Last year marked the 35th year of the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI’s adoption in 1990 shifted how development is measured, moving from an exclusive focus on economic growth to greater emphasis on people’s choices and capabilities. Human Development Reports (HDRs) have proven a powerful tool for tracking economic and social advances. India is known for producing a remarkably high number of sub-national HDRs — more than any other country. States, and increasingly districts, prepare their own HDRs to inform local planning and policy debates. However, district HDRs have so far been prepared for only about 30 districts across nine states. Haryana is not on this list of nine.
To design robust and effective policies at the decentralized level, data availability and analysis at that same level naturally remain the strongest tools. Evidence generated at the sub-state level can better inform resource allocation, governance reforms, and service delivery that match local needs.
Haryana’s bid to join the aforementioned list of nine states was envisioned last year with the founding of the Jindal Institute of Haryana Studies (JIHS), at OP Jindal Global University. The initiative aims to enhance evidence-based policymaking at the district level. Sonipat, a peri-urban district of Haryana in the National Capital Region, represents a stark duality: A place where the traditional agrarian past and the modernizing present confront accelerated industrial and urban growth. The Sonipat HDR 2026 provides a critical assessment, benchmarking the district across seven key aspects — governance, health, education, livelihood, spatial transformation, access to basic services, and environment. For each parameter, the report separates the outcomes for women, youth, and those belonging to the most marginalized and vulnerable communities. Through this lens, it highlights the progress made and identifies areas requiring recalibration to achieve equitable and sustainable growth.
The report highlights a district whose fundamentals are surprisingly sound. This Haryana heartland has achieved what many Indian districts only dream of: 100% road connectivity and a decisive shift from the furrowed field to the factory floor. Yet, a troubling paradox emerges. Sonipat is sprinting towards modernisation, but it risks tarnishing its topography and leaving its workers behind. The data present a jarring economic dissonance. While manufacturing is booming and women are entering the workforce in record numbers, workers appear to be essentially running to a stand-still — real earnings have stagnated, and women in the services sector have seen a staggering 12% annual dip in nominal earnings. We are witnessing the rise of a “precariat” class — the people who build the city but cannot afford to live in it. This divide is further solidified by emerging patterns of land distribution. As speculative land booms fuel wealthy gated communities and “education cities”, those outside these spaces face a rising shortage of affordable housing, especially migrant laborers and industrial hands. This spatial inequality is mirrored by an ecological crisis — groundwater extraction stands at a terminal 139% of the replenishment rate, and 11% of cropland has vanished under concrete in a decade. We are paving over the very resources that sustain life. While Sonipat’s health and literacy indicators are commendable — outperforming national averages — the “social fabric” shows signs of wear. A crime rate higher than the overall state average and a sluggish justice system suggest that institutional growth has not kept pace with physical expansion.
The report’s message is clear: Sonipat’s headline development indicators signal strong progress, but the gains must be harnessed to alleviate, not mask, the deepening inequities. The initiative underscores the need for a shift towards democratic grassroots governance. Sonipat must do this through an integrated model where industry, academia, and civil society collaborate to ensure the future is not just fast but fair. As global shifts in climate and technology disrupt traditional paths to prosperity, HDRs remain our most vital compass. They ensure that in our frantic pursuit of “growth”, we do not lose sight of the very human capabilities that give development its meaning and sustainability.
Mrinalini Jha is director and Namesh Killemsetty is fellow, Jindal Institute of Haryana Studies, OP Jindal Global University. The views expressed are personal
