DOHA MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL

Social Science
GRADE: 10 LESSON - 1
Economics
Chapter : Development
 All questions and answers needs to be revised for exam. Write only
question no 4, 6 and 7 in the Note Book.

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

Q1. Development of a country can generally be determined by

(i) its per capita income

(ii) its average literacy level
(iii) health status of its people
(iv) all the above

Ans- (iv) all the above

Q2. Which of the following neighbouring countries has better performance in

terms of human development than India?
(i) Bangladesh
(ii) Sri Lanka
(iii) Nepal
(iv) Pakistan

Ans- (ii) Sri Lanka

Q3. Assume there are four families in a country. The average per capita income of these
families is Rs 5000. If the income of three families is Rs 4000, Rs 7000 and Rs 3000
respectively, what is the income of the fourth family?
(i) Rs 7500
(ii) Rs 3000
(iii) Rs 2000
(iv) Rs 6000

Ans- (iii) Rs 6000

Q4. What is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries?
What are the limitations of this criterion, if any?

Ans-

 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.

According to the WDR 2006, countries are classified as mentioned below :

 Rich countries : Countries with per capita income of $4,53,000 per annum and
above in 2004 are called rich countries
 Low-income countries : Countries with per capita income of $37,000 or less are
called low-income countries.
 India comes in the category of low-income countries because its per capita
income in 2004 was just $ 28,000 per annum.
 Rich countries, excluding countries of Middle East and certain other small
countries are generally called developed countries.

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.

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

Ans-

1. The criterion used by World Bank: The average income, i.e. per capita income is
the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries.
According to the World Development Report 2006, published by the World Bank,
countries with per capita income of $10066 per annum and above in 2004 are
 called rich or developed countries. On the other hand, countries with per capita
income of $825 or less are called low-income countries.
2. The UNDP compares countries based on HDI e., on the educational levels of the
people, their health status and per capital income or average income.
3. Human Development Index used by UNDP is better because it is a wider indicator
in which besides per capital income, health and education are also included.

Q6. Why do we use averages? Are there any limitations to their use? Illustrate
with your own examples related to the development.

Ans- We use averages for comparison between two countries, two persons or any two
or more things.

There are the following limitations to the use of averages :

 Averages do not tell us about similarities or differences between two countries or

persons or things.
 By averages only one aspect income, size etc. in case of country, marks or
participation in sports activities etc. in case of student, can be compared. All
aspects or achievements are not compared.
 As only one aspect is compared, it does not give true picture of different countries,
persons or things. For example, students differ in height, health, talents and
interests. The healthiest student may not be the most intelligent or topper in
studies. Similar is the case in respect of countries or states. A country may be
ahead than the other country in one field but may lag behind in the other field. So
averages do not give the correct picture.

Q7. Kerala, with lower per capita income, has a better human development
ranking than Punjab. Hence, per capita income is not a useful criterion at all and
should not be used to compare states. Do you agree? Discuss.

Ans-

It is correct to say that per capita income is not a useful criterion at all and should
not be used to compare states due to reasons as mentioned below :

 Money cannot buy all the goods and services that you need to live well. Income by
itself is not a completely adequate indicator of material goods and services that
citizens are able to use.
 There cannot be a pollution-free environment in a colony of rich people unless the
whole community takes preventive steps.
  Sometimes, it is better to have collective services like security for the whole
locality than to have individual security for one’s own house. Again a school may
be opened for the children of the whole community than for one or two children of
a rich person.
 Kerala has a better human development ranking than Punjab.
 In Kerala, Infant Mortality Rate is 11 in comparison to 49 in Punjab, where the per
capita income is much more than Kerala. It is $26000 whereas in Kerala it is
$22800. It is because Kerala has adequate basic health and educational facilities.
 Similarly in some states, the Public Distribution System (PDS) functions well and
people get ration regularly whereas in some states ration shops do not function
properly. At such places, people face a shortage of grains that affect their health.
Thus it is clear that the states should not be compared on the basis of per capita
income – alone.

Q8. 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?

Ans- The present sources of energy that are used by the people of India are electricity,
coal, crude oil, cow dung and solar energy. Other possibilities fifty years from now,
could include ethanol, bio-diesel, nuclear energy and better utilization of wind energy,
especially with the imminent danger of oil resources running out.

Q9. Why is the issue of sustainability is important for development?

Ans- Sustainable development means that development should meet 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, a number of scientists have
been warning that the present type and levels of development are not sustainable. The
issue of sustainable development has emerged from rapid industrialization of the world
in the past century. It is felt that economic growth and industrialization have led to the
reckless exploitation of natural resources. On the other hand, the stock of natural
resources are limited. So, the growth of all countries in the future is likely to be
endangered if the limited resources are completely exhausted.

Under these circumstances, the issue of sustainability has become important for
development. A number of resources are being overused. For example, groundwater is
under serious threat of overuse in many parts of the country i.e., Punjab, Haryana and
western U.P. The water level has declined over 4 meters. As a result of it if we go on
overusing there will be a water crisis in future. Similarly, if non-renewable resources are
used recklessly these will also be exhausted.
Q10. “The Earth has enough resources to meet the need of all but not enough to
satisfy the greed of even one person.” How is this statement relevant to the
discussion of development? Discuss.

Ans- This statement is relevant to the discussion of development since both resources
and development go hand in hand. As the statement claims, our earth has enough
resources – renewable and non-renewable to satisfy everyone’s need if we use them in
an economic manner. For the sustainability of development, the consumption and
maintenance of resources is also crucial. We have to use the resources keeping our
environment protected and clear so that there is a balance between the development
and use of our resources. As otherwise after a certain point of time in future the
development will be stagnated.

Q11. List a few examples of environmental degradation that you may have
observed around you.

Ans-
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.

12. For each of the items given in Table 1.6, find out which country is at the top
and which is at the bottom.
Ans-

(i) Per Capita Income in US$: Top country - Sri Lanka; Bottom country - Myanmar
(ii) Life Expectancy at birth: Top country - Sri Lanka; Bottom country - Myanmar
(iii) Literacy Rate for 15+ yrs population: Top country - Sri Lanka; Bottom country -
Bangladesh
(iv) Gross Enrolment Ratio for three levels: Top country - Sri Lanka; Bottom country -
Pakistan
(v) HDI Rank in the world: Top country - Sri Lanka; Bottom country - Nepal

13. The following table shows the proportion of undernourished adults in India. It
is based on a survey of various states for the year 2001. Look at the table and
answer the following questions.
(i) Compare the nutritional level of people in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

(ii) Can you guess why around 40 per cent of people in the country are undernourished
even though it is argued that there is enough food in the country? Describe in your own
words.

Ans-

(i) The nutritional level of people of Kerala is quite higher than the people – both males
and females of Madhya Pradesh. Their ratio of the under-nourished is less than that of
Madhya Pradesh.

(ii) There is enough food in the country, even then 40% of the people in the country
are undernourished because:
→ A large number of people are so poor that they cannot afford nutritious food.
→ In most of the states, the Public Distribution System (PDS) does not function
properly and the poor people cannot get cheap food items.
→ There is lack of educational and health facilities in many parts of the country. So
many people remain backward and poor. As such, they are unable to get nutritious
food.