Chapter 1

Development
Important terms:
1. Development:
It is a comprehensive term that includes an increase in per capita income,
improvement in people’s living standards, reduction in poverty, etc.
2. Infant mortality rate:
It indicates the number of children that die before the age of 1 year as a
proportion of 1000 live children born in that particular year.
3. Literacy rate:
It measures the proportion of the literate population in the 7 and above age
group.
4. Body Mass Index(BMI)
It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms (kgs) by the
square of his/her height in meters. It is an indicator of the level of
nourishment in adults.
5. National Income:
National income is defined as the total value of all final goods and services
produced in a country plus net income from transactions like exports and
imports) with other countries.
6. GDP.
GDP or Gross Domestic Product is the total value of all final goods and
services produced during a particular year in a country.
7. National development:
National development is a comprehensive term that includes improvement
in the living standard of the people, an increase in per capita income, and
providing social amenities like education, medical care, social service, etc.,
to the citizens of the country.
8. Public distribution system (PDS):
It is a food security programme under which the government provides food
grains and other essential items to the poor at an affordable price.
Q. 10. Do all persons have the same notion of development? Explain.
Ans. 1. No, all persons do not have the same notion of development.
2. All people have their own different development notions.
3. It differs from person to person.
4. The notion of one person’s development may not be the development
notion of other people.
5. The development notion of a student may not be the development notion
of a teacher.
Q. 11. Distinguish between Human Development and Economic
Development.
Ans. Human Development:
1. Human development is related to the development of human beings in
all aspects.
2. It is a broader aspect of development as it includes monetary as well as
non-monetary aspects.
3. It is concerned with qualitative and quantitative growth.
4. Human development is the final goal of all development.
5. Human Development includes development in the form of money,
education, health, security, dignity, etc.
Economic Development:
1. Economic development is related to the development of only economic
aspects.
2. It is a narrow concept as it includes only the monetary aspect.
3. It is concerned with only quantitative aspects of growth.
4. It is a means to achieve human development.
5. Economic development includes development in the form of money only
Q. [Link] the development goals of the prosperous farmers of
Punjab.
Ans. Development goals of the prosperous farmers from Punjab are:
1. Hardworking and cheap labour.
2. Higher prices for their produce.
3. Cheap inputs for agriculture.
4. They should be able to settle their children abroad.
Q.4 What are the developmental goals of landless rural labourers?
Ans. The developmental goals for Landless rural labourers:
1. They would like to have more days of work and better wages.
2. Local schools must provide quality education for their children.
3. There should not be any social discrimination so that they too can
become leaders in the village.
Q.5. Discuss the development goals of farmers who depend only on
rain for growing crops.
Ans. Development goals of farmers who depend only on rain for
growing crops:
1. Sufficient rain at the proper time.
2. The government should provide good irrigation facilities.
3. The prosperous farmers in the village are to provide the food grains in
case of failure of rains.
4. The government should provide loans at cheap rates in case of any
calamity, like drought, etc.
Q.6 What are the development goals of a rural woman from a
land-owning family?
Ans: A rural women from a land-owning family expect -
1. Good production of her crops.
2. She should earn more money and use cheap labour.
3. Get a high income so that she can send her children to school in urban
areas.
Q.7. Discuss the development goals of urban unemployed youth.
Ans. The Development goal for urban unemployed youth :
1. To find a good job and earn a decent wage.
2. To maintain a good standard of living.
3. To get a loan from the bank at a low interest rate for setting up his own
business.
Q.8. What are the development goals of a boy from a rich urban
family?
Ans. Development goals of a boy from a rich urban family:
1. To get a quality education and pursue his studies abroad.
2. He may require the availability of vocational education and training.
3. He may require capital to start his own business.
4. To live a luxurious life.
Q.9. Discuss the development goals of a girl from a rich urban
family.
Ans. 1. To pursue her studies abroad.
2. To get as much freedom as her brother.
3. To achieve a good name and position in society.
Q.10. Discuss the development goals of an Adivasi from the
Narmada Valley.
Adivasi from Narmada valley:
1. The government must take steps against the construction of the Sardar
Sarovar Dam so that the Adivasis do not get displaced from their homes.
2. To get more land for better cultivation, construction, and development of
the place they live in.
3. To have access to wider services, such as Better health, education,
better transport, roads, etc.
4. To gain the support of the government in the development of their lands
and areas they live in by applying specific schemes to protect their rights
and privileges.
Q.11"What may be development for one may not be development
for the other." Explain the statement by giving suitable examples.
Ans. 1. It is true that development for one may not be development for
others.
2. More wages mean development for a worker, but it can go against the
entrepreneur.
3. For example, a farmer wants to sell food grains at higher prices, but a
poor worker wants to purchase them for low prices.
4. Similarly, to get more electricity, industrialists may want more dams. But
this may submerge the land and disrupt the lives of people who are
displaced, such as tribals. They might resent this and may prefer small
check dams or tanks to irrigate their land.
Q.12. Money cannot buy all the goods and services needed to live
well.’ Explain.
Ans. 1. Money or material things that one can buy with it are one factor on
which our life depends. But the quality of life also depends upon
non-material things like equal treatment, security, and freedom.
2. Money cannot buy a pollution-free environment, unadulterated
medicines, or peace.
3. There are many facilities like schools, colleges, parks, and hospitals
which people cannot afford.
4. Money cannot buy love, affection, or respect for us and for others.
5. Money possessed by an individual cannot even provide us a type of
government which makes decisions for the welfare of common people.
Q.13. Distinguish between developed countries and developing
countries.
Ans. Developed countries
1. Countries with more per capita income and a high average income.
2. The standard of living of the people is very high.
3. Good health facilities.
4. The rate of saving, investment, and capital formation is also very high.
5. Life expectancy is longer.
6. Example: Scandinavian Countries, USA.
Developing Countries:
1. Countries with low average income and less per capita income.
2. The standard of living of the people is not very high.
3. Lack of basic health facilities.
4. The rate of saving, investment, and capital formation is also very low.
5. Life expectancy is very low.
6. Example: India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Q. 14. Explain the important aspects of our lives that are more
important than income.
Ans. 1. Besides higher income, people also want to seek other important
non-material things.
2. For instance, people want to have equal treatment, freedom, security,
respect in society, a tension-free life, affectionate behaviour, and they
dislike discrimination.
3. All these are important non-material goals.
Q.15. Mention in brief the factors which are important goals in
our life.
Ans. .1 People desire regular work, a good salary structure, and
reasonable prices for crops or other products that they produce. We can
say that they desire more income.
2. People also want equal treatment in society.
3. People want freedom, security, and respect for others.
4. They don’t expect discrimination.
Q.16. What does the World Bank use as the main criterion in
classifying different countries? What are the limitations of this
criterion, if any?
Ans: Per capita income is the main criterion used by the World Bank.
The World Bank Report 2024, brought out by the World Bank, has
given the following criteria for classifying countries:

1. Higher-income countries or rich countries:

Countries with a per capita income of US dollars 66,500 per annum and
above in 2024are called rich countries.
2. Poor countries or low-income countries:
The countries with a per capita income of US$ 2,300 or less are called
low-income countries.
3. India:
India comes in the category of low-middle-income countries because its
per capita income in 2024 was just US$11,000 per annum
4. Middle East:

The rich countries, excluding countries of the Middle East and certain other
small countries, are generally called developed countries.
Limitations of per capita income:
1. It does not show how income is distributed among the people of the
country.
2. The gap between the rich and the poor is not recognised.
3. Cost of pollution is not considered in this average.
4. Some other important aspects, like infant mortality rate, literacy rate, net
attendance ratio, etc., are not considered while calculating per capita
income.
Q.17. Explain the terms average income and national income.
Ans. 1. Average income:
Average income is the total income of the country divided by its total
population. It is also known as per capita income.
2. National Income:
It is the total value of all the final goods and services produced within the
country, and income from foreign factors.

Q.18. Define Development. With the help of an example, show

how two groups may have different notions of development.
Or
“For development, people look at a mix of goals.” Support this
statement with three suitable examples.
Ans:
1. Development involves thinking about our aspirations or desires and
about how we can work towards achieving these desires/goals.
2. Different goals:
Different people in society have different aspirations and goals.
One may desire to be a doctor while another person is an engineer. There
is no conflict between the two. There is no conflict between the two.
They can fulfil their aspirations or desires.
3. Conflicting Goals: Sometimes two groups of persons may desire
Conflicting things:
For example, industrialists may want the construction of more dams for the
generation of electricity. But this may submerge the land and disrupt the
lives of people who are displaced, such as tribals. They might resent this
and may prefer small check dams or tanks to irrigate their land.
Thus, what may be development for one may not be development for the
other. It may even be destructive for others.
4. Common goals:
Besides more income, people may seek other goals such as equal
treatment, freedom, security, and respect for others. All these may be
common goals for all.
Q.19. Discuss the indicators of the human development index.
 Or
Explain the various components of the human development
index.
Ans. The development of a country can generally be determined by
the per capita income, literacy rate, and health status of its
population.

1. Per capita income:

Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income
earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified
year. It is calculated by dividing the country's total income by its total
population.
2. Expectancy at birth:

It denotes the average expected length of life of a person at the time of

birth. The higher the life expectancy at birth, the higher the development of
a nation is considered.

3. Health:
Health indicators are the infant mortality rate, birth rate, etc. The lower the
infant mortality rate, the higher the rate of people being healthy.

4. Net attendance ratio:

It is also an indicator of the economic development of a nation. It is the
total number of children in the age group 6 to 10 attending school as a
percentage of the total number of children in the same age group.
Q. 20. Why are countries in the Middle East not called developed
despite high per capita income?
Ans. 1. These are small countries.

2. The gap between the rich and the poor is very high. Though per capita
income in Middle East countries is very high, there is an unequal
distribution of wealth.
3. These countries have high per capita income due to oil production. So
they have only one major source of income.
4. The World Development Report brought out by the World Bank has
excluded these countries from the list of developed countries.

Q. 21. In what respects is the criterion used by the UNDP for

measuring development different from the one used by the World
Bank?
Ans. UNDP:
1. It has taken education, health, life expectancy, and other important
components as the base for development.
2. It is a broad concept as it takes into account all the important
components of human development.
3. UNDP has ranked the different components of development; for
example, India has been awarded 130th rank (report 2026)
World Bank:
[Link] has taken per capita income as the base of economic development.
2. It is a narrow concept as it takes into account only the income as the
base.
3. The World Bank has divided the countries into low, upper, and
high-income countries.
Q.22. What is meant by sustainable economic development? Give
its main features.
Ans: Sustainable development:
It may be defined as development that meets the needs of the present
generation without compromising the needs of future generations to meet
their own needs. The environment and economy are interdependent and
complementary to each other. Hence, the process of development should
not ignore environmental issues.

The main features of sustainable development are as follows

(i) It stresses meeting the needs of the present generation and the future
generation.
(ii) There should be restraints on wasteful luxurious consumption patterns.
(iii) Efforts should be made to invent environmentally friendly technology.
(iv) A fast-growing population should be effectively checked.
Q.23. What is environmental degradation? Give a few examples?
Ans. 1. Environmental degradation refers to the degradation of natural
resources and pollution.
2. Global warming is the result of environmental degradation.
3. Depletion of resources is also an example of environmental degradation.
4. Extinction of flora and fauna is also an example of environmental
degradation.
5. Degradation of land resources.

Q.24. What do you mean by public facilities? Why are they important?
Give Examples.

Ans. 1. Public facilities:

These are essential facilities for the community at large and are provided
by the government.
2. They are important because there are many services like health,
transportation, communication, education, etc., which have become cheap
and affordable for ordinary people if provided effectively.
3. Rail transportation, government schools, colleges, and public transport
systems are examples of public facilities.
Q.25. What is the Human Development Index for HDI?
Ans. Human Development Index:
It is an index prepared by the UNDP under which all the nations of the
world are indexed or ranked according to their performance in various
parameters like per capita income, life expectancy, literacy rate, etc.

Q.26." Consequences of environmental degradation do not respect

national or state boundaries." Justify the statement.
Ans. 1. Consequences of environmental degradation do not respect
national or state boundaries. This issue is no longer regional or national.
2. Our future is linked together. Sustainability of development is essential
for all mankind, and it is our common responsibility to save the
environment.
3. These days, it is a matter of discussion among different countries of the
world.
4. Global warming, acid rain, etc., are not to be controlled by one Nation.
5. It is a global matter of thinking and finding solutions.
Q.27. What do you mean by overusing a resource? Explain with
examples.
Ans.
1. Overusing a resource means more usage of the resource than it is replenished by nature.
2. Let us consider groundwater. It is an example of renewable resources. These resources are
replenished by Nature. However, even these resources may be overused. In the case of
groundwater, if we use more than what is being replenished by rain, then we would be
overusing this resource.
3. This is what Indian states have done; for example, farmers of Punjab have overused the
groundwater. This has led to the lowering of the water table.
Q.28. Compare Srilanka and India based on the Human Development
Index.
Ans. As of 2023, Human Development Index:
1.​ Gross National Income, per capita:
Sri Lanka has more per capita income (the US $ 12,616) than India, which has a per capita
income (the US $ 9,047), standing second in the 2023 HDI list. As Sri Lanka is a small country
compared to India, the income may be more and the population is lower, whereas in India it’s
vice versa.

2.​ Life expectancy at birth:

Sri Lanka has a life expectancy of an average person is 77.5 years, while in India it’s about 72
years. This can be due to the well-developed healthcare facilities in Sri Lanka.

3.​ Mean Years of Schooling of People aged 25:

In Sri Lanka, the Mean Years of Schooling of People aged 25 and above is 10.8, while in India it
is 6.9
4.​ HDI Rank: Sri Lanka has been placed on 89th and India on 130th rank, respectively (
according to the HDI report 2023)
Q. 29. What are the limitations of the per capita income criteria of
development?
Ans. 1. Per capita income is the income per person. When national income is divided by the
population of the country, we get per capita income.
2. Per capita income criteria take into account only the economic aspect of life and ignore the
social aspects of life.
3. Per Capita income criteria ignore education, health, life expectancy, sanitation, etc.
4. Per capita income criteria also ignore non-material things like peace, pollution-free
environment, democracy, etc.
5. Haryana has a higher per capita income than Kerala, but it has been ranked lower on the
Human Development Index because it is far behind Kerala in literacy rate and has a higher
infant mortality rate than Kerala.
Q.30. Kerala, with a lower per capita income, has a better human
development ranking than Haryana. Hence, per capita income is not a
useful criterion at all and should not be used to compare States. Do you
agree? Discuss.
Answer: 1. Per capita income is not a useful criterion at all to measure the human development
ranking of a state.
2. High per capita income is not the only attribute of a good quality of life. Money cannot buy all
the essential things required for a good life.
3. Pollution-free atmosphere to ensure good health, protection from infectious diseases,
lowering of mortality rate, promotion of literacy, etc. are essential for a good standard of living.
4. To achieve these, joint efforts have to be made by all members of a community, be it rich or
poor.
5.​ Kerala ranks higher compared to Maharashtra, even with a lower per capita income,
because—
i) The mortality rate is lower
ii) The literacy rate is higher
iii) The total number of children attending school is higher.
Q.31 Find out the present sources of energy that are used by the people in India. What could be
the other possibilities fifty years from now?

Ans: 1. The present sources of energy used by people in India include firewood, coal,
petroleum, crude oil and natural gas.
2. The other possibilities fifty years from now can be using solar energy and wind energy as
sources of various energy forms.
3. This is because the current usage of energy sources may result in the loss of natural
resources for future generations.
Q. 32. List a few examples of environmental degradation that you may have observed around
you.
Ans: A few examples of environmental degradation that we can observe around us are
1.​ Pollution caused by vehicles and the excess use of fuel in vehicles
2.​ Industrial waste is collected in residential areas and discarded into water bodies
3.​ Deforestation
4.​ Mining
5.​ Soil erosion
The increased pollution in the environment has resulted in global warming, the melting of
glaciers, and worsening atmospheric conditions.
Q.33. “The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the
greed of even one person”. How is this statement relevant to the discussion of development?
Discuss.
Ans:1. The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all, but not enough to satisfy the
greed of even one person”. This statement is relevant to the discussion of development as both
resources and development go hand in hand.
2. For the sustainability of development, the maintenance of resources is crucial. Needs can be
fulfilled, whereas greed can never be satisfied because greed increases with every want to be
fulfilled.
3. As the statement claims, the Earth has enough resources- renewable as well as
non-renewable to satisfy everyone’s needs; however, these need to be used with a view to
keeping the environment protected so that a balance of production and use is maintained and
shortages are avoided.

NEETU SHARMA DAV DEHRA GOPIPUR