CHAPTER 1 DEVELOPMENT

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Q1Define the term National Income?
[Link] income is defined as the total value of all final goods and services produced with a country plus net
income from transactions like (export and import) with other countries.
[Link] GDP. (2012)
[Link] or Gross Domestic Product is the total value of all final goods and services produced during a particular
year in a country.
.[Link] is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries? (2021])[Link] World
Bank uses average income or per capita income as a criterion for classifying different countries.
Q4. Why is the total income of countries not used to make comparisons between them? (2023)
[Link] total income of countries is not used to make comparisons between them, because the population of
different countries is different and does not give a clear picture if comparisons are made on this basis.
Q5Literacy rate measures the proportion of literate population in which age group? (2019)
:[Link] age group of 7 years and above.
Q6 Why is per capita income of different countries calculated in dollars and not in their own currencies by the
World Bank? (Board Question)
A 6 Per capita income of different countries is calculated in dollars and not in their own currencies because the
dollar has been the strongest and stablest currency since the end of the 2nd World War and it becomes easy to
compare the per capita incomes of various countries when these are converted into a common currency, i.e., US
dollar ($).
[Link] do we use averages? Are there any limitations to their use? Illustrate with your own examples related
to development. (NCERT Question)
A [Link] income is not a useful measure for comparison between countries. Since countries have different
populations, comparing total income does not tell what an average person is likely to earn. Hence, we use average
income which is total income of the country divided by total population.
The defect of average as a measure is that it does not show the distribution (dispersion) of income between the
rich and the poor.
Two countries may have the same average income but in one country almost every family may enjoy more or less
the same kind of income, whereas in the other, some may be very rich and others very poor. The disparity
between rich and poor is an important feature that the average measure (per capita income) does not consider.
Example: In terms of development, we can take the example of India, where the metro towns are full of high-rise
buildings and shopping malls while some villages have not yet been provided with a basic necessity like electricity.
[Link] is per capita income? Mention any two limitations of per capita income as an indicator of
development. (2022)
A [Link] total income of a country divided by its total population gives the Per Capita Income.
Money cannot buy all the goods and services that are needed to live well. So income by itself is not a completely
adequate indicator of material goods and services that citizens are able to use. For example, money can not buy a
pollution-free environment or ensure that one gets unadulterated medicines, unless one can afford to shift to a
community that already has all these things.
[Link], with lower per capita income, has a better human development ranking than Punjab. Hence, per
capita income is not a useful criterion at all and should not be used to compare States. Do you agree? Discuss.
A [Link] capita income is not a useful criterion at all to measure the human development ranking of a state. High
per capita income is not the only attribute to a good quality life. Money cannot buy all the essential things required
for a good life. 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. In order to achieve these, joint
efforts have to be made by all members of a community, be it rich or poor.
Kerala ranks higher compared to Punjab even with a lower per capita income because—
mortality rate is lower
literacy rate is higher and
total number of children attending school (Classes I-V) is higher.
[Link] the basis of which three indicators of HDI 2004 Sri Lanka has better rank than India? (2019)
[Link] indicators of HDI 2004 in which Sri Lanka has better rank than India:
Per capita income—The per capita income of Sri Lanka in US dollars was 4,390 US dollars while that of India was
3,139 US dollars.
Life expectancy at birth—The life expectancy at birth for Sri Lanka was 74, higher than that of India at 64.
Gross enrolment ratio for three levels—Sri Lanka had Gross Enrolment ratio of 69 while that of India was 60.
Q11‘Conflicting goals can also be developmental goals’. Elaborate with examples. (2018)
[Link] persons do not have the same notion of development or progress. Each one of them seeks different things.
The seek things that are most important for them, i.e., that which can fulfil their aspirations or desires. In fact at
times two persons or groups of persons may seek things which are conflicting.
A girl expects as much freedom and opportunity as her brother and that he also shares in the household work. Her
brother may not like this.
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.
[Link] are common developmental goals? Give any two suitable examples of common developmental goals.
(2024)
[Link] are certain goals which are the same or common for all. These are common developmental goals. The
developmental goals that people have are not only about better income but also about other important things in
life. More income or more material goods do not always give us a good quality life.
There are other aspects such as equal treatment, freedom, security, opportunity to learn, good working
conditions, pollution-free atmosphere, job security and good social life which are very important for a good quality
life. Money or material things that one can buy with it, is one factor on which our life depends. But quality of our
life also depends on non-material things, for example, the role of our friends in our life which cannot be measured
but mean a lot to us.
Q13.“Money cannot buy all the goods and services that one needs to live well” Do you agree with this
statement? Justify your answer with any three suitable arguments. (2018)
[Link], I agree with the statement because money income and material goods alone are not an adequate
indicator of a good quality of life. Money cannot buy all the goods and services one needs to live well.
Money cannot buy a pollution free and dean environment with fresh air.
It cannot protect us from infectious diseases and guarantee good health for us.
Money cannot assure that medicines available in the market are not adulterated.
To live well one needs non-material factors such as equal treatment, freedom, security, equal opportunity to learn,
a pollution free environment, good and safe working conditions etc..
[Link] what basis the rich and low income countries have been categorized in the world? What are the
limitations of this approach? According to the World Development Report, 2006, India comes in which category?
Give reason for the same. (2021)
[Link] World Bank uses average income or per capita income as a criterion for classifying different countries.
Countries with per capita income of ?4,53,000 per annum and above (in the year 2004) are called rich countries
and those with per capita income of ?37,000 or less are called low income countries (India comes under low
income countries; the per capita income in India is ?28,000 per annum). Those falling in between 37,000 –
4,53,000 are placed in the middle category.
Limitations of this criterion.
While averages are useful for comparison, they also hide disparities. Two countries may have identical average
income, but one country may have equitable distribution where people are neither very rich nor very poor, while
in the other country most citizens are very poor and very few are extremely rich,
Better income cannot ensure a good quality life. Criterion set by the World Bank has ignored certain attributes of a
good life which do not depend on income or cannot be . bought with money.
Example, freedom, equal treatment, equal opportunities, free atmosphere, provision of unadulterated medicines,
etc.
[Link] does HDI stand for? Explain the main criteria of measuring HDI according to UNDP Report of 1990.
(2018)
[Link] Stand for Human Development Index.
Main criteria of measuring HDI:
HDI published by UNDP compares countries based on the educational levels of the people, their health status and
per capita income.
HDI determines the rank of a country by its overall achievement in three areas, i.e., life expectancy, educational
level and per capita income.
Many improvements have been suggested in calculating HDI and many new components have been added to
Human Development Report.
Pre-fixing Human to Development, it has made it clear that what is important in development is what is happening
to citizens of a country, i.e., the health and well being of the people is most important.
[Link] with examples that there are other important development goals also besides income. (2021)
[Link] income or more material goods do not always give us a good quality life. There are other aspects such as
equal treatment, freedom, security, opportunity to learn, good working conditions, pollution-free atmosphere, job
security and good social life which are very important for a good quality life.
Money or material things that one can buy with it, is one factor on which our life depends. But quality of our life
also depends on non-material things, for example, the role of our friends in our life which cannot be measured but
mean a lot to us. Another example, if we get a job in a far off place, before accepting it we would try consider
many factors apart from income such as facilities for our family, working atmosphere, or opportunity to learn.
Similarly, for development, people look at a mix of goals. It is true that if women are engaged in paid work, their
dignity increases. However, it is also the case that if there is respect for women there would be more sharing of
house work and greater acceptance of women.
The developmental goals that people have are not only about better income but also about other important things
in life.
[Link] any five fields other than income where development is needed.
[Link] other than income where development is needed:
Education. The government must provide adequate education facilities in all rural and urban areas. The
government must necessarily focus on education for girls so that all girls are able to acquire atleast secondary level
schooling. Running proper schools and providing quality education, particularly elementary education, is the duty
of the Government.
Health. Basic health care facilities are a must for all. Establishment of government hospitals, clinics and
dispensaries, especially in rural areas, to provide subsidized and unadulterated medicines to the poorer sections of
society.
Nutrition. An effective Public Distribution System—proper functioning of ration shops and equitable distribution of
foodgrains is very essential.
Transportation. A well developed public transport system to make it easy for general public to commute.
Electricity. It is the duty of the government to provide electricity and water at reasonable rates to the common
man and prevent him from exploitation by private companies.
[Link] with reasons why state of Punjab with a very high per capita income has a low literacy rate.
[Link] capita income is not a useful criterion at all to measure the human development ranking of a state. High
per capita income is not the only attribute to a good quality life. Money cannot buy all the essential things required
for a good life.
This can be seen in the case of Punjab which has a very high per capita income but a low literacy rate. Having
money in one’s pocket cannot buy all the goods and services that we need to live well. Money cannot ensure
education and literacy. Another reason for low literacy rate in Punjab could be the lack of free and compulsory
educational facilities. The government needs to open more schools and provide other facilities so that all children
have a chance to study.
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. In order to achieve these, joint efforts have to
be made by all members of a community, be it rich or poor.
Q19. In what respects is the criterion used by the UNDP for measuring development different from the one used
by the World Bank?
Ans19. World Bank
1. In World Development Reports brought out by the World Bank, per capita income is used for measuring
development.
 2. It focuses on qualitative aspect of development.
3 It is narrower in scope.
UNDP
Human Development Report published by UNDP compares countries based on educational level of people, their
health status and per capita income.
It focuses only on qualitative and quantitative aspect of development.
It is broader in scope.
Q20. What is Sustainable Development? Why is the issue of sustainability important for development? A20.
Sustainable Development means development should take place without damaging the environment.
Development in the present should not compromise with the needs of future generations.
IMPORTANCE: 1. Limited resources: The stock of natural resources is limited. Thus, the growth of all countries of
the world in future is likely to be endangered if the limited resources are completely exhausted. For e.g. if we
continue using crude oil at present rate, then the future generations will have no oil reserves after 53 years.
2. Concern for environment: The process of development has led to environmental degradation and pollution
adversely affecting the quality of life in present and future generations. Hence, sustainable development aims at
raising the quality of life of both present and future generations without threatening natural resources and
environment

Q21.)Why could different persons have different notions of a country’s development?

OR

“People can have different developmental goals.” Explain the statement with examples.

[CBSE 2024 )

Ans. Different people have different developmental goals because their needs, interests and situations vary.
Development is subjective — what is beneficial for one may not be for another.

For example, industrialists may favour the construction of large dams to generate more electricity. But this may
lead to displacement of tribal communities, who may lose their homes and lands. The displaced people may prefer
small check dams or tanks for irrigation, which don’t harm their livelihood.

Thus, development for one group can be destructive for another.

Q22)The question of sustainability of development raises many fundamentally new

Ans. The concept of sustainability in development raises important concerns about how development should take
place without harming the environment or exhausting resources.

● Conservation of the environment is essential, as nature provides the base for all economic activities.

● Sustainable development encourages the use of renewable resources like groundwater, solar and wind
energy.
Q23)Examine the importance of public facilities for the development.

[CBSE 2025 )

Ans. Public facilities are essential for the overall development of a country, as they directly impact the quality of
life and human development of its people.

● Many basic services such as healthcare, education, sanitation, housing and safe drinking water are the
primary responsibility of the government.

● For example, running proper schools and ensuring quality elementary education helps build a skilled and
informed population.

● The availability of safe drinking water and proper healthcare facilities improves the health of citizens,
which is crucial for productivity and progress.

● The government must also ensure housing for the poor and manage systems like the Public Distribution
System (PDS) to provide affordable food to low-income families.

● Special attention must be given to the poorest and most backward regions through targeted government
investment and support.