Development
What may be development for one may not be development for the other. It may even be
destructive for others. Analyse the statement and give an appropriate example.
1. Meaning of development is different for different people: People have different ideas
and notions of development based on their needs and situations. What may be
development for one may even harm another.
2. Example of different needs: a landless labourer in a village wants more work and
better wages to be able to support their family while a rich farmer in the same village
wants higher prices for his crops. Both want development but in different ways
3. Example of conflicting needs. Industrialists and want more dams to get more
electricity but on the other hand tribal people are forced to leave their land, homes
and way of life.
Besides income what other goals are important for people? Explain with examples.
Besides income, one way or the other people seek things likes equal treatment, respect of
others, freedom. Security etc. Quality of life depends on both material and non-material
things. It would be wrong to conclude that what cannot be measures is not important.
For example: before accepting a job in a far away place, factors like working environment,
job security, facilities for your family etc are to be considered other than high income.
What is national development?
The development of the overall nation is called national development. Individuals seek
different goals; therefore, it is likely that their notion of national development is also
different and at times conflicting.
How do we compare different countries? Are there any limitations? Explain
1. We compare different countries on the basis of income, which is considered one of
the most important attributes of comparing countries. Countries with higher incomes
are considered to be more developed.
2. The world bank released the world development report which classified the
countries as rich countries and low-income countries on the basis of per capita
income.
3. The limitations of using average income (per capita income) is that it does not tell us
how the income is distributed among people.
4. For example: In country A, out of 5 people, 4 earn $20 each and 1 person earns $120.
In country B, all 5 people earn $40 each. Even though the average income is same,
we can see that all the citizens of country B are neither rich nor poor while in country
A most of the citizens are poor and 1 person is extremely rich.
5. We can conclude that average income is a useful measure for comparing countries
but it does not take in consideration factors like education, health etc.
Why is per capita income not a sufficient indicator of development? Explain with
examples.
Per capita income alone is not a sufficient indicator of development as it does not take in
consideration factors like education, health etc.
For example, among the 3 states of India- Haryana, Kerala and Bihar
1. Haryana has the highest per capita income, therefore if we only consider per capita
income Haryana would be considered the most developed state.
2. However, in Kerela, only 6 children die out of 1000 live births while in Haryana 28
children die before turning 1 year old. This shows that Kerela has a better health care
facilities and services.
3. In Bihar, nearly 1/3 of children aged between 15-17 are not attending secondary
school, showing poor educational development.
What do you mean by public facilities? Explain its importance.
1. Public facilities are services provided by the government or a public entity for the
benefit of the community like healthcare, education, public transport.
2. It is important as money in our pocket cannot buy all goods and services needed to
live well. For eg, a pollution-free environment or protect you from infectious
diseases. Many important things in life the best way and the cheapest way, is to
provide these goods and services collectively. Examples include security, schools,
transportation.
3. Kerela has a low infant mortality rate because it has adequate health care facilities
and services unlike Haryana which lags behind in these public facilities.
We have not inherited the world from our forefather. We have borrowed it from our
children. Explain.
1. Unsustainable development: since the second half of the twentieth century, a
number of scientists have been warning that the present type, and levels, of
development are sustainable. We are severely overusing our resources which may
negatively impact our environment.
2. Limited and exhaustible resources: some resources a fixed stock on earth which
cannot be replenished so we need to use them sustainably. In case of groundwater, if
we use more than what is being replenished by rain, we are misusing this resource.
Nearly 1/3 of the country is overusing groundwater. Similarly, if crude oil is extracted
at the present rate, the reserves would last only 50 years.
3. Responsibilities towards future generations: there is a need to use resources
sustainably and wisely so we can save it for future generations as “We have not
inherited the world from our forefather. We have borrowed it from our children”.
What is HDI?
HDI compares countries based on the educational levels of people, their health status and per
capita income. According to the human development report by UNDP, income is an inadequate
measure of level of development.
Definitions-
Infant mortality rate indicates the number of children that die before the age of one in a
given year per 1000 live births in the same year.
Net attendance ratio is the total number of children of age group 15-17 years attending
school as a percentage of the total number of children in the same age group.
Body mass index is used for measuring the nourishment level in a child. It is calculated by
dividing the weight in kg by the square of height in m and categorising them as normal
weight, underweight and overweight.
Per capita income is the total income of the country divided by the population of the
country. It tells us what an average person is likely to earn.
