DEVELOPMENT – NOTES
1) Different People, Different Goals
Developmental Goals: The aims or aspirations that people seek to improve their
life, such as better income, education, health, equality, security, and dignity.
Sometimes, two people might have different or conflicting development goals. Eg:
A big company wants to create a dam to generate hydroelectricity but it might
displace a tribal group from its place.
2) Income and Other Goals
Major goals:
o Material Goods – Income (Regular work, better wages and decent selling
price for products). Can be measured. It is important.
o Non-Material Goods – Equality, freedom, security, respect of others and no
discrimination. Can’t be measured. It is important.
For a job, people want a mix of both.
Eg:
i. Job A — Offers you high pay but less job security and no time for Family
Job B – Offers you low pay but regular employment and more free time.
ii. A high paying job requires you to shift to a far place. Before making this decision,
you will also consider factors like time with your family, working atmosphere etc.
iii. In society, working women are treated with dignity. If people respect women,
there would be less burden of housework and greater acceptance regarding
women working. This would create a safe and secure working environment and
allow women to work more.
Therefore, development goals are a combination of material and non-material goods.
3) National Development
Different people might have different or conflicting goals regarding the development
of one’s nation.
National 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.
National development requires us to come to a decision which:
o Takes all ideas into consideration
o Prevents any conflicts
o Provides a fair and just path for all
o Provide the most superior path to development
o The path must benefit all
4) How to compare Countries or States?
Countries and states are compared on the basis of specific criterion. Usually, it’s the
national income.
The national income is the combined income of all the residents of the country.
It is not useful as it tells us a combined not average hence a country could be having
more poor people than the other but still might have higher national income.
Therefore, we use average income/per capita income which is national income upon
population hence provides us an approx number to work with. Advantages:
1. Easy to calculate and compare across countries/states.
2. Removes effect of population size, unlike total income.
3. Widely accepted (used by World Bank to classify countries).
Disadvantages:
1. Hides income inequality (rich may raise average).
2. Ignores non-material aspects (health, education, dignity).
3. Does not reflect quality of life or public facilities.
4. Ignores sustainability of development.
>$49,300/annum = High Income/Rich Countries – Mostly Developed
<$2500/annum = Low Income/Poor Countries; India = $6700/annum
5) Income and Other Criteria
Eg: Comparison of Kerala, Haryana and Bihar on different factors –
State Per Capita Income/annum Infant Mortality Rate Literacy Rate Net Attendance Ratio
Haryana 2.35 lakhs 30 82% 61
Kerala 2.05 lakhs 7 94% 83
Bihar 0.4 lakhs 32 62% 43
Infant Mortality Rate: No. of children that die before the age of 1 to 1000 born.
Literacy Rate: No of educated people above the age of 7.
Net Attendance Ratio: Children of 14-15 attending school as a % of total 14-15 y/o’s.
Haryana tops in Per Capita Income but lacks in other important factors states above
showing its disadvantages of hiding disparities.
6) Public Facilities
Some goods and services can’t be bought individually and are to be provided by the
govt.
Eg: education, hospitals, public transport etc.
They are given to people with common developmental goals.
If a person wants a safe hygienic environment, them trying to install one personally
would be really expensive and just be limited to them. So instead, govt installs one
collectively for everyone so it benefits all and the cost is spread out.
If a single child in a village with no school wants to study, they can’t make a school
for themselves. Instead, govt provides the facility of education in that village so its not
that expensive and the facility is available to all.
In Kerala, infant mortality rate is low due to good healthcare facilities.
Even after adequate education facilities, 10% of rural boys and 13% of rural girls are
still illiterate in the age group of 10-14.
7) Body Mass Index = Weight / Height2
8) Human Development Report
Published United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Compares the country based on educational levels, health status and average income.
HDI: An index prepared by UNDP that ranks countries on the basis of income, health
and education to measure overall quality of life. India is 132 out of 189.
Sri Lanka tops India in all areas and Bangladesh + Nepal have better life expectancy.
9) Sustainability of Development
Development should not harm future generations.
Sustainable Development = Development + Environmental Protection.
Resources must be used judiciously.
Eg:
o If groundwater is overused for irrigation today, future generations may suffer
water scarcity.
o Fossil fuels (coal, petroleum) are limited; overuse may cause both shortage
and pollution.
Advantages of Sustainable Development:
1. Protects environment by using resources carefully.
2. Ensures resources are available for future generations.
3. Balances economic growth with ecological safety.
4. Promotes long-term health and well-being of people.
5. Encourages renewable energy and less pollution.
Disadvantages of Sustainable Development:
1. Can be expensive (renewable energy, eco-friendly tech).
2. May slow down rapid industrial growth.
3. Requires strict laws and cooperation, which is hard to achieve.
4. Some poor countries may find it difficult to adopt due to lack of funds.
10)
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Total value of all final goods and services produced during a particular year in a
country.
