Evaluating Development in India: HDI and Per Capita Income

This paper explores the relationship between per capita income and the Human Development Index. In an attempt to create a diverse data sample, I examined the states and territories of India, a country that is both culturally diverse and exceedingly diverse in terms of human and economic development. The objective of this study is to determine whether there is a correlation between per capita income and social capabilities—primarily access to health care and education—as measured by the United Nations Human Development Index. Overall, there was a strong correlation between these two variables. The states and territories that did not fit the trend typically had government policies that focused on social equity and restricted free-market economic activity