NOTES

NOTESFOR
FORTHE TEACHER
TEACHERS
CHAPTER I : DEVELOPMENT

Development has many aspects. The enable better understanding of the themes
purpose of this chapter is to enable discussed by bringing the learners closer
students to understand this idea. They to their real life situations.
have to understand that people have There are certain terms used in this
different perspectives on development and chapter that would require clarification —
there are ways by which we can arrive at Per Capita Income, Literacy Rate, Infant
common indicators for development. To Mortality Rate, Attendance Ratio, Life
do this, we have used situations that they Expectancy, Gross Enrolment Ratio, and
can respond to in an intuitive manner; we Human Development Index. Though data
have also presented analysis that is more pertaining to these terms are provided,
complex and macro in nature. these would need further explanation. You
How can countries or states be may also need to clarify the concept of
compared using some selected Purchasing Power Parity that is used to
development indicators is another calculate Gross National Income per capita
question that students would read in Table 1.6. It is necessary to keep in mind
about in this chapter. Economic that these terms are used as an aid to the
development can be measured and discussion and not something to be
income is the most common method memorised.
for measuring development. However, Sources for Information
the income method, though useful,
The data for this chapter is taken from
has several weaknesses. Hence, we
reports published by the Government of
need newer ways of looking at
India (Economic Survey, Reports of the
development using indicators of
National Family Health Survey and
quality of life and environmental
Handbook of Statistics on the Indian
sustainability.
Economy), United Nations Development
It is necessary for you to expect the Programme (Human Development Report)
students to respond actively in the and World Bank (World Development
classroom and on a topic such as the Indicators). Many of these reports are
above, there would be wide variation in published every year. It may be interesting
opinion and possibility of debate. Allow to look up these reports if they are
students to argue their point of view. At available in your school library. If not, you
the end of each section there are a few may log on to the websites of these
questions and activities. These serve two institutions (www.budgetindia.nic.in,
purposes: first, they recap the ideas www.undp.org,www.worldbank.org,
discussed in the section and second, they www.rbi.org).

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 CHAPTER I

DEVELOPMENT
The idea of development or progress
has always been with us. We have
aspirations or desires about what we
would like to do and how we would
like to live. Similarly, we have ideas
about what a country should be like.
What are the essential things that we
require? Can life be better for all? How
should people live together? Can there
be more equality? Development
involves thinking about these
questions and about the ways in
which we can work towards achieving
these goals. This is a complex
task and in this chapter we shall
make a beginning at understanding
development. You will learn more
about these issues in greater depth
in higher classes. Also, you will find
answers to many of these questions
not just in economics but also in your
course in history and political science.
This is because the way we live today
is influenced by the past. We can’t
desire for change without being aware
of this. In the same way, it is only
through a democratic political
process that these hopes and “Without me they cannot develop...
possibilities can be achieved in in this system I cannot develop!”
real life.
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 WHAT DEVELOPMENT PROMISES —
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT GOALS
YOU WANT A CAR
CAR? THE WAY OUR COUNTRY IS
Let us try to imagine what SET UP ALL YOU CAN HOPE FOR IS MAY BE TO
ONE DAY OWN THE RICKSHAW YOU PULL!
development or progress is likely to
mean to different persons listed in
Table 1.1. What are their aspirations?
You will find that some columns are
partially filled. Try to complete the
table. You can also add any other
category of persons.

TABLE 1.1 DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS OF DIFFERENT

CATEGORIES OF PERSONS
Category of Person Developmental Goals / Aspirations

More days of work and better wages; local school is able to

Landless rural labourers provide quality education for their children; there is no social
discrimination and they too can become leaders in the village.

Assured a high family income through higher support prices for

Prosperous farmers from Punjab their crops and through hardworking and cheap labourers; they
should be able to settle their children abroad.
Farmers who depend only on
rain for growing crops

A rural woman from a land

owning family

Urban unemployed youth

A boy from a rich urban family

She gets as much freedom as her brother and is able to

A girl from a rich urban family decide what she wants to do in life. She is able to pursue her
studies abroad.

An adivasi from Narmada valley

Having filled Table 1.1, let us now They seek things that are most
examine it. Do all of these persons important for them, i.e., that which
have the same notion of development can fulfil their aspirations or desires.
or progress? Most likely not. Each In fact, at times, two persons or
one of them seeks different things. groups of persons may seek things
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which are conflicting. A girl expects So, two things are quite clear: one,
as much freedom and opportunity as different persons can have
her brother, and that he also shares different developmental goals and
in the household work. Her brother two, what may be development for
may not like this. Similarly, to get one may not be development for
more electricity, industrialists may the other. It may even be
THOSE PEOPLE
want more dams. But this may destructive for the other. DON’T WANT TO
submerge the land and disrupt the DEVELOP!
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.

INCOME AND OTHER GOALS

If you go over Table 1.1 again, you more income or more consumption
will notice one common thing: what because material goods are not all
people desire are regular work, better that you need to live.
wages, and decent price for their crops
Money, or material things that one
or other products that they produce.
can buy with it, is one factor on which
In other words, they want more
our life depends. But the quality of our
income.
life also depends on non-material
Besides seeking more income, one- things mentioned above. If it is not
way or the other, people also seek obvious to you, then just think of the
things like equal treatment, freedom, role of your friends in your life. You
A demonstration
security, and respect of others. They may desire their friendship. Similarly, meeting against
resent discrimination. All these are there are many things that are not raising the height
important goals. In fact, in some cases, easily measured but they mean a lot of Sardar
Sarovar Dam on
these may be more important than to our lives. These are often ignored.
Narmada River

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 However, it will be wrong to conclude Similarly, for development,
that what cannot be measured is not people look at a mix of goals. It is
important. true that if women are engaged in paid
work, their dignity in the household
Consider another example. If you
and society increases. However, it is
get a job in a far off place, before
also the case that if there is respect
accepting it you would try to consider
for women there would be more
many factors, apart from income,
sharing of housework and a
such as facilities for your family,
greater acceptance of women
working atmosphere, or opportunity
working outside. A safe and secure
to learn. In another case, a job may
environment may allow more women
give you less pay but may offer regular
to take up a variety of jobs or run
employment that enhances your
a business.
sense of security. Another job,
however, may offer high pay but no Hence, the developmental goals
job security and also leave no time for that people have are not only about
your family. This will reduce your better income but also about other
sense of security and freedom. important things in life.

LET’S WORK THESE OUT

1. Why do different persons have different notions of development? Which of the following
explanations is more important and why?
(a) Because people are different.
(b) Because life situations of persons are different.
2. Do the following two statements mean the same? Justify your answer.
(a) People have different developmental goals.
(b) People have conflicting developmental goals.
3. Give some examples where factors other than income are important aspects of our lives.
4. Explain some of the important ideas of the above section in your own words.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
If, as we have seen above, individuals different persons could have
seek different goals, then their notion different as well as conflicting
of national development is also likely notions of a country’s development.
to be different. Discuss among
However, can all the ideas be
yourselves on what India should do
considered equally important? Or, if
for development.
there are conflicts how does one
Most likely, you would find that decide? What would be a fair and just
different students in the class have given path for all? We also have to think
different answers to the above question. whether there is a better way of doing
In fact, you might yourself think of things. Would the idea benefit a large
many different answers and not be too number of people or only a small
sure of any of these. It is very group? National development means
important to keep in mind that thinking about these questions.

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 LET’S WORK THESE OUT
Discuss the following situations:
1. Look at the picture on the right. What should
be the developmental goals for such an area?
2. Read this newspaper report and answer the
questions that follow:

0 tonnes
A vessel dumped 50
st es in to
of liq ui d to xic wa
in a cit y and
open-air dumps This
un din g se a.
in the surro lle d
y ca
ha pp en ed in a cit t, a
Co as
Ab id ja n in Iv or y me s
a. Th e fu
country in Afric ste
gh ly to xic wa
fro m th e hi
in rashes,
caused nausea, sk
etc . After a
fainting, diarrhoea
pe rs on s we re
mo nt h se ve n
ty in ho sp ita l and
dead, twen
treated
twenty six thousand g.
iso nin
for symptoms of po
mpany
A multinational co
m an d
de al in g in pe tro leu loc al
cte d a
metals had contra t to
e Ivo ry Co as
company of th fro m
e tox ic wa ste
dispose th
its ship.

(i) Who are the people who benefited

and who did not?
(ii) What should be the developmental
goal for this country?
3. What can be some of the developmental goals for your village, town or locality?

ACTIVITY 1
If even the idea of what constitutes
development can be varied and
conflicting, then certainly there can be
differences about ways of developing. If
you know of any such
controversy, try to find out
arguments advanced by different
people. You may do so by talking to
different persons or you may find it from
newspapers and television.

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 HOW TO COMPARE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
OR STATES?

You might ask if development can more developed than others with less
mean different things, how come some income. This is based on the
countries are generally called understanding that more income
developed and others under- means more of all things that human
developed? Before we come to this, beings need. Whatever people like,
let us consider another question. and should have, they will be able to
get with greater income. So, greater
When we compare different things,
income itself is considered to be one
they could have similarities as well as
important goal.
differences. Which aspects do we use
to compare them? Let us look at Now, what is the income of a
students in the class itself. How do country? Intuitively, the income of the
we compare different students? They country is the income of all the
differ in their height, health, talents residents of the country. This gives
and interests. The healthiest student us the total income of the country.
may not be the most studious one. However, for comparison between
The most intelligent student may not countries, total income is not such an
be the friendliest one. So, how do we useful measure. Since, countries have
compare students? The criterion we different populations, comparing total
may use depends on the purpose of income will not tell us what an average
comparison. We use different criterion person is likely to earn. Are people in
to choose a sports team, a debate one country better off than others in a
team, a music team or a team to different country? Hence, we compare
organise a picnic. Still, if for some the average income which is the total
purpose, we have to choose the income of the country divided by its
criterion for the all-round progress of total population. The average income
children in the class, how shall we is also called per capita income.
do it? In World Development Reports,
Usually we take one or more brought out by the World Bank, this
important characteristics of criterion is used in classifying
persons and compare them based countries. Countries with per capita
on these characteristics. Of income of US$ 63,400 per annum
course, there can be differences about and above in 2023, are called high
what are important characteristics income or rich countries and those
that should form the basis of with per capita income of about
comparison: friendliness and spirit of US$ 2400 or less are called
cooperation, creativity or marks low-income countries. India comes
secured? in the category of low middle income
countries because its per capita
This is true of development too. income in 2023 was just about
For comparing countries, their US$ 10030 per annum. The rich
income is considered to be one of countries, excluding countries of
the most important attributes. Middle East and certain other small
Countries with higher income are countries, are generally called
developed countries.
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 Average Income
While ‘averages’ are useful for comparison, they also hide disparities
For example, let us consider two countries, A and assured of being its fifth citizen
B. For the sake of simplicity, we have assumed but if it is a lottery that decides
that they have only five citizens each. Based on our citizenship number then
data given in Table 1.2, calculate the average perhaps most of us will prefer to
income for both the countries. live in country A. Even though
both the countries have identical
TABLE 1.2 COMPARISON OF TWO average income, country A is
COUNTRIES preferred because it has more
Monthly incomes of citizens equitable distribution. In this
Country (in Rupees) country people are neither very
I II III IV V Average rich nor extremely poor. On the
other hand most citizens in
Country A 9500 10500 9800 10000 10200 country B are poor and one
Country B 500 500 500 500 48000 person is extremely rich. Hence,
while average income is useful for
Will you be equally happy to live in both these comparison it does not tell us how
countries? Are both equally developed? Perhaps this income is distributed among
some of us may like to live in country B if we are people.

COUNTRY WITH NO RICH AND NO POOR COUNTRY WITH RICH AND POOR

WE
MADE THE
CHAIRS
AND WE
USE
THEM.

WE
LET’S WORK THESE OUT MADE THE
CHAIRS
1. Give three examples where an average is used for comparing situations. AND HE
TOOK
2. Why do you think average income is an important criterion for development? Explain. THEM.
3. Besides size of per capita income, what other property of income is important in
comparing two or more societies?
4. Suppose records show that the average income in a country has been increasing
over a period of time. From this, can we conclude that all sections of the economy
have become better? Illustrate your answer with an example.
5. From the text, find out the per capita income level of about 10-15 low-income
countries as per World Development Reports.
6. Write a paragraph on your notion of what should India do, or achieve, to become a
developed country.

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 INCOME AND OTHER CRITERIA
When we looked at
individual aspirations and
goals, we found that people TABLE 1.3 PER CAPITA INCOME
not only think of better OF SELECT STATES
income but also have goals State Per Capita Income
such as security, respect for for 2021–22 (in Rs)
others, equal treatment,
Haryana 2,64,729
freedom, etc. in mind.
Kerala 2,34,405
Similarly, when we think of a Bihar 47,498
nation or a region, we may,
besides average income,
think of other equally Source : Economic Survey 2020–21, P.A 29.
important attributes.
What could these attributes be? Let income and Bihar is at the bottom.
us examine this through an example. This means that, on an average,
Table 1.3 gives the per capita income a person in Haryana earned
of Haryana, Kerala and Bihar. Rs 2,64,729 in one year whereas, on
Actually, these figures are of Per an average, a person in Bihar earned
Capita Net State Domestic Product at only around Rs 47,500. So, if per
capita income were to be used as the
Current Prices for 2021–22. Let us
measure of development, Haryana will
ignore what this complicated term be considered the most developed
exactly means. Roughly, we can take and Bihar the least developed state of
it to be the per capita income of the the three. Now, let us look at certain
state. We find that of the three, other data pertaining to these states
Haryana has the highest per capita given in Table 1.4.

TABLE 1.4 SOME COMPARATIVE DATA ON

HARYANA, KERALA AND BIHAR
State Infant Mortality Literacy Rate % Net Attendance Ratio (per
Rate per 1,000 100 persons) secondary stage
live births (2020) 2017–18 (aged 15–17 years) 2017–18
Haryana 28 82 73
Kerala 6 94 94
Bihar 27 62 69
Sources : Economic Survey 2023–24, National Sample Survey Organisation (Report No. 585),
National Statistical Office, Government of India; National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5)
2019-21 IIPS, Mumbai.

Explanation of some of the terms used in this table:

Infant Mortality Rate (or IMR) indicates the number of children that die before the age of one
year as a proportion of 1000 live children born in that particular year.
Literacy Rate measures the proportion of literate population in the 7-and-above age group.
Net Attendance Ratio is the total number of children of age group of 15-17 years attending
school as a percentage of total number of children in the same age group.

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 What does this table show? The The problem does not end with
first column of the table shows that Infant Mortality Rate. The last
in Kerala, out of 1000 children born, column of table 1.4 shows that
6 died before completing one year of about one-third of the children aged
age but in Haryana the proportion of 15–17 years in Bihar are not
children dying within one year of birth attending school in secondary
was 28, which is nearly three times classes. This means that if you went
more than that of Kerala. On the other to school in Bihar nearly one-third
hand, the per capita income of of your class friends would be
Haryana is more than that of Kerala missing. Those who could have been
as shown in Table 1.3. Just think of in school are not there! If this had
how dear you are to your parents, happened to you, you would not be
think of how every one is so happy able to read what you are reading now.
when a child is born. Now, try to think
of parents whose children die before
they even celebrate their first birthday.
How painful it must be to these
parents? Next, note the year to which
this data pertains. This was during
2018. So we are not talking of old
times; it is 70 years after independence
when our metro cities are full of high
rise buildings and shopping malls!
Most babies require basic healthcare

PUBLIC FACILITIES
How is it that the average person in Actually for many of the important
Haryana has more income than the things in life the best way, also the
average person in Kerala but lags cheapest way, is to provide these
behind in these crucial areas? The goods and services collectively. Just
reason is — money in your pocket think – will it be cheaper to have
cannot buy all the goods and services collective security for the whole
that you may need to live well. So, locality or for each house to have its
income by itself is not a completely own security staff? What if no one,
adequate indicator of material goods and other than you, in your village or locality
services that citizens are able to use. is interested in studying? Would you be
For example, normally, your money able to study? Not unless your parents
cannot buy you a pollution-free could afford to send you to some private
environment or ensure that you get school elsewhere. So you are actually
unadulterated medicines, unless you able to study because many other
can afford to shift to a community that children also want to study and because
already has all these things. Money may many people believe that the government
also not be able to protect you from should open schools and provide other
infectious diseases, unless the whole of facilities so that all children have a chance
your community takes preventive steps. to study. Even now, in many areas,
children, particularly girls, are not able
to go to high school because the
government/society has not provided
adequate facilities.
DEVELOPMENT 11

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 Kerala has a low Infant Mortality System (PDS) functions well. Health
Rate because it has adequate and nutritional status of people of
provision of basic health and such states is certainly likely to be
educational facilities. Similarly, in better.
some states, the Public Distribution

LET’S WORK THESE OUT

1. Look at data in Tables 1.3 and 1.4. Is Haryana ahead of Kerala
in literacy rate etc., as it is in terms of per capita income?
2. Think of other examples where collective provision of goods
and services is cheaper than individual provision.
3. Does availability of good health and educational facilities depend
only on amount of money spent by the government on these
facilities? What other factors could be relevant?
4. In a study, it was found that in Tamil Nadu, 90 per cent of the
people living in rural areas used a ration shop, whereas in West
Bengal only 35 per cent of rural people did so. Where would
people did better off and why?

ACTIVITY 2
Study Table 1.5 carefully and fill in the blanks in the following paragraphs. For this,
you may need to make calculations based on the table.

TABLE 1.5 EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OF RURAL

POPULATION OF UTTAR PRADESH
Category Male Female
Literacy rate for rural population 76% 54%
Literacy rate for rural children in age group 10-14 years 90% 87%
Percentage of rural children aged 10-14 attending school 85% 82%

(a) The literacy rate for all age groups, including young and old, is _____ for rural
males and _____ for rural females. However, it is not just that these many
adults could not attend school but that there are _____ who are currently not in
school.
(b) It is clear from the table that _____ % of rural girls and _____% of rural boys are
not attending school. Therefore, illiteracy among children in the age group 10-
14 is as high as _____% for rural females and _____% for rural males.
(c) This high level of illiteracy among __________ age group, even after more than
75 years of our independence, is most disturbing. In many other states also we
are nowhere near realisation of the constitutional goal of free and compulsory
education for all children up to the age of 14, which was expected to be achieved
by 1960.

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ACTIVITY 3 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
One way to find out if we are properly nourished is to REPOR
REPORTT
calculate what nutrition scientists call Body Mass Index Once it is realised that even though
(BMI). This is easy to calculate. Let each student in
the class find out his or her weight and height. Take the the level of income is important, yet it
weight of each student in kilograms (kg). Then, take is an inadequate measure of the level
the height by drawing up a scale on the wall and of development, we begin to think of
measuring accurately with the head straight. Convert other criterion. There could be a long
the height recorded in centimeters into meters. Divide list of such criterion but then it would
the weight in kg by the square of the height. The number not be so useful. What we need is a
you get is called BMI. Then, look at the BMI-for-Age
small number of the most important
tables given on pages
90–91. A student’s BMI things. Health and education
could be within the normal indicators, such as the ones we used
range or less than that in comparison of Kerala and Haryana,
(underweight) or more are among them. Over the past decade
(obesity). For example, if or so, health and education indicators
a girl student is 14 years
have come to be widely used along
and 8 month old and the
BMI is 15.2, then she is with income as a measure of
undernourished. Similarly, development. For instance, Human
if the BMI of a boy aged Development Report published by
15 years and 6 months is UNDP compares countries based on
28, then he is overweight. the educational levels of the people,
Discuss the life situation, their health status and per capita
food and exercise habits
income. It would be interesting to look
of students, in general,
without body shaming at certain relevant data regarding
anyone. India and its neighbours from Human
Development Report 2023-24.

TABLE 1.6 SOME DATA REGARDING INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS

FOR 2022
Country Gross National Life Mean Years of HDI Rank in
Income (GNI) Expectancy Schooling of the world
per capita at birth People aged 25 (2021-22)
(2017 PPP $) and above
Sri Lanka 11,899 76.6 11.2 78
India 6,951 67.7 6.5 134
Myanmar 4,038 67.3 6.5 144
Pakistan 5,374 66.4 4.4 164
Nepal 4,026 70.5 4.5 146
Bangladesh 6,511 73.7 7.4 129
Source : Human Development Report, 2023–24, United Nations Development Programme, New York.
NOTES
1. HDI stands for Human Development Index. HDI ranks in above table are out of 193 countries in all.
2. Life Expectancy at birth denotes, as the name suggests, average expected length of life of a person
at the time of birth.
3. Per Capita Income is calculated in dollars for all countries so that it can be compared. It is also
done in a way so that every dollar would buy the same amount of goods and services in any
country.

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 Isn’t it surprising that a small many new components have been
country in our neighbourhood, Sri added to the Human Development
Lanka, is much ahead of India in every Report but, by pre-fixing Human to
respect and a big country like ours has Development, it has made it very clear
such a low rank in the world? Table that what is important in development
is what is happening to citizens of a
1.6 also shows that though Nepal and
country. It is people, their health, their
Bangladesh have low per capita well being, that is most important.
income than that of India, yet they are
better than India in life expectancy. Do you think there are certain
other aspects that should be
Many improvements have been considered in measuring human
suggested in calculating HDI and development?

SUSTAINABILITY OF DEVELOPMENT
Suppose for the present that a
particular country is quite developed. “We have not inherited
We would certainly like this level of the world from our
development to go up further or at forefathers — we have
least be maintained for future borrowed it from our
generations. This is obviously children.”
desirable. However, since the second
half of the twentieth century, a number
of scientists have been warning that
the present type, and levels, of
development are not sustainable.

ND WHY
LET’S UNDERSTA
IS IS SO TH RO UGH THE
TH
PLE:
FOLLOWING EXAM

Example 1: Groundwater in India

“Recent evidence suggests that the groundwater is under serious
threat of overuse in many parts of the country. About 300 districts
have reported a water level decline of over 4 metres during the
past 20 years. Nearly one-third of the country is overusing their
groundwater reserves. In another 25 years,
60 per cent of the country would be doing the same if the present
way of using this resource continues. Groundwater overuse is
particularly found in the agriculturally prosperous regions of
Punjab and Western U.P., hard rock plateau areas of central and
south India, some coastal areas and the rapidly growing urban
settlements.”
(a) Why groundwater is overused?
(b) Can there be development without overuse?

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 Groundwater is an example of Non-renewable resources are those
renewable resources. These resources which will get exhausted after a few
are replenished by nature as in the years of use. We have a fixed stock on
case of crops and plants. However, earth which cannot be replenished. We
even these resources may be do discover new resources that we did
overused. For example, in the case of not know of earlier. New sources in
groundwater, if we use more than this way add to the stock. However,
what is being replenished by rain then over time, even this will get exhausted.
we would be overusing this resource.
UDE OIL THAT WE
FOR EXAMPLE, CR
E EARTH IS A NON-
EXTRACT FROM TH
URCE. HOWEVER WE
RENEWABLE RESO DID
CE OF OIL THAT WE
MAY FIND A SOUR ION S
RLIER. EXPLORAT
NOT KNOW OF EA E TIM E.
RTAKEN ALL TH
ARE BEING UNDE

Example 2: Exhaustion of
Natural Resources
Look at the following data for crude oil.

TABLE 1.7 CRUDE OIL RESERVES

Region/Country Reserves (2017) Number of Years
(Thousand Million Barrels) Reserves will last
Middle East 836 70
United States of America 69 10.5
World 1732 47
Source : Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy, 2024.
The table gives an estimate of reserves of crude oil (column1). More
important, it also tells us for how many years the stock of crude oil will
last if people continue to extract it at the present rate. The reserves
would last only 50 years more. This is for the world as a whole. However,
different countries face different situations. Countries like India depend
on importing oil from abroad because they do not have enough stocks
of their own. If prices of oil increase this becomes a burden for everyone.
There are countries like USA which have low reserves and hence want to
secure oil through military or economic power.
The question of sustainability of development raises many fundamentally
new issues about the nature and process of development.
(a) Is crude oil essential for the development process in a country?
Discuss.
(b) India has to import crude oil. What problems do you anticipate
for the country looking at the above situation?

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 Consequences of environmental social scientists are working
degradation do not respect national together.
or state boundaries; this issue is In general, the question of
no longer region or nation specific. development or progress is perennial.
Our future is linked together. At all times as a member of society
Sustainability of development is and as individuals we need to ask
comparatively a new area of where we want to go, what we wish to
knowledge in which scientists, become and what our goals are. So
economists, philosophers and other the debate on development continues.

EXERCISES
1. Development of a country can generally be determined by
(i) its per capita income
(ii) its average literacy level
(iii) health status of its people
(iv) all the above
2. Which of the following neighbouring countries has better performance in terms of
human development than India?
(i) Bangladesh
(ii) Sri Lanka
(iii) Nepal
(iv) Pakistan
3. Assume there are four families in a country. The average per capita income of
these families is Rs 5000. If the income of three families is Rs 4000, Rs 7000
and Rs 3000 respectively, what is the income of the fourth family?
(i) Rs 7500
(ii) Rs 3000
(iii) Rs 2000
(iv) Rs 6000
4. What is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different
countries? What are the limitations of this criterion, if any?
5. In what respects is the criterion used by the UNDP for measuring development
different from the one used by the World Bank?
6. Why do we use averages? Are there any limitations to their use? Illustrate with
your own examples related to development.
7. 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. Do you agree? Discuss.
8. 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?
9. Why is the issue of sustainability important for development?

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10. “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
disscusion of development? Discuss.
11. List a few examples of environmental degradation that you may have observed
around you.
12. For each of the items given in Table 1.6, find out which country is at the top and
which is at the bottom.
13. The following table shows the proportion of adults (aged 15-49 years) whose BMI
is below normal (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) in India. It is based on a survey of various
states for the year 2019-21. Look at the table and answer the following questions.

State Male Female

(%) (%)
Kerala 8.5 10
Karnataka 17 21
Madhya Pradesh 28 28
All States 20 23
Source: National Family Health Survey-5,
2019-21, http://rchiips.org

(i) Compare the nutritional level of people in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.
(ii) Can you guess why around one-fifth 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.

ADDITIONAL PROJECT / ACTIVITY

Invite three different speakers to talk to you about the development of your region. Ask
them all the questions that come to your mind. Discuss these ideas in groups. Each
group should prepare a wall chart, giving reasons about ideas that you agree or do
not agree with.

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