HUMAN.

GEO-XII-3
Human Development
I. Introduction:

 Growth and development are common changes observed in various aspects around us.

 The chapter focuses on the concept of human development concerning nations and
communities.

 A fundamental question is whether growth and development are the same and if they
always occur together.

II. Growth and Development: Distinction and Relationship:

 Growth: Refers to quantitative changes over a period. It is value-neutral, meaning it can be

positive (increase) or negative (decrease). Example: Increase in a city's population.

 Development: Refers to qualitative changes that are always value-positive. Development

requires an increment or addition to existing conditions.

 Relationship: Development occurs when positive growth leads to a positive change in

quality. However, positive growth does not always lead to development. Example: A city's
population can grow without improvements in housing or basic services, indicating growth
without development.

 Historically, a country's development was often solely measured by its economic growth
(bigger economy = more developed). This approach failed to reflect the changes in the lives
of most people.

III. Human Development: Concept and Meaning:

 The idea that the quality of life, opportunities, and freedoms people enjoy are crucial
aspects of development gained prominence in the late eighties and early nineties.

 The works of South Asian economists Mahbub-ul-Haq and Amartya Sen are significant in
this regard.

 The concept of human development was introduced by Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq.

 Dr. Haq defined human development as development that enlarges people’s choices and
improves their lives.

 In this concept, people are central to all development.

 These choices are not static but keep changing.

 The basic goal of development is to create conditions where people can live meaningful
lives.

 A meaningful life involves more than just longevity; it includes health, the ability to develop
talents, participation in society, and freedom to achieve goals.
  Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq described development as enlarging people’s choices to lead long,
healthy lives with dignity.

 Prof. Amartya Sen viewed an increase in freedom (or decrease in unfreedom) as the
primary objective of development. He also highlighted that increasing freedoms is an
effective way to bring about development. His work emphasizes the role of social and
political institutions in enhancing freedom.

 The works of Haq and Sen are pathbreaking for placing people at the center of development
discussions.

IV. Key Areas in Human Development:

 Leading a long and healthy life, gaining knowledge, and having enough means for a decent
life are the most important aspects of human development.

 Therefore, access to resources, health, and education are the key areas.

 Often, people lack the capability and freedom to make basic choices due to various factors
like lack of knowledge, poverty, social discrimination, and inefficient institutions.

 Building people’s capabilities in health, education, and access to resources is crucial for
enlarging their choices. Limited capabilities restrict choices.

V. The Four Pillars of Human Development:

 The concept of human development is supported by four pillars:

o Equity: Providing equal access to opportunities for everyone, irrespective of gender,

race, income, or caste. This is often not the reality. Example: Higher dropout rates
among women and backward groups in India limiting their choices.

o Sustainability: Ensuring continuity in the availability of opportunities for each

generation. This requires using environmental, financial, and human resources
responsibly for future generations. Example: Importance of educating girls to ensure
future opportunities for them.

o Productivity: Refers to human labour productivity or efficiency. It needs constant

enrichment through building people's capabilities (knowledge and health). People
are the real wealth of nations.

o Empowerment: Means having the power to make choices, which comes from
increased freedom and capability. Good governance and people-oriented policies are
essential for empowerment, especially for disadvantaged groups.

VI. Approaches to Human Development:

 There are different ways of looking at human development:

o Income Approach: Views human development as linked to income levels. Higher

income implies greater freedom and thus higher human development. This is one of
the oldest approaches.
 o Welfare Approach: Sees human beings as beneficiaries of development activities. It
advocates for higher government spending on education, health, social security, and
amenities. People are considered passive recipients.

o Basic Needs Approach: Proposed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It

focuses on providing six basic needs: health, education, food, water supply,
sanitation, and housing. It often ignores the aspect of human choices and
emphasizes provision to defined sections.

o Capability Approach: Associated with Prof. Amartya Sen. It emphasizes building

human capabilities in health, education, and access to resources as the key to
increasing human development. It is a non-income measure.

VII. Measuring Human Development:

 The Human Development Index (HDI) ranks countries based on their performance in health,
education, and access to resources.

 Rankings are based on a score between 0 and 1.

 Indicators used:

o Health: Life expectancy at birth (higher = better).

o Education: Adult literacy rate and gross enrolment ratio (higher = better access to
knowledge).

o Access to Resources: Measured by purchasing power (in U.S. dollars).

 Each dimension has a weightage of 1/3 in calculating the HDI.

 A score closer to 1 indicates a higher level of human development.

 HDI measures attainments in human development but doesn't reflect distribution.

 The Human Poverty Index measures the shortfall in human development, considering
factors like the probability of not surviving till 40, adult illiteracy, lack of access to clean
water, and underweight children. It can be more revealing than HDI.

 Looking at both HDI and HPI provides a more accurate picture of human development.

 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been publishing the Human
Development Report annually since 1990, providing rank-wise lists of countries based on
HDI.

 Bhutan officially uses Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a measure of progress, considering
spiritual, non-material, and qualitative aspects alongside material progress.

VIII. International Comparisons:

 International comparisons of human development are insightful.

 Size of territory and per capita income are not directly related to human development.
Smaller or relatively poorer nations can have higher HDI ranks than larger or richer
 neighbors. Examples: Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago have higher HDI ranks than India.
Kerala performs better than Punjab and Gujarat despite lower per capita income.

 Countries are classified into four groups based on HDI scores: Very High (above 0.800), High
(0.700-0.799), Medium (0.550-0.699), and Low (below 0.549).

 Countries with very high HDI (e.g., Norway, Ireland, Switzerland) often have high investment
in the social sector and good governance. Many were former imperial powers with relatively
low social diversity.

 Medium HDI countries form the largest group, many emerging after WWII or the break-up of
the Soviet Union. They often have higher social diversity and are rapidly improving due to
people-oriented policies and reduced social discrimination.

 Low HDI countries are often small and face political turmoil, social instability (civil war,
famine, diseases), requiring urgent attention to their human development needs.

 Low or high levels of human development should be understood by examining government

expenditure on the social sector, the political environment, and the amount of freedom
people have, rather than attributing it to culture or religion.

 Countries with high HDI invest more in social sectors and have greater political stability and
equitable resource distribution. Low HDI countries tend to spend more on defence and face
political instability, hindering economic development.

 India's HDI rank was 126 in 2006 and fell to 131 in 2020.

Expected Prelims and Mains Questions:

Prelims (Multiple Choice Questions):

1. Which of the following best describes 'development' according to the chapter? (a) An
increase in size (b) A constant in size (c) A positive change in quality (d) A simple change in
quality

2. The concept of Human Development was primarily introduced by: (a) Prof. Amartya Sen (b)
Ellen C. Semple (c) Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq (d) Ratzel

3. Which of the following is NOT considered one of the key areas of human development as per
the chapter? (a) Health (b) Education (c) Access to Resources (d) Political Stability

4. Which of the following is a value-neutral concept according to the chapter? (a) Development
(b) Growth (c) Empowerment (d) Equity

5. The Human Development Index (HDI) is published annually by: (a) The World Bank (b) The
International Monetary Fund (c) The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (d)
The World Economic Forum
Mains (Descriptive Questions):

6. Differentiate between economic growth and human development. Explain why a focus solely
on economic growth might not lead to overall development.

7. Discuss the key pillars of human development as highlighted in the chapter. How do these
pillars contribute to enlarging people's choices?

8. Critically analyze the different approaches to human development discussed in the chapter.
Which approach do you find most comprehensive and why?

9. Explain how the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Human Poverty Index provide
different but complementary perspectives on the level of development in a country.

10. "International comparisons of human development reveal that high economic growth does
not necessarily translate into high human development." Elaborate on this statement with
examples from the chapter.

11. What factors, according to the chapter, significantly influence the level of human
development in a country? Discuss with reference to examples or general observations.

Facts, Definitions, and Formulas:

Facts:

 The concept of human development was introduced by Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq.

 Dr. Haq and Prof. Amartya Sen collaborated on the initial Human Development Reports.

 The Human Development Index (HDI) was created in 1990 by Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq.

 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has published the Human
Development Report annually since 1990.

 The HDI ranges from 0 to 1.

 The HDI considers three key dimensions: health, education, and access to resources.

 Bhutan is the only country to officially use Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a measure of
progress.

 India's HDI rank in 2020 was 131.

Definitions:

 Growth: Quantitative and value-neutral change over time.

 Development: Qualitative and value-positive change over time, requiring an increment to

existing conditions.

 Human Development: Development that enlarges people’s choices and improves their lives
(Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq). Also seen as an increase in freedom (Prof. Amartya Sen).

 Equity: Equal access to opportunities for everyone.

 Sustainability: Continuity in the availability of opportunities across generations.

 Productivity (in human development): Human labour productivity enriched by building

capabilities.

 Empowerment: Having the power to make choices through increased freedom and
capability.

 Human Development Index (HDI): A composite index ranking countries based on health (life
expectancy), education (literacy and enrolment), and access to resources (purchasing
power).

 Human Poverty Index: An index measuring the shortfall in human development based on
factors like premature mortality, illiteracy, and lack of access to basic services.

 Capability (in Capability Approach): People's ability to lead lives they have reason to value,
enhanced by health, education, and access to resources.