New Delhi: The country's first National Human Development report was submitted to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on April 23 by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K C Pant.

The comprehensive report, prepared by the Commission, showed decline in the rural- urban disparities over the years and better Human Development Index (HDI) in the case of smaller states and Union Territories.

It indicated that states like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar improved their HDI significantly in 1980s, official sources said.

It said growth perhaps resulted in less human development in the 90s than in the 80s on account of slower improvement at higher human development levels.

On Gender Equality Index, the report showed states that have improved on gender equality have also done better on female literacy, and gender disparity had also declined over time.

The report has used more than 70 indicators at the state level, mostly from the census data to provide a database on social indicators of development.

Economic attainments have been captured through the per capita consumption expenditure as against the usual practice of using the derived per capita income.

The report would help build a consensus on conceptual and methodological approach for human development indicators and indices in the country, sources added.

PTI