EVENTS CONVENT HIGH SCHOOL
21/08/2021 CLASS-10 SESSION2021-22(SLOT-1)
ECONOMICS
CHAPTER-1
DEVELOPMENT
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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
Answer:
(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
Answer:
(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
Answer:
(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?
(1)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.
(2) According to the WDR 2006,
countries are classified as mentioned below :
Rich countries : Countries with per
capital income of? 4,53,000 per annum and above in 2004 are called rich
countries
Low-income countries : Countries
with per capital income of? 37,000 or less are called low-income countries.
India comes in the category of
low-income countries because its per capital 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.
(3) Limitations of the criterion are
as mentioned below :
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
(1) We use averages for comparison
between two countries, two persons or any two or more things.
(2) 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.
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?
The present sources of energy that
are used by the people of India are electricity, coal, crude oil, cowdung 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?
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.
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.
Some of the examples of environmental degradation in the
area are as follows :
Air pollution has increased due to the
emission of smoke from factories and vehicles.
There is an increase in water
pollution due to shops and small factories in residential areas.
There is noise pollution due to the
use of loudspeakers at night and blowing of horns unnecessarily on the roads by
different vehicles.
People throw garbage wherever they
want. Perhaps there is no provision for dustbins in the streets or roadsides.
Sometimes people urinate in the open
on the roadside due to a lack of public conveniences.
