Poll-bound Bihar ranks last in most social and economic indicators, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Bihar is preparing for Assembly elections scheduled for November 6 and 11, with results on November 14.
• In 2019-2021, only 61% of females in Bihar ever attended school, the second-lowest among 29 states.
• Bihar's infant mortality rate was 46.8 against India's average of 35.2 in 2019-21.
• Bihar's Human Development Index (HDI) score was 0.609 in 2022, the lowest among 27 states, compared to India's average of 0.644.
• In 2023-24, Bihar was the worst-performing state in per capita net State domestic product.
• Only 17.1% of students in Bihar enrolled in higher education, ranking second last among 29 states.

Detailed Insights:

• Bihar's low ranking in women's education is reflected in the fact that 41% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18.
• The state had the lowest share of the population using improved sanitation facilities and the highest share of underweight children in 2019-21.
• Bihar's performance in health and women empowerment indicators has consistently remained in the bottom tier across 2005-06, 2015-16, and 2019-21.
• In 2023-24, manufacturing accounted for only about 6% of total employment, and the services sector contributed around 25%.
• Bihar ranked 28th in Gross Enrollment Rate for higher secondary education, with only 35.9% of eligible children enrolling.
• Despite poor performance in social and economic indicators, Bihar performed well in environmental indicators, generating only 0.61 tonnes of plastic per 1,000 population.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Infant Mortality Rate: Number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births.
• Human Development Index (HDI): A composite index measuring health, education, and standard of living.
• Per Capita Net State Domestic Product: Average economic output per person in a state.
• Gross Enrollment Rate: Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population.