Nepal: Readings in Human Development Four Essential Pillars of Human Development Nepal: ReadingsinHumanDevelopment Equity Equity is a powerful concept that lies at the heart of the human development paradigm. Equity should be understood as equity in life opportunities, not necessarily in results. If development is to enlarge choices, the people must enjoy equitable access to social, economic and political opportunities. Ensuring equity in access to opportunities demands a fundamental restructuring of power. Sustainability Central to the concept of sustainability is the notion of distributional equity – of sharing development opportunities between present and future generations and ensuring intragenerational and intergenerational equity in access to opportunities. It is the sustainability of all forms of capital – physical, human, financial and environmental– that must lie at the centre of human development concerns. What must be sustained are worthwhile life opportunities, not human deprivation. Productivity Productivity is another essential component of the human development paradigm. In contrast to human capital based development models which treat people only as a means of development, productivity is just one part of the human development paradigm - with equal importance given to the other components of human development. Economic growth is therefore a subset of the human development model - an essential part but not the entire structure. Empowerment Human development paradigm envisages full empowerment of the people on all fronts - social, economic and political- meaning that people are in a position to exercise their choice of their own free will. In contrast to the basic needs model, which is generally limited to economic choice, the human development paradigm embrace all critical choices – social, cultural, economic and political. Empowerment is, therefore, the critical pillar reinforcing other components of human development. ISBN 99933-763-9-6 Edited by Sriram Raj Pande Shawna Tropp Bikash Sharma 9 789993 376392 Yuba Raj Khatiwada Nepal: Readings in Human Development Edited by Sriram Raj Pande Shawna Tropp Bikash Sharma Yuba Raj Khatiwada Nepal: Readings in Human Development Copyright @ 2006 United Nations Development Programme Published by United Nations Development Programme Post Office Box 107 Pulchowk Kathmandu, Nepal tel. 977-1-5523200 email. [email protected] website. http://www.undp.org.np All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of UNDP. ISBN: 99933-763-9-6 Printed in Nepal by Jagadamba Press Design and layout by Bhai Kaji Rajbahak Foreword Human development must be at the centre introduced into the major universities of of all development efforts to enhance the Nepal soon. The book has been prepared capabilities of people to expand choices and in close collaboration with these academic live in dignity. UNDP has successfully institutions. The course was piloted during advocated for human development since intensive ten-day training programmes at 1990 through the annual human Purbanchal and Pokhara Universities. The development reports. Since then, national book went through several reviews and was human development reports have been presented to senior faculty of the produced in more than 136 countries universities before final editing. I hope this worldwide. The human development book will be useful for students as they seek paradigm has now become the overarching to broaden their understanding of human framework for development planning in development. most developing countries with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as UNDP is pleased to support Nepal’s instruments for sustained human progress. academic institutions as they introduce human development into Master’s level The Nepal Readings in Human courses. I am sure this book will be useful to Development has been produced as a students, teachers and researchers alike in reference for Master’s level students who taking the human development torch will be enrolling in the human development forward for the creation of a just and course. The course is expected to be equitable Nepalese society. Matthew G. Kahane UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative iii Acknowledgements The Nepal: Readings in Human Develop- Policy Working Group (HDPWG) - a high ment (RHD) makes an in-depth analysis of level committee formed by the universities the theory and practice of human to advise and guide the consultants on the development in Nepal. Prepared under the contents and quality of the product. The aegis of the National Planning Commission Committee comprised of Govinda Ram (NPC) and United Nations Development Agrawal of Tribhuvan University, Kul Programme (UNDP), the primary objective Shekhar Adhikari of Purbanchal University, of the RHD is to provide a reference to Kundan Dutta Koirala of Pokhara support a course on human development at University and Rana Bahadur Chhetri and the Masters level in the universities in Nepal. the late Kishor Gajurel of Kathmandu University. This book could not have been produced without the collaboration of the four We are thankful to Govinda P. Sharma, Vice- universities - Tribhuvan, Kathmandu, chancellor, Tribhuvan University, Suresh Purbanchal and Pokhara. The support Raj Sharma, Vice-chancellor, Kathmandu provided by the teachers and students University, Purushottam Banskota, Vice- of these universities are gratefully chancellor, Pokhara University and Toran acknowledged. Bahadur Karki, then Vice-chancellor, Purbanchal University for their support The chapters of the Nepal: Readings in during this exercise. Mahendra Prasad Human Development were reviewed by a Singh, Rector, Gita Bhakta Joshi, Registrar, team of eminent experts. The reviewers Tri Ratna Manandhar, former Dean, included Sriram Raj Pande (chapter 1), Ramesh Kanwar, Dean, Faculty of Bikash Sharma, Prakash Dev Pant, and Humanities and Social Science and Arun Kumar Lal Das (chapter 2), Kailash Parashar Koirala, Dean, Faculty of Nath Pyakurel (chapter 3), Chandani Joshi Management, of Tribhuvan University are (chapter 4), Shiva Raj Lohani (chapter 5), duly acknowledged for their ongoing Badri Raj Pande (chapter 6), the support in the introduction and Environment Unit of UNDP (chapter 7), institutionalization of the human Yuba Raj Khatiwada (Chapter 8), Dev Raj development course in the university. Dahal (chapter 9) and Shawna Tropp (chapter 10). We would like to express our appreciation to Shankar P. Sharma, Vice Chairman, We wish to express our sincere gratitude to National Planning Commission, Yuba Raj the members of the Human Development Khatiwada, then Member of National v Planning Commission, Matthew Kahane, Deepak Shrestha, Programme Officers, Pro- UNDP Resident Representative and UN poor Policies and Initiative Unit, UNDP. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and Ghulam M. Isaczai, Deputy Resident The technical and logistical support Representative, UNDP, for their guidance provided by Mukunda Raj Pandeya, and encouragement. National Project Manager, Building Capacity to Promote Human Development, We would also like to acknowledge and his team during the entire process is contributions and support of Keshav P. duly acknowledged. Bhai Kaji Rajbahak Bhattarai, Joint Secretary, National Planning provided secretarial support to the team and Commission, and Nanako Tsukahara and prepared design and layout of the book. Sriram Raj Pande Assistant Resident Representative and Senior Advisor on Pro-Poor Policies United Nations Development Programme vi Abbreviations ALR Adult Literacy Rate LSGA Local Self-governance Act APP Agricultural Perspective Plan MCH/FP Maternal and Child Health and Family CBOs Community Based Organizations Planning CBS Central Bureau of Statistics MDGs Millennium Development Goals CEDAW Convention on Eradication of MLE Male Life Expectancy Discrimination Against Women MoE Ministry of Education CFUG Community Forestry User Group MOES Ministry of Education and Sports CIAA Commission for the Investigation of the MoH Ministry of Health Abuse of Authority MTEF Medium-Term Expenditure Framework CSOs Civil Society Organizations NESP National Education System Plan DRD Declaration on the Right to Development NFE Non-formal Education EAP Economically Active Population NGOs Non-governmental Organizations EASA Education Act Seventh Amendment NHP National Health Policy ECD Early Childhood Development NLSS Nepal Living Standards Survey EDEI Equally Distributed Equivalent Index OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation EFA Education for All and Development EIA Environmental Impact Assessment PAF Poverty Alleviation Fund FDI Foreign Direct Investment PHC Primary Health Care FLE Femlae Life Expectancy PPP Purchasing Power Parity F-M Male and Female Ratio PRGFs Poverty Reduction and Growth Facilities FWCW Fourth World Conference on Women PRSPs Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers GAD Gender and Development RTIS Reproductive Tract Infections GBV Gender-based Violence SAARC South Asian Association for Regional GDI Gender-related Development Index Cooperation GDPs Gross Domestic Products SAPs Structural Adjustment Policies GEM Gender Empowerment Measure SMCs School Management Committees GER Gross Enrollment Ratio TU Tribhuvan University GHGs Greenhouse Gases UN United Nations GIA Grants-in-aid UNCED United Nations Conference on GNP Gross National