DEVELOPMENT
1. What may be development for one may not be development for
the other? Explain by giving examples? (5)
∙ This is true that development for one may not be the
development for the other. Each person seeks different
things. They seek things that are most important for
them, ie., that which can fulfil their aspirations or
desires.
∙ In fact, at times, two persons or groups of persons may
seek things .
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.
∙ 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.
∙ So, two things are quite clear: one, different persons can
have different developmental goals and two, what may
be development for one may not be development for
the other. It may even be destructive for the other.
2. In what respect is the criterion used by the UNDP for
measuring development different from the one used by the
World Bank? (3)
∙ ANS UNDP uses many other factors which affect the quality
of life.
∙ This gives due weight age to other criteria; like infant
mortality, healthcare, school enrolment.
∙ So, the UNDP looks at those factors which help in improving
the quality of life and helps in making the citizens more
productive.
DEVELOPMENT
3. Why do we use averages? Are there any limitations to their
use? (3)
∙ Whenever we need to analyse a big sample size, it is difficult to
analyse individual data. Hence, it is important to use averages in
such cases. Averages have some limitations.
∙ Average figure may not reveal the true picture. For
example; the per capita income does not show the
distribution of income. It does not show the percentage of
poor in the population.
∙ The per capita income in India has risen significantly over the last
two decades but so has the number of poor.
4. Kerala, with 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. Explain Or Justify the statement.(3)
∙ In spite of being the richest state, Haryana shows a very high child
mortality rate compared to Kerala.
∙ The net attendance ratio of children in classes 1 to 4 and
literacy rate are higher in Kerala, as compared to Haryana. This
explains significantly the higher child mortality rate in Haryana.
∙ Bihar is fairing badly against all parameters which speak
about its poor record on the Human Development Index.
5. 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?(3)
∙ Firewood is used by a majority of people in rural India. LPG is the
main kitchen fuel in urban India. Because of large scale
deforestation, availability of firewood would become a big concern
fifty years from now.
∙ So, we need to find some alternate fuel; like gobar gas for rural
India.
∙ Solar power is another source which can reduce our
dependency on fossil fuels and can give us security against
shortage of fuel in the future.
DEVELOPMENT
6. Why is the issue of sustainability important for development?
∙ Development does not only mean securing a better present, but it
also means securing a better future for the generations to come.
∙ Sustainable development is the development which can be
sustained for many years without making undue drain on our
resources
∙ Hence, sustainability is an important aspect of development.
7. “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.(3)
∙ This famous quote is from Mahatma Gandhi. We know that the
earth has plenty of resources which would outlast our lifetime.
∙ But we also need to think about the future beyond our lifetime
and we need to think about the future generations.
∙ If we go on exploiting our natural resources indiscriminately, then
nothing would be left for the future generation.
∙ Hence, we should control our greed and take as little from
nature as is really necessary for our needs.
8. List a few examples of environmental degradation that you
may have observed around you.
In my city, I can hardly see any greenery. The air quality is so
bad, that many people in my neighbourhood suffer from some
respiratory problem. The river which flows from the city looks
more like a filthy drain. Scattering of garbage. All of this shows the
level of environmental degradation.
9. Can you guess why around 40 per cent of people in the country
are undernourished even though it is argued that there is
enough food in the country? Describe in your own words.
Answer: Some of the possible reasons can be as
follows:
1. Uneven distribution of food grain production
2. Improper supply chain of food products.
3. Malfunctioning of Public Distribution System.(PDS)
DEVELOPMENT
10. What is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying
different countries? What are the limitations of this criterion, if
any? (3)
[Link] Capita Income is the main criterion used by the World
Bank in classifying different countries.
2. Economists agree that income is not the only factor to
improve the quality of life.
3. There are many other factors which affect the development,
e.g. infant mortality rate, literacy level, healthcare, etc. Hence, it
can be said that the criterion used by the World Bank has its own
limitation.
11. 10.”Money in your pocket cannot buy all the goods and
services you may need to live well”. Enumerate. (3)
1. Income by itself is not an indicator to buy all we want in life.
Money cannot buy us a pollution free environment.
2. It cannot protect us from getting infectious diseases.
3. Money can’t ensure that we get unadulterated medicines.