Economics Chapter – 1: Development

1. Why do different people have different notions of development? Which of the following explanations are
more important and why?
(a) Because people are different. (b) Because the life situations of people are different.

2. Do the following two statements mean the same? Justify your answer.
(a) People have different developmental goals. (b) People have conflicting developmental goals

3. Development of a country can generally be determined by

4. Give some examples where factors other than income are important aspects of our lives.

5. What can be some of the developmental goals for your village, town or locality?

6. Give three examples where an average is used for comparing situations.

7. Why do you think average income is an important criterion for development? Explain.

8. Besides the size of per capita income, what other property of income is important in comparing two or more
societies?

9. Suppose records show that the average income in a country has been increasing over a period of time. From
this, can we conclude that all sections of the economy have become better? Illustrate your answer with an
example.

10. From the text, find out the per capita income level of low-income countries as per World Development
Reports.

11. Write a paragraph on your notion of what should India do or achieve to become a developed country.

12. Define the Public Distribution System.

13. What are the examples where the collective provision of goods and services is cheaper than individual
provision?

14. Does the availability of good health and educational facilities depend only on the amount of money spent by
the government on these facilities? What other factors could be relevant?

15. In Tamil Nadu, 90% of the people living in rural areas use a ration shop, whereas in West Bengal, only 35%
of rural people do so. Where would people be better off and why?

17. Is crude oil essential for the development process in a country? Discuss.

18. Explain the Human Development Report.

19. What is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries? What are the
limitations of this criterion, if any?
20. In what respects is the criterion used by the UNDP for measuring development different from the one used
by the World Bank?

21. Why do we use averages? Are there any limitations to their use? Illustrate with your own examples related
to development.

22. 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.

23. Find out the present sources of energy that are used by the people in India. What could be the other
possibilities fifty years from now?

24. “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

25. Explain the main criterion for comparing the development of different countries.

26. Describe any three possible development goals of landless rural labourers.

27. Mention any one limitation of per capita income as an indicator of development.

28. “Though the level of income is important, it is an inadequate measure of the level of development.” Justify
the statement.

1-Mark Questions
1. What is development?
2. Give one example of non-economic development.
3. What is per capita income?
4. Which organization publishes the Human Development Report?
5. What is the full form of HDI?
6. Name any two indicators of development.
7. Which country has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) ranking?
8. What is the literacy rate?
9. Why is sustainable development important?
10. What is the full form of IMF?

2-Mark Questions
11. How is development different for different people? Give an example.
12. Why is per capita income not a perfect measure of development?
13. What is the significance of life expectancy as a development indicator?
14. Explain the difference between economic and human development.
15. What are the limitations of using GDP as an indicator of development?
16. Why do developed countries have a high HDI ranking?
17. How do public facilities contribute to human development?
18. Why is sustainable development necessary for future generations?
19. Explain the relationship between education and development.
20. What role does the government play in ensuring economic development?
3-Mark Questions
21. How do we compare different countries or states based on development?
22. Discuss any three factors that affect the quality of life in a country.
23. Explain the importance of sustainable development with an example.
24. How can we say that income alone is not an adequate indicator of development?
25. What are the key differences between economic growth and economic development?
26. Explain how access to healthcare and education contributes to development.
27. Why do different people have different development goals? Give examples.
28. Discuss any three indicators used to measure Human Development Index (HDI).
29. How do environmental issues impact the development of a nation?
30. What are the major challenges faced by developing countries in achieving sustainable development?

1-Mark Questions

1. Give one reason why a rich country may not always be considered developed.
2. How does industrialization affect a country's development?
3. Why per capita income is considered a misleading indicator of development?
4. How does gender equality contribute to development?

2-Mark Questions
6. Explain how development can sometimes lead to environmental degradation.
7. Why do economists consider education and health as crucial indicators of development?
8. How do income inequalities impact the overall development of a country?
9. Why do countries with similar per capita incomes have different HDI rankings?
10. Suggest two ways in which the government can ensure sustainable development.
11. How does human development differ from economic development?
12. Why do we need to focus on both economic and non-economic aspects of development?
13. Explain the impact of climate change on sustainable development.
14. Why India is considered a developing country despite its growing economy?
15. Why country’s GDP not the sole factor in determining its development?

3-Mark Questions
16. "A high per capita income does not guarantee a high standard of living." Justify the statement with
examples.
17. How do government policies influence the development of a nation? Give three examples.
18. How can a balance be maintained between economic growth and environmental conservation?
19. Why do some states in India perform better in human development despite having lower per capita
incomes?
20. "Access to basic services like education and healthcare is more important than income for overall
development." Explain.
21. Compare and contrast the development challenges faced by India and a developed country like the USA.
22. How does gender disparity affect the overall development of a country?
23. What role do international organizations like UNDP and IMF play in the development of nations?
24. Explain how a country's political stability can impact its economic development.
25. Why is it important for India to focus on renewable energy sources for its development?