State level achievements of MDG – Indicators in India during 1993/94-2013/14, Prof. Ranajit Chakrabarty, Dr Mahuya Chakrabarti and Dr Ayan Chattopadhyay
Professor Ranajit Chakrabarty
Calcutta University
India
Dr Mahuya Chakrabarti
Bethune College
India
Dr Ayan Chattopadhyay
Future Retail Ltd.
India
Purpose: According to the Government of India 2015 report on Millennium Development Goal (MDG), India is yet to achieve almost 50% of the goals set by UN. India being characterised by her diversity, progress in terms of the indicators of MDGs for the country as a whole averages out the prevailing state level variations. This paper attempts to explore the status of these goals during 1993–1994 – 2013–2014 at state level using 12 targets and 35 indicators relevant for India along with an attempt to explain inter-state variations in this regard.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method, a Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method, the states have been ranked in terms of all the indicators of MDGs. These ranks were then analysed using socio-economic and political factors to understand the root cause
of variation.
Findings/Limitations: Ranking of the states considering all the indicators reveals the actual scenario in an eff ective way. The factors like state domestic product, state wise standard of education level, social backwardness and political leadership help in fi nding the link between the derived ranks and these socio-economic and political factors.
Original Value: Previous studies in this area have been carried out taking the indicators separately. However without a comprehensive idea with all the indicators, the overall impact cannot be understood eff ectively. This study is novel since it takes into account each state with respect to all the indicators taken together thereby providing a comprehensive view on the variation in the achievement of MDG goals.
Keywords: Millennium Development Goals; MDGs; Multiple Criteria Decision Making; MCDM; Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution; TOPSIS; PCNSDP; education; social backwardness; political leadership.
Citation: Chakrabarty, R., Chakrabarti, M. and Chattopadhyay, A. (2016): State level achievements of MDG - Indicators in India during 1993/94-2013/14. In Ahmed, A. (Ed.): Europe at a Crossroads and the Impact of Globalization, Vol. 14, pp. 142-173.
