Development – 2025 -2026

Class: X

Subject: Social Science

BURHANPUR

Q1. What is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries?
What are the limitations of this criterion, if any?
Answer: (1)
• In the World Development Report, 2006, the World Bank has used the criterion of average
income or per capita income in classifying different countries.
• The average income or the per capita income is the total income of the country divided by
its population.
(2) According to the WDR 2006, countries are classified as mentioned below :
• Rich countries : Countries with per capital income of US $ 49,300 per annum and above
in 2019 are called rich countries
• Low-income countries : Countries with per capital income of Us $ 2500 or less are called
low-income countries.
• India comes in the category of low middle income countries because its per capital income
in 2019 was just US $ 6700 per annum.
• Rich countries, excluding countries of Middle East and certain other small countries are
generally called developed countries.
(3) Limitations of the criterion are as mentioned below :
1. It does not tell us how this income is distributed among people. A country may have more
equitable distribution. People may be neither very rich nor extremely poor.
2. In another country with same average income, one person may be extremely rich while
others may be very poor. So, the method of average income does not give correct picture of
a country.
3. This system hides disparities among people.

Q2. Why do we use averages? Are there any limitations to their use? Illustrate with your
own examples related to development.
Answer: Different countries have different populations, so calculating the average helps in getting
an estimated answer which can be used to compare different things at different levels. There are
limitations in calculating averages because we cannot know the difference in the income of the
people and the unfair distribution of income in a country or state.
For example, if we calculate the per capita income of two countries, A and B, with 5 people each,
the salary of five people in country A is Rs.23,000, Rs.22,000, Rs.23,500, Rs.28,000 and Rs.25,000,
and the income of people living in country B is Rs.1,50,000, Rs. 22,000, Rs.50,000, Rs.4,000,
Rs.2,500. The average income of country A will be Rs.24,300, and that of country B will be
Rs.45,700. This proves that the average of country B is higher than that of country A, and yet there
is a disparity in the income distribution between country B, and the income is evenly distributed
in country A.

Q3. 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.
Answer: 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. This is true because the literacy rate, infant mortality rate, healthcare facilities, etc., are
better in Kerala in comparison to Haryana. The per capita income is only calculated by calculating
the average income of the state, irrespective of any other factor.

Q4. . Why is the issue of sustainability important for development?

Answer: Sustainable development refers to using natural resources in a manner that they can be
used by the present and future generations. The issue of sustainability is important for
development because if natural resources are not used carefully, they may not be available for
future generations. The depletion of resources of a country may ultimately result in a lack of
development of the country.

Q5. “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.
Answer: Development not just depends on the economic factors of a country but is also dependent
on resources that are available for the people of a country to use. The statement, “The Earth has
enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person”,
is completely relevant in terms of the development of a country because natural resources are non-
renewable resources. It is the responsibility of the people to use them to meet their needs and not
to satisfy their greed. If natural resources are not used wisely now, future generations may not be
able to use them for their needs, which will result in the downfall of the development of a country.

Q6. List a few examples of environmental degradation that you may have observed around
you.
Some of the examples of environmental degradation in the area are as follows :
 1. Air pollution has increased due to the emission of smoke from factories and vehicles.
2. There is an increase in water pollution due to shops and small factories in residential areas.
3. There is noise pollution due to the use of loudspeakers at night and blowing of horns
unnecessarily on the roads by different vehicles.
4. People throw garbage wherever they want. Perhaps there is no provision for dustbins in the
streets or roadsides.
5. Sometimes people urinate in the open on the roadside due to a lack of public conveniences.

Q7. Mention any four characteristics of development.

Answer: (i) Different people have different developmental goals.
(ii) What may be development for one may not be development for the other. It may be destructive
for the other.
(iii) Income is the most important component of development, but along with income, people also
seek equal treatment, good health, peace, literacy, etc.
(iv) For development, people look at mixed goals.

Q8. Explain the importance of sustainable development with reference to groundwater by

giving example.
Answer: (i) Sustainable development is the development of a country or world not only at present,
but the development which is to be continued and maintained for future generations.
(ii) For example, groundwater is a natural resource which is replenished by nature. People of a
particular generation must use water in such a way that people of future generation may also be
able to use groundwater. People should not overuse and degrade the quality of water so that water
is exhausted or if it remains, it is contaminated to such an extent that it becomes unusable for
people of future generations.

Q9. (I) What is development? Mention any two features of development

II) What is national income?
III) Why per capita income is counted in dollar rather than our rupee?
Ans. ( I) Development is a comprehensive term, which includes increase in real per capita
income, improvement in living standard of people, reduction in poverty, illiteracy, crime
rate, etc. Features:
(II) Different persons have different development goals.
(III) Income is a major component of development.

Q10. What is the significance of Human development index?

Ans: HDI is used to measure level of development of a country.
(1) It has been published by UNDP and according to it countries have been ranked.
(2) It is a comprehensive approach, which covers all the major aspects of life.
(3) Apart from income, education, health status, life expectancy, etc., are
considered for measuring economic development of a nation.

Q11. Besides income, what can be the other attributes to compare economic
development?
Ans. Apart from income, educational level of the people and their health status are
considered as measures to compare economic development of a nation.
(1) Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): This 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.
(2) Literacy Rate: This is the proportion of literate population in the 7 years and
above age group.
(3) Net Attendance Ratio: This is the total number of children of age group 14
and15 attending school as a percentage of total number of children in the same age
group.
(4) Life Expectancy at Birth: It denotes average expected length of life of a person at
the time of birth.

Q12. “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.
Ans: Yes, 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.

Q13.Explain the meaning of HDI. Mention any three components of measuring

HDI.
Ans. HDI stands for Human Development Index. It may be defined as the process
of widening people’s choice as well as raising the level of well-being. The
concept of HDI goes beyond income and growth to cover all human choices. It
puts the people at the centre stage and covers all aspects of human development
with object of improving the condition of people from all angles. It is a broader
approach to development.
Components of measuring HDI:
 1) Life Expectancy at the birth denotes, as the name suggests, average expected
length of a person at the time of birth.
2) 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.
3] Net Attendance Ratio is the total number of children of age group 14 and 15 years attending
school as a percentage of total number of children in the same age group.

Q14. What do you mean by public facilities? Why are they important? Explain
the utility of two public facilities available in India.
Ans.
1. Public facilities are those provided by the government, instead of by individuals or
private sources. For this reason they may be either highly subsidized or totally
free of cost.
2. They are important because many persons do not have enough income to be able
to avail facilities provided by the private sector, resulting in difficulties faced
like inadequate healthcare, poor nutrition etc.
3. One public facility is the Public Distribution System (PDS) which provides fair
average quality of food grains and other essential items to the weaker sections of
the population at subsidized prices.
4. The other is healthcare in government hospitals and dispensaries, which is
provided to all at subsidized rates. This includes outpatient as well as
hospitalization facilities.

Q15. "Consequences of environmental degradation do not respect national or

state boundaries". Justify the statement.
Ans.
1. Environmental degradation is now a global issue and discussed and debate over
decades. The matter is that environmental degradation does not restricted to the
national or state boundary which is causing such degradation.
2. Its consequences are well felt in the surrounding states or nations or sometimes
globally. Take the example of air pollution.
If India is doing much air pollution through massive thermal power plant and other
sources, people in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc our neighbours also experience
increase in asthma and other lung disease. Acid rain, climate change, etc are
some issues which is transcontinental in consequence.
3. Deforestation in Brazil have caused disturbance in rainfall pattern throughout
South America. Land degradation and dam burst like conditions in India affect
Bangladesh as it brings massive siltation and flood consequences.
4. Now, environmental protection is a major issue and taken seriously by almost
all countries and discussions take place internationally and among group of
nations.

Q16. Why is it that income by itself is not a completely adequate indicator of

material goods and services that citizens are able to use? Give one
example.
Ans.
1. Income by itself is not a completely adequate indicator of material goods and
services that citizens are able to use.
2. Quality of life also depends on non-material things like equal treatment,
freedom, security, respect of others etc. For example, a person may be in a
job which gives him a high pay, but there is no security in his job and leaves
him with no time for family.
3. So, in this case, high income is not important as the person has no feeling of
security and freedom.
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