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Nepal is a tiny country sandwiched between two giants, India and China. The country, famous for having the tallest mountain on earth has seen some extremely tumultuous times. Political instability, presence of the Maoist army, lack of a properly functioning constitution all contribute as various factors hindering its growth as a nation. If all these issues are presented to the mind, a very grave picture of a country is painted. A country which struggles to make ends meet, a country where nothing except tremendous suffering is possible.
However, even though Nepal is not a financially strong country, it has been recognized as one of the top ten countries for human development in the world by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index report. Human Development Index (HDI) of UNDP was the brainchild of Dr. Mahbub ul Haq of Pakistan. The idea was developed in 1990. Under this index, the human development in a country with respect to its wealth, health and income is measured.
Defying all rules, Nepal has surpassed almost 160 countries to be ranked amongst the top ten out of the 169 reviewed by the Human Development Report. Its achievements are purely in the non-income dimensions.
Nepal is a relatively poor country. In the last 40 years Nepal’s per capita income growth has been just three percent. UNDP has been working in Nepal since 1963 to help reduce poverty. Various assistance programs are functioning to further improve conditions in Nepal. Restoring peace, a very challenging but necessary task is underway. Disbanding of the Maoist army and developing the political and socio-economic sectors are crucial for Nepal.
Therefore most of the credit for this insurmountable improvement goes to the different public policies adopted by the country. For instance free primary education for all primary-school going children which began in the 1970s was extended to secondary education in 2007 as well. This extension saw a steep rise in literacy rates across the country. As education spread, mortality rates for children and adults both declined paving way for better healthcare.
The HDI report highlights the numerous achievements made by Nepal which moved the country so high above in the rankings labeling it as the ‘top ten movers’. Some of the achievements include, improved infant health rates, increased literacy, lower infant mortality rates, acknowledgement of human rights, reducing poverty.
Nepal has done exceptionally well in two of the three required elements of HDI; the education and health sector. From 1970 onwards, various steps have been taken to improve the conditions of the inhabitants. That in itself is an incredible feat owing to the country’s unstable past and poor economic situation.
Nepal usually appears to be dwarfed by neighboring countries China and India. While the GDP growth rates of these two countries are much higher, their index still does not compete with Nepal. The reason for this can be due to the uneven distribution of wealth, health and education in these countries.
Apart from being ranked amongst the top ten, Nepal still has a great deal of potential to increase human development. The report acknowledging Nepal’s progress also points out huge discrepancies in the data collected: school attendance and quality of education, for instance. A lot more is still to be done for the country to achieve economic and social stability. 
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