ITANAGAR, Aug 9: The state government on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Guwahati (Assam)-based OKD Institute of Social Change & Development (OKDISCD) for preparing the second human development report (HDR) of Arunachal.
Planning Secretary Himanshu Gupta signed the MoU on behalf of the state government, while the OKDISCD was represented by its director-in-charge, Prof Kalyan Das.
Chief Secretary Satya Gopal, who was also present at the signing, assured full support to the institute in carrying out its assigned task. He expressed hope that the state’s 2019 HDR would address the issue of inequality in human development in Arunachal.
Gopal suggested that the report “provide a framework to look at inequality trends, understand their drivers, their impact, as well as provide a framework that can help in taking informed policy decisions in order to ensure sustainable development and reduction in inequalities in the society.”
Senior state government officers, including from the planning department, were present at the signing of the MoU.
The first HDR of Arun-achal was launched in 2005 in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi University. The planners, academicians, research scholars and policymakers have been facing difficulties since the last HDR was published almost 14 years back.
It is proposed to prepare the report on the theme, ‘Rethinking sustainability with global and national commitment to SDGs, ie, planet and people for prosperity’. The report is expected to be submitted within 18 months.
The OKDISCD is a renowned research organization in the Northeast which promotes and coordinates research on problems and processes of social transformation and development of Assam and other NE states. (DIPR)
