasks Parliamentarians can really help "I am specially happy that UNDP is from two Five Years Plans. The First by taking an active role as leaders and helping us approach the subject in a Five Year Plan says:" Economic planning workers in the field. very scientific manner. This scientific has to be viewed as an integral part of a "I must congratulate UNDP for the approach to human development wider process aiming at the magnificent work they are doing in the analysis is the major contribution of development of human faculties and realm of human development. This year UNDP's Human Development Reports. building up an institutional framework the third UNDP Human Development I say this because the concept of human adequate to the needs and aspirations Report has been published, focusing on development, as such, is not unknown of the people.' The Third Five Year Plan people's participation. The next one, I to us. In fact, we can go back centuries in says: "Economic development is but a understand, will be on social this. Even our independence movement means to an end. Ultimately, it is the development, to set the agenda, as it was rooted in the idea of human development of human personality that were, for the World Summit on Social development. Mahatma Gandhi counts. Although planning involves Development to be held in Copenhagen presented Indian independence to the material investment, even more "The inspiration for the creation of such a forum came as a consequence of my meeting with Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq, Special Adviser to the UNDP Administrator, in September 1992 in New York. During our discussion, Dr. Haq mentioned that the new report on Human Development brought out by UNDP had "People's Participation" as its main theme. It was felt that a Parliamentary forum be created, to evaluate the findings of the Report and to have a greater involvement of people in the development process. "Subsequently, a meeting of Members of Parliament was convened on 12 May 1993 at which parameters for such a forum were discussed with the Resident Representative of UNDP, Mr. Erling Dessau. The response for a Parliamentarians Forum for Human Development was overwhelming. Even State Legislators showed inclination to convene regional chapters of the Forum. "We propose to hold three national-level seminars initially on each of the three parameters: economy, education and health. In the second phase, our aim would be to identify areas where development through people's participation can be demonstrated as a model. While interacting with other national and international organisations having similar objectives, we would also endeavor to promote developmental research." Shrimati Najma Heptullah, Han'ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha and Chairman of the new Parliamentarians Forum for Human Development in India in March, 1995. The fifth report will nation as development of the focus on women's issues to dovetail individual human being. The important is the with the World Conference on Women rights of the individual, his investment in man.' to be held in China in September that amenities, his betterment - that "There was thus a very year. By methodically and scientifically was his primary concern. He vivid understanding of the analysing and highlighting these held that if you looked after all process of development as being separate subjects concerning human these aspects, independence motivated by humanistic development, UNDP is making an would naturally follow. considerations and by factors of human immense contribution. "When we started our development, rather than being a mechanistic process. But, of course, achievements, one indicator I should while we have been very conscious of like to point out is the rise in the average this, I must confess that we have not expectation of life in India. I want to say succeeded in carrying it out in practice this in the context of the Human as much as we should have liked to. Our Development Report 1993 putting India expenditure on health and education at the 134th position amongst 173 has been pretty inadequate in the past, countries on the Human Development to a large extent because of the so-called Index. But between 1951 and 1981 the balanced approach we took in regard to manner that ultimately both our average expectation of life in India rose development. economic rate of growth and the growth from 31 to 52. No less a developmental "The Report that has been brought out by UNDP is very significant, because it has attempted to recapitulate the various stages through which the efforts for human development have gone. It is now focusing attention on the fact that real and worthwhile human development is linked with the participation of the people... The end of the 20th century has brought us to a stage where it is realised that human development will depend on what we do for ourselves. That is why a Parliamentary Forum assumes very crucial importance, especially in a country like ours, where democracy has taken roots and where the representatives of the people in Parliament and in the Assemblies directly reflect the urges, the yearnings, the frustrations and the longings of the people at large from every strata of society.... In spite of our shortcomings and handicaps, the Indian genious is capable of addressing the real problems of the people of this country and bringing them into a shape which is not only sustainable inside the country, but which can compete with anything, anywhere in the world...
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