MOU signed between Manipur and UNDP

New Delhi, 6th February: An MOU was signed today at the Manipur Bhawan, New Delhi, between Government of Manipur, Planning Commission and United Nations Development Programme on preparation of the Manipur Human Development Report (M-HDR). Government of Manipur, in partnership with the Planning Commission and (UNDP) is preparing the MHDR. The report, which is expected to be ready for release by September, 2003, will focus on human development attainments of the different districts of the State. Of concern will be issues of health and nutrition, literacy and livelihoods. State Government has constituted a Core Committee made up of subject experts drawn from the academic, press and civil society institutions to prepare the report under the leadership of the State Government. A Steering Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary to Government of Manipur will provide the overall direction to the report preparation.A workshop was held in Imphal on 30-1.03 in this regard, which was attended by Planning Commission and UNDP representatives, State Government Departments and subject experts / civil society representatives from the State. The workshop, besides throwing up a host of ideas for the report, also identified Youth, Gender and Governance as subjects that required to be looked at in greater detail. Today?s signing of the MOU is to formalize the process of preparing the report within the given time-frame.