This File was last Updated/Modified: September 18 2014 11:49:35.

Nagaland first state to bring out HDR report

Nagaland is all set to be the first state to bring out its Human Development Report (HDR), covering all districts, within a month, said chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir on Monday evening, adding that the HDRs for Zunheboto and Peren districts are yet to be completed.

Jamir said the District Human Development Reports (DHDRs) of Kohima, Mon and Phek were released in 2010 and received positively by both the Planning Commission and the UNDP.

Encouraged, the planning and coordination department brought out DHDRs for six more districts (Kiphire, Mokokchung, Dimapur, Tuensang, Wokha and Longleng) which were released by governor Ashwani Kumar and CM Neiphiu Rio at the 65th Republic Day celebrations in Kohima, he added.

Nagaland has a total of 11 districts and with the completion of the HDRs of Zunheboto and Peren, all its districts would have been covered.

Jamir said the UN's 'Millennium Development' goals included bringing out HDRs of all countries, and that Nagaland's would be the first sub-national level HDR. The district commissioners of the state led the project, making the entire process participatory and inclusive.

JNU professor Manoj Pant, the architect of the reports, said an important and innovative feature of Nagaland's DHDRs was a section called "Voices of the People". Report writers were sent to the districts to interact with residents and stakeholders to compile this section. He added that the first DHDR was written with the help of consultants from Delhi and other parts of the country, but subsequent DHDRs were compiled based on data obtained from surveys and information provided by various state departments. This helped strengthen the statistical and empirical base of the reports, he said.

Kohima, January 27: After Phek, Kohima and Mon, the District Human Development Report (DHDR) for Dimapur, Kiphire, Mokokchung, Longleng, Tuensang and Wokha district has been formally released here Sunday during the 65th Republic Day celebration by Nagaland’s governor Dr. Ashwani Kumar and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

Similar reports for two more districts Zunheboto and Peren will soon be completed and with that Nagaland would land as the first state to complete the process of the DHDR of all the districts in the country.

These reports will act as policy documents for the state.

Addressing a press conference here at Hotel Japfu last evening, chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir IAS said Nagaland will be the first state in the country to complete HRDR of all the districts, with the completion of the remaining HDRs for Zunheboto and Peren districts within a month’s time.

Informing that Millennium Development goals adopted by the United Nations was to bring out the HDR of all the countries, Jamir proclaimed that Nagaland was the first State to bring out a book, the sub national level HDR.

Alemtemshi expressed pride that the entire HDRs was written in-house, by involving the grassroots with the DCs of respective district as team leaders, thereby making the entire process inclusive and participatory.

Dr. Manoj Pant observed that an important innovative feature of Nagaland HDR was the addition of a section "Voices of the People", where all the writers of the Reports were sent to all the districts to interact with the stakeholders.

OSD planning Kevileno said the previous HDRs released in 2004 and 2010 were funded by UNDP and Government of India whereas the recent DHDRs was funded by the state government.

Stating that the reports also draw attention to issues that require district specific policy intervention, Nagaland’s governor Dr. Ashwani Kumar penned "I am confident that the government would take note of the suggestions made in the reports to bring about developmental changes in the districts at the grass-root level."

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio stated that the reports are based on the visions of the local population as well as the inputs furnished by them, "which will greatly enhance the relevance of these reports for perspective human development planning."

Rio stated that in its efforts to make the people central to the planning and development processes, the state government has come out with the DHDR, which will serve as vision documents for the planners, right from the grass-root to the state levels, for improving the quality of life in the districts.

"I am sure the reports will revitalize and give substance to our efforts to decentralize our planning process, and reorient our development strategy towards a more inclusive growth," Rio penned in his message.

"I hope the reports will provide practical insight to policy makers and planners in meeting the development needs of people in the districts," penned minister for planning and coordination, evaluation and geology and mining T.R. Zeliang.

Chief Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir penned that the central message in these DHDR is to enable people to live quality lives with access to education, health care and with sustainable source of livelihood in a secure environment.

He also stated that the district human development report wherein stakeholders have been involved in mapping the way forward for the district, " I am sure participatory and inclusive planning will become a reality soon."

H.K. Khulu, additional chief secretary and development commissioner stated that with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, and Planning Commission, Government of India, the state government brought out three DHDR for Kohima, Phek and Mon in 2010. As a follow you of this project, to provide a comprehensive perspective of the district specific needs according to the diverse socio-economic settings, the report for the remain eight district human resource development reports of Peren, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Wokha, Longleng, Kiphire, Dimapur and Zunheboto was taken up, fully funded by the state government.

"It is my firm believe that these Reports will become a vision documents for planners/policy makers to draw references for bottom-up planning in the days to come," penned Khulu.

The mentor and propelling force behind this project was chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir who was also the principal co-ordinator for the project and Prof. Manoj Pant of School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi as the lead co-ordinator was the architect of the report.

After releasing District Human Development Report (DHDR) of three districts, Kohima, Phek and Mon in 2010, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio released DHDR for six districts that included Dimapur, Wokha, Kiphiri, Mokokchung, Longleng and Tuensang Sunday on the occasion of the 65thRepublic Day celebration at secretariat Plaza Kohima.

The reports were made under the initiation of the department of planning and coordination.

Briefing media persons Sunday evening at Hotel Japfu, state chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir said planning commission and UNDP received positive response of the first release in 2010 and inspired by the response, the department released the DHDR for the six districts.

Alemtemshi expressed pride that the entire human report was written by writers from Nagaland involving the grassroots comprising of the DC as the team leaders of the respective district adopting participatory approach.

The chief secretary expressed hope that the next DHDR would be made "quicker and unique." He also disclosed that Nagaland would be the first state in the country to bring out DHDR of all the districts with the completion of the balanced DHDR for two more districts Zunheboto and Peren within a month’s time.
Alemtemshi revealed that the second state Human Development Report would soon be initiated. He informed that Millennium Development Goal adopted by United Nation was to bring out the Human Development Report of all the countries. Nagaland was also the first state to bring a book, the sub national level HDR.

Professor Manoj Pant who was the lead coordinator and architect of the report observed that an important innovative feature of Nagaland DHDR was the addition of the section "voices of the people" where all the writers were sent to all the districts to interact with the stakeholders.

He also said that the first report was written with consultants from Delhi and other parts of the country but the current DHDR were written based on data through survey, department information and the strengthen the data base and statistical strength of the department. Stressing on the importance of ownership, Prof. Pant said that it was the most important principle of UNDP report. The professor said Nagaland data base at district level was poor thereby new method had to be invented to improve on certain areas.

Asserting that there has been tremendous improvement in the backward area though not as much as other advanced tribes, he said connectivity was the source of development thereby connectivity should be given priority in all the districts.

He also added that development indicators were not good except in Kohima and Dimapur and added that one should be careful with the environment since there were wide disparities in other districts.

Professor Manoj pointed out that Eastern districts have to see more income indicators which could be done through connectivity. He informed that Nagaland was the only North Eastern State which was not outsourcing writers from outside for the report.

Editorial support Kevileno Angami also informed that the previous DHDR (2004) and 2010 DHDR were funded by UNDP and government of India whereas the recent DHDR was funded by the state government at the cost of Rs. 75 lakhs.

Commissioner secretary land resources Menokhul John who was also a writer of the DHDR worked for Wokha district said Wokha district Wokha district showed the second highest literacy rate in the state but there has been lack of degree institutions with no science stream/commerce stream.

Lead author of Longleng district Anungla said Longleng being the smallest district in the state with only 38 recognized villages, the district could be made into a model district.