Saraswati Education & Medical Trust - Borsad

Shri R. A. Patel Gyanjyot Gujarati & English Medium School

Std: 10 Sub: Social Science
19. Human Development
 Answer the following:
1) What is Human Development?
Ans:. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), “Human Development is a
process of extending human aspirations and essential subsistence services.”
 Human development is not merely an increase in per capita income, but also utilization of that
income. It provides opportunity to live a creative life according to one’s skills, intelligence,
capabilities and taste.
2) Human development is related with which things of human life?
Ans: Human development covers all areas of human life. The significant among these are:
 Peaceful and prosperous life.
 Opportunity to live a successful and creative life as per one’s abilities, wisdom and interest.
 Long, healthy and qualitative life.
 Knowledge acquired through education.
 Opportunity to earn livelihood.
 Equal Opportunities to avail natural resources and live a qualitative life.
 Personal and social security.
 Opportunity to exercise human rights.
3) Human Development Index is affected by which things around us?
Ans: A lot of unhealthy things around us have adverse effect on the Human Development Index.
These are:
1. Pregnant women suffering from malnutrition,
2. Birth of underweight children,
3. Children suffering from malnutrition,
4. Starvation death and suicide of farmers,
5. Children not going to Aanganwadi.
6. School going children lacking capability to read and write,
7. Children ‘dropping out’ from school to work as child labour,
8. Educated and uneducated unemployed young people.
4) How is Human Development Index calculated?
Ans: Human Development Index (HDI) is calculated on the basis of three dimensions that is
i. Life expectancy Index (LEI) or average age,
ii. Education Index (El) and
iii. Income Index (II) or lifestyle.
Before 2010, HDI had been calculated on the basis of average age (health), knowledge and living
standard (per capital income).
5) What are HDI and HDR? Explain both in brief.
Ans: The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistic of three economic indicators.
 The HDI formed on the basis of these indicators is used to rank countries into four tiers of
human development at world level.
 The HDI is used to prepare a report called Human Development Report (HDR). The concept of
Human Development Index was given by Mahbub-Ul-Haq.
 He then gathered many others including Indian origin Nobel Prize winner economist Amartya
Sen in this work.
 This team, under United Nations, Development Programme (UNDP), published the first human
development Report (HDR) in 1990.
 This report was prepared on the basis of Human Development Index (HDI). Since then UNDP
publishes Human Development Report (HDR) every year.
 The HDR was then prepared to based on these economic indicators. After 2010, a new
technique was used to develop HDI and hence prepare HDR. Under this technique the three
indicators were:
1. Life Expectancy Index (LEI),
2. Educational Index (E) and
3. Income Index (II) (life style).
6) Describe the work done in the field of health improvement.
Ans: Health is an important and valuable asset. Developing countries like India face the challenges of
rapid population growth, contagious and common diseases, malnutrition and physical/mental
disabilities. However, India has done a lot of work in the or post-1947 period in the field of health
improvement.
(i) Child Health: Infant mortality rate has been considerably reduced by undertaking Universal
Immunization Programme. Vaccination for various diseases is provided at childbirth and
during early infancy. These include OPV for Polio; BCG for Tuberculosis; DPT for
Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus; MMR for Measles, Mumps and Rubella; Vaccination
for Hepatitis-B; and Typhoid. With the decline in infant mortality rate, a marked
improvement in child health has been noted.
(ii) Control over population growth: Family Welfare Programme (Earlier Family Planning
Programme) has enabled India to reduce birth rate to 1.9%p.a.
(iii) Pollution control: Steps have been taken to control environmental pollution by enacting laws
relating to water and air pollution.
(iv) Nutrition: To overcome the programme of malnutrition, mid-day nutritious meal programme
for school-going children has been started.
 (v) Health services: A network of primary health centres, cottage hospitals and civil hospitals in
the rural and urban areas have been set up. They provide health services either free or at
a nominal fee.
7) Describe the challenges the human development.
Ans: India has a long way to go and still a lot of work needs to be done to fulfil the parameters of
health, education and women empowerment.
The challenges to progress in human development are as follows:
(i) Health: The impediments in the fulfilment of the parameters in the area of health are population
growth, widespread common and contagious diseases, malnutrition, physically disabled
handicapped and mental disorder. Environmental pollution and crowded habitat created by
increasing urbanization are health-related obstacles.
(ii) Sex ratio: The ratio of the female population to the male population is unfavourable. As per the
Census of 2011. Female population was 48.46% to 51.54% male population. The sex ratio
was most unsatisfactory in the states like Punjab and Haryana. The proportion of female
illiteracy is larger, their per capita income is lower, fewer women have employment
opportunities. Gender-based discrimination and inequality in economic, political, social-
cultural and religious fields poses a huge challenge to human development in India.
(iii) Women empowerment: Women are victims of unhealthy social traditions and gender-based
discrimination. Women are ‘powerless’ in comparison to men. Women lack financial
independence and this dependence – makes them “helpless’. A number of steps have been
taken in the direction of women empowerment, such as 50% reservation of seats in local
self-government and encouragement to the formation of the Self-Help Groups of women.
However, more efforts are necessary to empower women.
8) Healthy people lead to healthier nation. Give reason.
Ans: Health of a person is the most important and invaluable asset for the person himself as well as
the nation.
 If the people of nation are healthy, they can lead a happier and a motivated life. People with
poor health fall sick quite often.
 So, they cannot go to work. This decreases the productivity of the nation and hence the
economy.
 Healthy people can work regularly, by remaining motivated and with higher efficiency. Hence,
healthy people can make the economy of the nation healthier.
9) India has to go a long way in HDI improvement. Give reason.
Ans: As the name suggests, the Human Development Index is highly associated with the development
of humans.
 Unlike material resources, it is extremely difficult to develop humans so as to improve overall
HDI.
 Government needs to put a lot of efforts to motivate humans to take up education, take care of
their health, etc. Moreover, the government also needs to create huge infrastructural facilities
 along with several schemes for human welfare, so that people’s overall development takes
place and our HDI rises.
 Even today, about 70% of our population resides in villages. It is quite difficult and a
challenging task to make understand the rural mass about various government schemes,
advantages of literacy, raising their living standards, etc.
 So, if India needs to improve its HDI, it needs to put strenuous efforts to handle the rural mass
and hence, India has to go along way in HDI improvement.
10) Which vaccines are given children under Child Vaccination Programme?
Ans: Under the Universal (Child) vaccination or immunization programme in India, the following
vaccines are administered to the children:
1. OPV for Polio
2. BCG for tuberculosis
3. DPT for Diphtheria Pertussis and Tetanus
4. MMR for Measles, Mumps, Rubella
5. Vaccination for Hepatitis-B and Typhoid.
11) What is women empowerment? What is the scenario of women empowerment in India?
Ans: The creation of an environment for women where they can make decisions of their own for their
personal benefits as well as for the society is called women empowerment.
 By empowering them also means increasing their spiritual, political, social or economic strength.
 Scenario of Women Empowerment in India: India has taken several steps for empowering
women.
 Indian women have served as the Prime Minister, President and as Chief Minister of different
states.
 Today, Indian women are engaged in jobs like driving a mere driver -to flying a hi-tech
aeroplane, drama, movies, TV, sepals and News channel.
 The employment of women is expanding from working in top position in business and
commerce, communication and many other areas. Although women have developed quite well,
their development is mainly concentrated in urban areas.
 The rural areas still lack quite behind in ‘ empowering women.
12) Explain women welfare schemes of the Indian Government chronologically.
Ans: Many government schemes for the welfare of women have been implemented since 1980. These
include:
 Establishment of National Commission for Women in the year 1992.
 Setting up a separate Department of Women and Child Welfare in 1985.
 92nd and 93rd Constitutional Amendments (wrongly given as 73rd and 74th Constitutional
Amendments in the textbook) in 1992 to provide 33% reservation of seats for women in the
local self-government. Enactment of National Policy on Empowerment of Women in 2001.
 Undertaking programmes of capacity building, employment, income generation, welfare and
supportive services, gender equality and sanitation for women.
  Celebration of the year 2002 as Women Empowerment Year. Enacting laws to provide equal
share in the family property to women.
 Establishment of family courts and women welfare centres.
 Enacting Domestic Violence Act in 2005 to protect women from physical violence and mental
torture.
 Raising minimum marriageable age for women to 18 years.
13) Which schemes have been started by the Government of Gujarat to ensure equality to
women? Explain
Ans: The Government of Gujarat has started the following schemes to elevate the status of women (to
ensure equality to women) and for empowerment of women:
(i) Education: Realising the role of education in raising the status of women, the following
schemes have been implemented: School entrance ceremony and chariot festival to
encourage girl’s education. Vidyalaxmi bond to women living below poverty line in the
urban areas and villages having less than 35% literacy. Saraswati Sadhana Yojana to
provide free bicycles to 1.5 lakh girls per annum and free ST Bus pass to girls who are
required to go outside their village for education. Sabla Yojana provides nutritious food
and skill training to adolescent girls.
(ii) Employment: Gujarat government has reserved 33% jobs in the government services for
women. Mission Mangalam Yojana provides financial help to Sakhi Mandal (self¬help
groups) of women to make them self-reliant.
(iii) Political empowerment: Gujarat government has raised the quantum of reserved seats for
women in the local self-government from 33% to 50%.
(iv) Women’s Welfare: Pension is provided to destitute, widows and labourers under the
Rashtriya Swavlamban Yojana.
 Beti Bachao Abhiyan has been started with the slogan Beti Bachao, Beti Vadhao and
Beti Padhao.
 E-Mamta Programme provides financial help and health services to the pregnant
women.
 Chiranjeevi Yojana provides medical services free of cost to pregnant women
belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
 Department of Women and Child Welfare as started in 2001 to implement schemes
related to welfare of women and children.
14) In what ways are the women discriminated in India?
Ans: Gender-based discrimination, also described as discrimination against women is a major
challenge to human development in India.
 Discrimination against women is found in many social customs and traditions like child
marriage, female infanticide, uneven marriage, ill-treatment of women in the form of tonsure
after the death of husband, down, the practice of Sati and polygamy prevailed in India.
  The ‘Purdah’ and ‘Burkha’ (veil) systems were blatant disrespect towards women. A male child
was always a preference of the Indian families.
 Discrimination was made between male child and female child in their upbringing.
 Until the end of the 19th century, women were denied education. Even after independence, the
percentage of women literacy is less.
 The dowry system has flourished and taken inhuman form of physical and mental torture and
ultimately bride burning and/or suicide committee by women.
 According to 2011 Census, the male-female ratio of population is uneven. The male population
is 51.54% as against 48.46% female population.
 In some states the ratio of female population to male population is 1000:800 less. The most
starting are the finding of the Human Development Report of 2015.

Criteria Male Female

1. HD Index 0.661 0.525

2. Expectancy of life 66.6 years 69.5 years

3. Expected schooling period 11.8 years 11.3 years

4. Average schooling 7.2 years 3.6 years

5. Per Capita Income $8656 $2116

6. Employment 79.9% 27%

7. Literacy rate 88.4% 74.4%

8. Representation in Parliament 87.8% 12.2%

In other words, women suffer discrimination in every area even today.

15) What is ‘Abhayam Yojana’? Explain.
Ans: ‘Abhayam Yojana’ is a helpline to provide help to women in distress and those who are suffering
from various types of violence. It is meant to provide them security as well guidance about
development schemes for women.
16) State a few reasons due to which the developing countries have not being able to achieve
economic and social development.
Ans: A few reasons due to which the developing countries have not being able to achieve economic
and social development are as follows:
 Indifference or dislike towards improvement.
 Low aspirations
 Illiteracy in both male and female.
 Lack of entrepreneurship.
 Suspicion and superstition, old, rigid and orthodox thinking and traditions.
 Improper use of natural resources.
 Improper family planning.
 Not allowing women to empower, etc.