CLASS - X

CHAPTER 1 ( ECONOMICS)
DEVELOPMENT

Q1. What is development ?

It means the growth of an economy along with the improvement in non-

economic goals such as health,education, peace etc.
Development is a comprehensive term which includes increase in the
per capita income, improvement in living standard of people, reduction
in poverty,illiteracy etc

Q2. Write the development goals of different categories of people.

Table 1.1 DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF

PERSONS
Category of person Development Goals/Aspirations
Landless rural labourers More days of work and better wages; local
school is able to provide quality education for
their children; there is no social discrimination
and they too can become leaders in the village.
Prosperous farmers from Punjab Assured a high family income through higher
support prices for their crops and through
hardworking and cheap labourers; they should
be able to settle their children abroad.
Farmers who depend only on rain There should be availability and creation of
for growing crops irrigation facilities; generation of employment in
the non-farm sector.

A rural woman from a land- Less gender discrimination; should be able to

owning family participate in decision-making by family; a little
more independent space.

Urban unemployed youth Generation of more and high-wage job

opportunities to acquire more skills.
A boy from a rich urban family. Availability of hi-tech consumer goods,
opportunity to study abroad and earn high
income.

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 A girl from a rich urban family She gets as much freedom as her brother and is
able to decide what she wants to do in life. She
is able to pursue her studies abroad.

An Adivasi from Narmada valley Stable resettlement with an income earning

opportunity, medication for self and family,
Education facilities for children.

Q3. Write down/describe the characteristics or features of

development.

1. Different people can have different developmental goals.

2. Income is a major component of development.

 National Income is defined as the total value of all the goods and
services produced within a country plus net income from abroad.

 When the total income is divided by the total population, it is called

the per capita income.

3. What may be development for one may not be development for the
other. It may even be destructive for the other.

4. For development people tend to look at a mix of goals for their

development. It includes not only better income, but also other
important things in life such as freedom, dignity, equality, job security,
good working atmosphere, opportunity to learn etc

Q4. ‘Different people can have different developmental goals.’

OR
‘Development for one may not be development for the other. It may
even be destructive for the other.’

The notion of development or progress is different for different people.

Each one of them seeks different things. They seek things that are most

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important for them. Two persons or groups of person may seek things
which are conflicting.

Example 1. A girl expects as much freedom and opportunity as her

brother, and that he also shares in the household work. Her brother may
not like this.

2. To get more electricity, industrialists may want more dams. More

dams means more and cheaper power. But this may submerge the land
and disrupt the 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.

3. More wages means development for a worker, but it can go against

the entrepreneur.

4. A rich farmer or trader wants to sell foodgrains at a higher price but a

poor worker wants to purchase it at lower price.

Q5. What is one common thing that people usually desire ?

One common thing that people usually desire are

 Regular work
 Better Wages
 Decent price for their crops that they produce
In other words, they want more income.

Q6. Besides income, what are other things people may look for growth
and development ?
OR
‘For development people look at a mix of goals.’ Support the
statement with examples.

1. Besides seeking more income, one way or the other, people also seek
things like equal treatment, freedom, security and respect of others.
They resent discrimination.

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2. In some cases, these may be more important than more income or
more consumption because material goods are not all that you need to
have. Friends play an important role in our lives.

3. Similarly, for development, people look at a mix of goals. For example:

 If there is respect for women, there would be more sharing of

housework and a greater acceptance of women working outside.

 A safe and secure environment may allow more women to take up a

variety of jobs or run a business.

 People also need political rights.

 People seek a pollution-free environment.

Hence, the developmental goals that people have are not only about
better income but also about other important things in life.

Q7. Describe the concept of National Development.

National Development implies the development of the nation as a

whole. National Development refers to the ability of the country to
improve the social welfare of the people. For eg, by providing social
amenities, potable water, transportation, infrastructure and medical
care.

Q8. How is National Development different from individual

development ? What aspects are covered under National Development
?

1. Under individual development, more stress is laid on the

development, whereas under National Development, the government
decides what would be a fair and just path for all.

2. Under National Development, only those programmes and policies are

implemented which would benefit the large number of people and not a
small group. There should be increase in per capita income in such a way
that the gap between the rich and poor be minimum. Citizens should be

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provided amenities such as better health and medical care, potable
water, transportation,infrastructure and education facilities.

 Under National Development, it is very important to decide about

the conflicts and their solutions.
 Under National Development, we have to think if there is a better
way of doing things.

Q9. What is considered to be one of the most important attribute for

comparing countries ?

For comparing countries, their income is considered to be one of the

most important attributes.

Q10. What is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying
different countries? What are the limitations of this criterion ‘per
capita income used by World Bank’ , if any ? (Q4 of NCERT)

1. Per Capita Income or Average Income is the main criterion used by the
World Bank to classify different countries as developed or high
income/Rich countries and under developed or low- income countries.

2. The Per Capita Income or Average Income is calculated by dividing the

total income of the country by its total population. According to the
World Development Reports, countries with Per Capita Income of US
$49,300 per annum and above in 2019, are called high income or rich
countries and those with Per Capita Income of US $ 2500 or less are
called low-income countries.

3. India comes in the category of low middle income countries because

it’s Per Capita Income in 2019 was just US $ 6700 per annum.

4. The rich countries, excluding countries of Middle East and certain

other small countries are generally called developed countries.

LIMITATIONS OF THE CRITERION

1. While Average Income is useful for comparison, it does not tell us

how the income is distributed among the countries. A country may

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have more equitable distribution, or people may be either very rich to
extremely poor. So, the method of Average Income does not give a
correct picture of the country. This system hides the disparities among
the people.

2. It considers economic aspects only. It does not measure various

facilities and services that influence the quality of life such as health
facilities, educational facilities, improved standard of living and equal
treatment.

3. It is affected by the size of the population. Even with the large

national income,Per Capita Income will be low if a country has a large
population.

Q11. In what respects is the criterion used by the UNDP for measuring
development different from the one used by the World Bank? (Q5 of
NCERT)

1. The UNDP compares the development of the countries based on

Human Development Index(HDI) based on the educational levels of the
people, their health status and Per Capita Income. On the other hand,
the World Bank compares the development of the countries on the basis
of Per Capita Income or Average Income only.

2. On the basis of comparison done by UNDP, the countries are ranked

as first,second, third and so on, whereas on the basis of comparison
done by the World Bank, the countries are divided in three categories
 Rich/Developed/High - Income countries
 Middle Income or developing countries
 Poor/Under-Developed /Low-Income countries

3. Human Development Index (HDI) used by the UNDP is better, because

it is a broader concept of development in which besides per capita
income, health and education are also included whereas the World Bank
has a comparatively narrow concept of development.

Q12. Distinguish between developed countries and developing

countries.

S.No DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

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1. They are the countries that They are the countries on the
have developed themselves and path of development.
have higher income with high
standards of living. Example: Agricultural
economies like India.
Example: Industrialized
economies like USA.
2. In a developed country, per In a developing country, per
capita income is high. capita income is low and there
is widespread poverty.
3. Equitable distribution of income Unequitable distribution of
& the standard of living is high. income & the standard of
living is low.
4. Increase in production because Not rapid increase in
of technological facilities. The production because of old or
level of efficiency and obsolete technological
productivity is high. facilities. The level of efficiency
and productivity is low.
5. The rate of capital formation is The rate of capital formation is
high. low.
6. High literacy rate, low infant Low literacy rate, high infant
mortality rate and low death mortality rate, high death rate
rate while high life expectancy along with low life expectancy
rate. High Human Development rate. Low Human
Index. Development Index.

Q13. Why do we use averages ? Are there any limitations to their use ?
Illustrate with your own examples related to development. (Q6 of
NCERT)

Average is a single value which summarizes the characteristics of mass of

data. Since countries have different populations, total income does not
tell us what an average person is likely to earn. This is known by average
income. That is why we use average or average income for measuring
income for measuring development.

LIMITATIONS

 An average is influenced by extreme values.

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 Average income does not tell us how this income is distributed
among the people.

For example, students differ in height, health talent and interest. The
healthiest student may not be the most intelligent in studies. Similar is
the case if countries or states are compared. A country may be ahead of
other country in one field and behind it in another field. So, averages do
not give a correct picture. This criterion does not produce a clear picture
of the developmental status of a country.

INCOME AND OTHER CRITERIA

Q14. 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 be used to compare states. Do you
agree? Discuss. (Q7 of NCERT)

 Kerala has better Human Development Ranking because it has more

investment in human resources than Haryana. Hence, per capita
income should not be used to compare states. It is true that per
capita income is not the only criterion behind human development.

 Factors like infant mortality rate, literacy rate and net attendance
ratio are also very crucial for overall human development.

 Kerala is better than Haryana because it has adequate provision of

health and education facilities.

 However, if we are interested only in comparing two or more states

in terms of production and income generated, then per capita
income is an important criterion.

PUBLIC FACILITIES

Q15. (A) What are public facilities ? Why are they important ?

Public facilities are those facilities and services which are required for
society or for public to lead a better life. They are generally provided by

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government and not by individuals or private sectors. They are highly
subsidized so that every-one-rich or poor can avail them.

1. Public facilities are important for a better quality of life. Example:

Pollution free environment and better transport.

2. It is the cheapest way and the best way to provide goods and
facilitites to the people.

3. It develops the national feeling and a sense of collective responsibility.

Public facilities available in India are Public Distribution System (PDS),

Public Transport, hospitals, police and government colleges and schools.

Q15. (B) “Money in your pocket cannot buy all the goods and services
that you may need to live well.” Explain.

 Money cannot buy us pollution-free environment or ensure that we

get unadulterated medicines.

 Money cannot buy us a disease - free life and might not be able to
get protection from infectious diseases unless the whole of our
community takes preventive steps.

 Besides money, people also like to have equal treatment in the

society, freedom, dignity and honor in their lives, which money
cannot buy them.

Q15. (C) Why does Kerala have a low infant-mortality rate ?

Kerala has a low infant-mortality rate because it has adequate provisions

of basic health and education facilities.

Q16. (A) What is Body Mass Index (BMI) ?

One way to find out if adults are undernourished is to calculate what

nutrition scientists call Body Mass Index (BMI). This is easy to calculate.
Take the weight of the person in kg. Then take the height in metres.
Divide the weight by the square of the height. If this figure is less than
18.5 then the person would be considered undernourished. However, if

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this BMI is more than 25, then a person is overweight. It should be
remembered that this criterion is not applicable to growing children.

Q16. (B) Suggest any 3 ways to maintain Body Mass Index.

1.Eat healthy and nutritious food.

2.Self-monitoring.
3.Regular exercise.
.

Q17. Name the organisation that brings out the Human Development
Report.

The Human Development Report (HDR) is published by UNDP. It

compares countries based on education levels of people, their health
status and per capita income.

Q18. What is the criterion used by UNDP for classifying countries?

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has used the

criterion of Human Development Index (HDI) to measure the
development of countries. The criteria used to calculate HDI to classify
countries into three levels is as follows:

1.Per capita income

2.Purchasing power parity in US dollars

3.Life expectancy at birth

4.Literacy rate of population

5.Gross enrollment ratio

India’s rank is 130 as published in the Human Development Report (HDI).

Q19. (A) Define Human Development Index (HDI). (VIMP)

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1. Human Development Index (HDI) is the cumulative measurement of
the overall development of the people of a country It is an indicator
of the level of human development achieved by a country with
respect to health, literacy and standard of living.

2. It may be defined as a process of widening of people’s choices as

well as raising the level of well-being.

3. The concept of HDI goes beyond income and growth to cover all
human choices. It puts people at the centre stage and covers all
aspects of human development, with the object of improving the
condition of people from all angles. It is a broader approach to
development. HDI ranks in the world are for 188 countries in all.

Q19. (B) Mention three components of measuring HDI. (IMP)

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH

It denotes the average expected length of life of a person at the time of

birth.

PER CAPITA INCOME

Per Capita Income also called Average Income is calculated by dividing

the total income of the country by its total population. It is calculated in
dollars for all the countries so that it can be compared easily. It is also
done in a way that every dollar would buy the same amount of goods
and services in any country.

LITERACY RATE

Education is one of the most important criteria for the development of a

country. LITERACY RATE measures the proportion of literate populations
in the age group of 7 years and above age group.

GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIO (FOR THREE LEVELS)

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It means enrollment ratio for primary schools, secondary schools (till
class 12) and higher education beyond secondary level.

Q19. (C) What is the significance of HDI?

1. It indicates the level of development of the country.

2.It indicates to a country how far it has travelled and how far it has yet
to travel to achieve a higher rank.

3.Through HDI, one comes to know about the important elements of

economic welfare like life expectancy, level of education and per capita
income.

Q20. Why is the per capita income calculated in dollars?

Per capita income is calculated in dollars for all the countries so that it
can be compared easily. It is also done in a way that every dollar would
buy the same amount of goods and services for any country.

Q21. Distinguish between Human Development Report and World

Development Report.

S.No HUMAN DEVELOPMENT WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT

REPORT
1. It is a yearly report published It is published yearly by the
by UNDP (United Nations World Bank.
Development Program)
2. It is based on the notion that It is based on the notion that
development implies overall development implies rise in per
good quality life. capita income and growth in the
economy.
3. Its parameters are good It includes per capita Income.
education, health facilities and
per capita income.
4. It includes literacy rate, life It includes GDP, National

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 expectancy, infant-mortality Income and per capita Income
rate etc. to determine the
status of development of a
particular area, region or
country.
5. It is the qualitative aspect of It is the quantitative aspect of
development. the development.

Q22. Define the following terms

(A) 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.

(B) Literacy Rate measures the proportion of literate population in the

7-and-above age group.

(C) 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

SUSTAINABILITY OF DEVELOPMENT PAGE 14

Q23. (A) Find out present sources of energy used by people in India.
(also, Q8 of NCERT)

The present sources of energy used by the people of India are:

CONVENTIONAL SOURCES

Coal, petroleum, natural gas, electricity

NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES

Solar energy, wind energy, energy produced by using bio-gas,

geothermal energy, tidal energy and wave energy.

Q23. (B)What could be possibilities fifty years from now?

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POSITION OF ENERGY AFTER FIFTY YEARS IN INDIA

The position of energy in India after about 50 years will not be good due
to the reasons as mentioned below:

1.The consumption of non-renewable resources at present is very high in

comparison to production and reserves.

2.The reserves for the world as a whole would last for 50 years.

3.Countries like India depend on importing oil from abroad, because

they do not have enough stock of their own.

4.If price of oil increases, it becomes a burden on the country’s finances.

India too has spent a lot of foreign exchange for
importing oil and petroleum and its products. It is putting heavy
strain on India’s economic development. However, India has many
advantages due to its geographical features.

5. Thus, India could be in a better position to face the energy crisis, if

any, as mentioned below:

 There should be judicious utilisation of the abundant renewable

energy resources, such as biomass energy, solar energy, wind energy
and geothermal energy.
 Apart from augmenting the energy supply, renewable resources will
help India in mitigating climate change.
 Solar power has got tremendous potential of energy that can be
harnessed. Solar energy systems are available for industrial and
domestic use with the added advantage of minimum maintenance.
Solar energy could be made financially viable with government tax
incentives and rebates.
 Wind energy is one of the most efficient alternative energy sources.
India now ranks as a ‘wind superpower’, having a net potential of
about 45000 MW only from 13 identified states. India has
a huge hydro power potential, out of which around 20% has been
realised so far.

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Biomass energy can play a major role in reducing India’s reliance of fossil
fuels by making use of thermo-chemical conversion technologies.

Q24. Why is the issue of sustainability important for development?

(Extremely Important) (also Q9 of NCERT)

OR

Why is the issue of sustainability important for development? Explain

the importance of sustainable development with reference to
groundwater by giving an example.

1. Sustainable Development means a development in a manner that

does not damage the environment and satisfies the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their needs. However, since the second half of the twentieth
century, there have been warnings that the present type, and levels,
of development are not sustainable.

2. The issue of sustainable development has emerged from rapid

industrialisation of the world in the past century. It is felt that the
economic growth and industrialisation have led to excessive
exploitation and overuse of natural resources.

3. So, the growth of all countries in the future is likely to be

endangered if the non-renewable resources are used recklessly.
Under these circumstances, the issue of sustainability has become
important as it seeks to stop over-exploitation and over-use of
resources and raises the level of development without increasing
compromising the quality of life of future generations Sustainability
is the capability to use the resources judiciously and maintain the
ecological balance. It is used for both developed as well as
under-.developed economies. It lays extra emphasis on
environmental protection and checks environmental degradation.

For example, Groundwater is under serious threat of overuse in many

parts of the country, i.e., Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
The water level has declined over four metres. As a result, if we go on
overusing it, there will be a

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water crisis in the future. Similarly, if nonrenewable resources are used
recklessly, they will also get exhausted.

STUDY EXAMPLE 1: GROUND WATER IN INDIA PAGE 14

Q25. (A) Why ground water is overused?

Groundwater is overused due to uncertainty of monsoon and scarcity of

water in rock plateau region of central and south India. Again, the
agriculturally rich regions of Punjab and Western UP grow water
intensive crops. Rapidly growing urban settlements are also a measure
reason of ground water overuse.

Q25. (B) Can there be development without overuse?

Yes, development may be possible without overuse of ground water. We

should use it judiciously keeping in view the sustainability of
development. Development particularly in agriculture can take place if
there are sufficient canals to fulfill the requirement of water for
agriculture.

Q26. (A) Is crude oil essential for the development process in a

country? Discuss.

Yes, it is. Crude oil is essential for the development process in a country.
It not only provides petrol and diesel for transportation its by-products
are more useful than these. It provides domestic fuel (LPG) which is
essential for the community.

Q26 (B) India has to import crude oil. What problems do you anticipate
for the country looking at the above situation?

India does not have enough stocks of its own, so it has to import crude
oil. But in present scenario, the crude oil reserves of world would last
only 43 years more. It is an alarming situation from Indian viewpoint. But
India is rich in various other potential sources of non-conventional
energy like solar energy, wind energy, hydro-electricity, thermal energy,
tidal energy and so on. India’s largest coal reserves sufficient for several
years, can be used to generate energy. These sources need to be

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harnessed efficiently. So, if we use our existing resources judiciously and
harness the available resources efficiently, there won’t be any problem.

Q27. “The earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all, but
not enough to satisfy the greed of all.” Explain. (also, Q10 of NCERT)

1. Human wants and aspirations are unlimited, but resources required to

satisfy the wants are limited in supply. Our earth has provided us enough
resources, but nowadays humans are so greedy that for their progress
and development, they readily succumb to activities such as
deforestation and extraction of excess groundwater. The reckless
exploitation of these resources may lead to their exhaustion and may
damage the environment.

2. In such a situation, if these resources are utilised irrationally, it will

hamper the development process in all countries of the world, because
fossil fuels, minerals etc. are limited in nature.

3. The reckless use of minerals may disturb the balance of nature.

Therefore, human beings should keep a check on their uncontrolled use
of resources, for the earth has enough resources to meet their needs,
but certainly not enough to satisfy their greed.

Q28. ‘Consequences of environmental degradation do not respect

national or state boundaries.’ Justify the given statement.

Environment is degraded through the depletion of resources like air,

water and soil. It leads to the destruction of the ecosystem and
extinction of wildlife. It is now a global issue and has been debated over
decades.
Environmental degradation is not restricted to the nation or state
boundaries. Its consequences have been felt in the surrounding states
and the neighbouring countries and sometimes globally.
 Pollution in one country may affect the other in the form of acid
rains, climate change etc.
 Deforestation in some countries may disturb the rainfall pattern in
the surrounding countries.
 Land degradation affects the agricultural productivity of the land as
well as food security.

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 Addition of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is responsible for
increase in temperature. It affects all the parts of the world.
 Addition of Chlorofluorocarbons in atmosphere is responsible for
ozone depletion.
That’s why today environmental protection is a major issue which is
taken seriously by almost all the countries.

Q29. List a few examples of environmental degradation that you may

have observed around you. (Q7 of NCERT)

1. Land Degradation: There is a serious problem of land degradation and

soil erosion around me. Nearly 53% of the total land area in India is
suffering from serious land degradation. The annual soil loss from
erosion is tremendous that has disastrous consequences.

2. Decline in groundwater: Groundwater is under serious threat of

overuse in many parts of my locality.

3. Deforestation: India’s forest have been viciously attacked and

destroyed especially since independence. The forests change into
factories, residential and commercial buildings which produce more
heat, noise and pollution and bring environmental degradation.

4. Mining: Mining activities have been destroying land, water, forest and
air which result in environmental degradation.

5. Air pollution: Industrialisation and urbanization has led to air

pollution. Some chemical gases are directly poisonous while other gases
damage the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

6.Water pollution: Water pollution is a result of discharge of untreated

water from industry, domestic sewage and fertilizers or pesticides run-
off from agriculture fields.

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