Chapter 1
Development
Development is different for different Individuals which leads to
development of any country. Thus, the
Term development is a complex idea and inter-disciplinary.
What we are going to study in this chapter?
What development promises – Different people, different goals.
Income and other goals.
National development.
How to compare different countries and states?
Income and other criteria.
Public facilities.
Sustainability of development.
Topic 1: What development promises: Different people, different goals.
Farmers
Tribals
Businessman
Notion for development is different for different people – In fact many a times two
persons or groups may seek things very conflicting. Example: When government
decided to raise the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam on Naramda river the tribals
protested against the notion.
Different persons can have different developmental goals.
Conclusion
What may be development for one may not be development
for other. It may even be destructive for the other.
Topic 2: Income and Other Goals
Goals = High income only
Besides Income there are other goals also which leads to development:
Besides seeking more income, one way or the other, people also seek things like
equal treatment, freedom, security and respect from others.
Quality of life depends upon: Material + Non-material things.
It will wrong to conclude that what cannot be measured is not important.
Example: What factors would you consider before accepting a job?
Topic 3: National Development.
When individuals seek different goals, then their notion of national development is
also likely to be different. Thus, it is similar to developmental goals. It is very
important to keep in mind that different persons could have different as well as
conflicting notions of a country’s development.
Topic 4 : How to compare Countries and States?
The definition of development is different for different countries. However, to
compare whether a country is developed or under-developed there must be some
common criteria.
Development How to compare countries?
INCOME is considered to be one of the most important
attributes of comparing countries.
Now, what is the Income of a country?
Income of all residents of the country = Total Income
However, declaring any country as developed or under developed on the basis of
Total Income is not considered good as may not reflect the true picture. Hence,
comparison should be based on the basis of AVERAGE INCOME.
Where, average income =
Total Income / Total Population
It is also known as Per Capita Income
The World Bank assesses countries by comparing them based on their per capita
income.
Limitations of Average Income
Averages are useful for comparison but they hide disparities.
It does not tell how the income is distributed among the people.
For instance, if a small segment of population has a significantly high income, the
average income may also appear elevated, obscuring the true nature of the overall
economic situation.
Assuming both the countries have only 5 people each, despite both having an
average income or per capita income of ₹9,000/- it is evident that country X is superior
than country Y.
Topic 5: Income and other criteria
We found that people only think of better income but also have goals such as security,
respect for others, equal treatment, freedom etc. in mind. The same applies for the nation.
Topic 6: Public Facilities
“Money in your pocket cannot buy all the goods and services that you may need to live well”
Example
Pollution free environment.
Protection from infectious disease.
Significance of Public Facilities:
For any of the important things in life the best way and also the cheapest way is to
provide these goods and services collectively. Example: Security, Transportation.
With the increase in public facilities, other criteria also increases :
Public
Facilities
+ Health and
Education
= Development
Government provided public facilities are the most cost effective and efficient means
to collectively offer these goods and services.
Example:
Kerela is a preferred living destination with low Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
The state’s effective public distribution system ensures that everyone has access
to healthy food.
Adequate provision of basic health facilities in Kerela ensures proper medical
treatment for residents.
Kerela’s proper education facilities contribute raising awareness among the
population.
Concept of Body Mass Index
It is a criteria used to find out whether a person is
nourished, undernourished or overweight.
A BMI less than 18.5 is considered undernourished, while a BMI of 25 or lower is
considered normal.
Exception: Growing children are not evaluated on the basis of BMI.
Human Development Report.
The Human Development Report, published by United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) stands out as one of the premier methods for assessing
development. This report considers that Income cannot be sole criteria for declaring
countries developed or under developed.
After comparing human development on the basis of these 3 criteria Human
Development Index is calculated. The Human Development Index can be understood
with the help of following table:
Topic 6: Sustainable Development
What is Sustainable Development?
Sustainable Development means use of available resources in such a way that needs
of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs.
Following points should be considered for sustainability of development:
Development should occur without causing harm to environment.
Groundwater is at risk of overuse, posing a serious threat to its sustainability.
Excessive mining of resources like iron, gold and coal along with crude oil
extraction deplete these valuable stocks.
Factories emitting smoke and harmful gases contribute to environmental
pollution which should be combact.