Since the publication of the first Human Development Report in 1990, an exciting debate has emerged world-wide on issues of human development. The human development reports published annually by Oxford University Press on behalf of UNDP, have made a significant contribution to the debate. Over the years, many distinguished experts have contributed to the central ideas in the Human Development Reports. With an objective to make some of the background studies prepared by different members of the Human Development Report teams available to a broader audience of development professionals and policy makers, the Human Development Report Office initiated a series of Occasional Papers in 1992. The series were well-received among academics, researchers and policy makers and there is a great demand for the Occasional Papers. This paper is a part of that continuum. Source: Human Development Index