Development Class 10 Economics: Notes and Board Answers

What Development is about

Weightage: Economics carries 20 of the 80 theory marks; this chapter shares them with Sectors of the Indian Economy, Money and Credit and Globalisation and the Indian Economy.Source: CBSE Social Science syllabus 2026-27, Economics

In real board papers: asked in 21 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 5 marks per paper. See the questions

Key concepts

Different people, different and conflicting development goals

NCERT section What Development Promises — Different People, Different Goals

Development means getting closer to what you hope for in life. Since people live in very different situations, they hope for different things. A landless rural labourer wants more days of work, better wages, a good local school for their children and an end to social discrimination. A prosperous farmer from Punjab wants higher support prices for crops and cheap labour. A girl from a rich urban family wants the same freedom as her brother.

Goals are not only different. They can be conflicting: when one person gets what they want, another loses. Industrialists may want big dams for electricity. But dams can submerge land and displace people such as tribals, who may prefer small check dams or tanks. The protest against raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River shows this.

So keep two lessons in mind. People can want quite different things from development. And one group's progress can be another group's loss, sometimes even a serious harm.

Worked example

Show, with two examples from the chapter, how one group's development can harm another group. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. People seek what fulfils their own aspirations, and their life situations differ, so goals can clash. (1 mark)
2. Industrialists want more dams for electricity, but dams submerge land and displace people such as tribals, who would prefer small check dams or tanks. (1 mark)
3. A girl wants as much freedom as her brother and wants him to share housework; the brother may not like this. (1 mark)

Answer: Goals come from each person's life situation, so they can clash. Industrialists want big dams for more electricity, but dams submerge land and displace tribals, who prefer small check dams or tanks. A girl seeks freedom equal to her brother and wants him to share housework, which he may resent.

Income and other (non-material) goals

NCERT section Income and Other Goals

Look at what people want and you find one common wish: more income. Regular work, better wages and a decent price for crops all mean more money. Money matters because it buys the material things life depends on.

But people also want equal treatment, freedom, security and respect. They resent discrimination. These are non-material goals. They are hard to measure, yet sometimes they matter more than income. Think of friendship: you cannot buy it, but it means a lot. Something being hard to count does not make it less valuable.

A job offer shows this. Before taking a far-off job you think about facilities for your family, the working atmosphere and the chance to learn. A lower-paid but regular job may give more security than a high-paid job with no security and no time for family.

Women's lives show how goals link. Paid work raises women's dignity. Respect for women leads to more sharing of housework and acceptance of women working outside. A safe environment lets more women take up jobs or run a business. So people look at a mix of goals.

Worked example

Assertion (A): A person may accept a job that pays less but offers regular employment.
Reason (R): Development goals include security and freedom, not only higher income.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. A is true: a lower-paid regular job can be preferred because it gives a sense of security.
2. R is true: people seek equal treatment, freedom, security and respect besides income.
3. R explains A: the person gives up some income to gain security, a non-material goal. (1 mark)

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

National development

NCERT section National Development

If individuals want different things, they will also hold different ideas of what the country should do. Ask your class what India should do to develop and you will get many answers, some of them clashing. Citizens can disagree, sometimes sharply, about the path their country should take.

So national development is not just a list of wishes. It means asking hard questions. Should every idea count the same? If two ideas clash, how is the clash settled? Which choice treats everyone fairly? Does a plan help many people or only a few? Could something else work better?

Since even the meaning of development is varied, people will also disagree about the ways of developing, as the dam debate shows. The chapter's opening says these hopes can be achieved in real life only through a democratic political process. That is why this idea links closely to your Political Science book: debate, listening to all sides and fair decisions are part of development itself.

Worked example

Different people hold conflicting ideas about a country's development. Explain three questions a country must think about while deciding its national development goals. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Whether all ideas are equally important and how to decide when they conflict. (1 mark)
2. Whether the path is fair and just for all, and benefits a large number of people rather than a small group. (1 mark)
3. Whether there is a better way of doing things, decided through a democratic process. (1 mark)

Answer: First, since ideas conflict, the country must decide which ideas matter more and how to settle clashes. Second, it must ask whether the chosen path is fair and just and benefits most people, not a small group. Third, it must look for a better way, reached through a democratic process.

Income as the main criterion: per capita income and World Bank classification

NCERT section How to Compare Different Countries or States?

To compare things we pick one or more important characteristics. The choice depends on the purpose, just as you choose a sports team and a debate team differently. For comparing countries, income is taken as one of the most important attributes. The thinking is that more income means more of all the things people need.

Total income of a country is the income of all its residents. But total income is not useful for comparison, because countries have different populations. A big country can have a large total income while its average person earns little. So we use average income, also called per capita income: total income divided by total population.

The World Bank uses this criterion in its World Development Reports. As the NCERT text gives it, countries with per capita income of 66,500 US dollars per annum and above in 2024 are high income or rich countries, and those with about 2,300 US dollars or less are low-income countries. India, at about 11,000 US dollars in 2024, is a low middle income country. Rich countries, excluding countries of the Middle East and certain other small countries, are generally called developed countries.

Worked example

Why is total income not a useful measure for comparing countries? How does the World Bank use income to classify countries? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Countries have different populations, so total income does not show what an average person is likely to earn. (1 mark)
2. So per capita income, that is total income divided by total population, is used for comparison. (1 mark)
3. World Bank: high income at 66,500 US dollars and above per annum (2024), low income at about 2,300 US dollars or less; India is low middle income at about 11,000 US dollars. (1 mark)

Answer: Countries differ in population, so total income does not tell us what an average person earns. Hence per capita income (total income divided by population) is used. The World Bank calls countries with 66,500 US dollars and above (2024) high income, about 2,300 US dollars or less low income; India is low middle income.

Limitations of averages: distribution of income

NCERT section How to Compare Different Countries or States?

An average is handy for comparing, but it can look fine while hiding who is left behind. The NCERT example uses two countries with five citizens each. In Country A monthly incomes are ₹ 9,500, ₹ 10,500, ₹ 9,800, ₹ 10,000 and ₹ 10,200. In Country B four people earn ₹ 500 each and one earns ₹ 48,000. Both totals are ₹ 50,000, so both averages are ₹ 10,000.

Are they equally developed? If a lottery decided which citizen you would be, most people would choose Country A. There, nobody is very rich or extremely poor: income is equitably distributed. In Country B most people are poor and one is extremely rich.

So besides the size of per capita income, you must ask how income is shared. A rising average income over time does not prove that every section of society is better off; the gain may go to a few. This is a key limitation of using only per capita income.

Worked example

Study the monthly incomes (in ₹) of five citizens in two countries.
Country X: 2,000; 2,000; 2,000; 2,000; 42,000
Country Y: 9,000; 11,000; 10,000; 10,500; 9,500
Calculate the average income of each. In which country would you prefer to live if a lottery decided your income, and what limitation of averages does this show? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Country X: total ₹ 50,000 divided by 5 = ₹ 10,000; Country Y: total ₹ 50,000 divided by 5 = ₹ 10,000. (1 mark)
2. Prefer Country Y, because income is equitably distributed and no one is extremely poor; in X four citizens are poor and one is very rich. (1 mark)
3. Averages are useful for comparison but hide how income is distributed among people. (1 mark)

Answer: Both averages are ₹ 10,000 (₹ 50,000 divided by 5). Country Y is preferable because income is shared equitably, while in Country X four people are poor and one is very rich. This shows that averages help comparison but hide disparities in distribution.

Income and other criteria: IMR, literacy and attendance

NCERT section Income and Other Criteria

When we judge a state, income is not the only attribute that matters. Compare three states. By per capita income for 2023-24, Haryana is highest at ₹ 3,25,759, Kerala next at ₹ 2,81,001 and Bihar lowest at ₹ 60,337. On income alone, Haryana looks most developed.

Now look at other data. Infant Mortality Rate (2020) is 28 in Haryana, 6 in Kerala and 27 in Bihar. Literacy rate (2017-18) is 82%, 94% and 62%. Net Attendance Ratio at secondary stage is 73, 94 and 69. Kerala, with less income than Haryana, does far better on health and education. In Bihar about one-third of children aged 15-17 are not attending secondary school.

Why? Cash alone cannot get you clean air, safe medicines or protection from infectious diseases. You usually get clean air or pure medicines only if the place you live in already has them. Diseases are kept away only when everyone around you takes precautions too. So income does not fully show which goods and services people can actually use.

Worked example

Haryana has a higher per capita income than Kerala, yet Kerala is ahead in Infant Mortality Rate, literacy rate and Net Attendance Ratio. Use this to explain why income alone is not an adequate measure of development. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Per capita income 2023-24: Haryana ₹ 3,25,759, Kerala ₹ 2,81,001; by income Haryana looks more developed. (1 mark)
2. IMR: Kerala 6, Haryana 28 per 1,000 live births, nearly three times higher in Haryana. (1 mark)
3. Literacy 94% in Kerala vs 82% in Haryana; Net Attendance Ratio 94 vs 73. (1 mark)
4. Money cannot buy all goods and services, such as a pollution-free environment, unadulterated medicines or protection from infectious diseases. (1 mark)
5. So health and education indicators must be used along with income; Kerala does better because of adequate basic health and educational facilities. (1 mark)

Answer: By per capita income (2023-24), Haryana (₹ 3,25,759) is ahead of Kerala (₹ 2,81,001). Yet Kerala's IMR is only 6 against Haryana's 28 per 1,000 live births. Kerala's literacy rate is 94% against 82%, and its Net Attendance Ratio is 94 against 73. Private income cannot secure everything needed for a good life. Clean air, pure medicines and protection from infectious diseases depend on what the whole community has. Kerala does better because it provides adequate basic health and educational facilities. So income is useful but inadequate, and health and education indicators must be used with it.

Public facilities

NCERT section Public Facilities

Many important needs are met better, and at lower cost, when people arrange them together rather than one family at a time. This is collective provision. Security is an example: guarding a whole locality together costs less than every house hiring its own guard.

Education works the same way. You can study because many other children also want to study and because people believe the government should open schools. If nobody else in your area wanted to study, you could study only if your family could afford a private school elsewhere. Even now, in many areas, children, especially girls, cannot reach high school because adequate facilities have not been provided.

The chapter gives two clear cases. Kerala has a low Infant Mortality Rate because it has adequate provision of basic health and educational facilities. In some states the Public Distribution System (ration shops) works well, and health and nutrition there are likely to be better. A study found 90 per cent of rural people in Tamil Nadu used a ration shop, against only 35 per cent in West Bengal. So development depends not just on private income but on what society provides together.

Worked example

A study found that 90 per cent of rural people in Tamil Nadu used a ration shop, while only 35 per cent of rural people in West Bengal did so. In which state are rural people likely to be better off? Give reasons. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Rural people in Tamil Nadu are likely to be better off. (1 mark)
2. A widely used ration shop shows the Public Distribution System functions well, giving people access to food grains collectively. (1 mark)
3. Where PDS works well, health and nutritional status are likely to be better; income alone cannot ensure this. (1 mark)

Answer: Rural people in Tamil Nadu are likely to be better off. High use of ration shops shows the Public Distribution System works well there. Collective provision of food improves health and nutrition, which private income alone may not secure, as in West Bengal where far fewer use it.

Human Development Report and HDI

NCERT section Public Facilities

Once we accept that income is important but inadequate, we need other criteria. A long list would not help, so we choose a few of the most important. Health and education indicators are among them and are now widely used along with income.

The Human Development Report published by UNDP compares countries on three things: educational levels of people, their health status and per capita income. The ranking is called the Human Development Index (HDI). The World Bank, by contrast, uses per capita income alone.

Data for 2023 (Human Development Report 2025) shows Sri Lanka, a small neighbour, ahead of India in every respect: per capita income 12,616 against 9,047 (2021 PPP dollars), life expectancy 77.5 against 72 years, mean years of schooling 10.8 against 6.9, and HDI rank 89 against 130 out of 193 countries. Bangladesh has a lower per capita income than India (8,498) but a higher life expectancy (74.7).

Income here is measured in dollars so that every dollar buys the same amount of goods in any country. By adding 'Human' to 'Development', the report shows that people, their health and well-being matter most.

Worked example

According to the Human Development Report 2025, Bangladesh had a per capita income of 8,498 (2021 PPP dollars) and life expectancy of 74.7 years, while India had 9,047 and 72 years. What does this show about income as a measure of development, and how does the UNDP criterion address the problem? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Bangladesh has lower per capita income than India but people live longer on average. (1 mark)
2. So higher income does not automatically mean better health; income alone is an inadequate measure. (1 mark)
3. UNDP compares countries on educational levels, health status and per capita income together, unlike the World Bank's income-only criterion. (1 mark)

Answer: Bangladesh earns less per person than India, yet its life expectancy is higher. So higher income does not guarantee better health, and income alone is inadequate. UNDP's Human Development Report solves this by ranking countries on education, health and per capita income together, not on income alone.

Sustainability of development

NCERT section Sustainability of Development

Suppose a country is developed. We want that level to rise or at least last for future generations. But since the second half of the twentieth century, scientists have been warning that development of today's kind and scale cannot go on for ever: it is not sustainable.

Groundwater is a renewable resource: nature refills it through rain, as it does with crops and plants. Yet even a renewable resource can be overused if we take out more than is refilled. About 300 districts have reported a water level fall of over 4 metres in 20 years, and nearly one-third of the country overuses groundwater. Overuse shows up both in rich farming belts and in fast-growing cities.

Crude oil is non-renewable: a fixed stock that cannot be replenished. New discoveries add to it, but over time it will run out. World reserves (2017) would last about 47 years at present rates. India imports oil, so price rises burden everyone.

Degradation does not respect state or national borders, so our futures are linked. Sustainability is a new field where scientists, economists, philosophers and other social scientists work together.

Worked example

"Present levels of development are not sustainable." Evaluate the statement with the examples of groundwater and crude oil. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Sustainable development means keeping development going for future generations; scientists warn present levels cannot last. (1 mark)
2. Groundwater is renewable but overused when use exceeds replenishment by rain; about 300 districts show a fall of over 4 metres in 20 years and one-third of the country overuses it. (1 mark)
3. Crude oil is non-renewable; new finds add to stock but it will be exhausted; world reserves would last about 47 years at present rates. (1 mark)
4. India imports oil, so rising prices burden everyone. (1 mark)
5. Degradation crosses state and national borders, so the future is linked and resources must be used carefully. (1 mark)

Answer: Development must last for future generations, but scientists warn present levels cannot. Groundwater is renewable, yet it is overused when we draw more than rain replaces. About 300 districts show a fall of over 4 metres in 20 years, and one-third of the country overuses it. Crude oil is non-renewable. New discoveries add to the stock, but world reserves would last only about 47 years at present rates. India imports oil, so price rises burden everyone. Environmental damage crosses state and national borders, so our future is linked. Hence the statement is valid, and we must use resources within limits.

Development in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Development Goals of Different People
• National Development and Per Capita Income
• Income and Other Criteria of Development
• Public Facilities and Sustainability of DevelopmentComing soon

Development: key facts

Per capita income

Per capita (average) income = total income of the country divided by its total population

Use in any question on comparing countries and in average-income calculations.

World Bank high income

Per capita income of 66,500 US dollars per annum and above (2024) = high income or rich countries, as given in the NCERT text

Use in the World Bank classification answer.

World Bank low income

Per capita income of about 2,300 US dollars or less = low-income countries

Pair with the high-income figure in a 3-mark classification answer.

India's category

India = low middle income country, per capita income about 11,000 US dollars per annum in 2024

Quote when asked where India stands in the World Bank classification.

Developed countries

Rich countries, excluding Middle East and certain other small countries, are generally called developed

Use for a 1-mark MCQ or to finish the classification answer.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

Number of children dying before age one per 1,000 live births in that year

Lower IMR means better health care; Kerala 6, Haryana 28, Bihar 27 (2020).

Literacy rate

Proportion of literate population in the age group 7 and above

Kerala 94%, Haryana 82%, Bihar 62% (2017-18).

Net Attendance Ratio

Children aged 15-17 attending school as a percentage of all children of that age

Kerala 94, Haryana 73, Bihar 69; shows school access, not just enrolment.

Per capita income of states (2023-24)

Haryana ₹ 3,25,759; Kerala ₹ 2,81,001; Bihar ₹ 60,337

Use to show that the richest state is not the best on health and education.

Human Development Report

Published by UNDP; compares countries on educational levels, health status and per capita income

Use when contrasting UNDP with the World Bank's income-only criterion.

Life expectancy at birth

Average expected length of life of a person at the time of birth

Sri Lanka 77.5, Bangladesh 74.7, India 72 (2023 data).

Purchasing power (PPP) dollars

Income measured in dollars so that every dollar buys the same amount of goods and services in any country

Explains why GNI per capita in Table 1.6 can be compared across countries.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI = weight in kg divided by the square of height in metres

A way to check nutrition; below normal means underweight, above means overweight.

Renewable resource

Replenished by nature, like crops, plants and groundwater; can still be overused

Groundwater is overused when use exceeds replenishment by rain.

Non-renewable resource

Fixed stock that cannot be replenished and gets exhausted, like crude oil

New discoveries add to stock, but it still runs out over time.

Crude oil reserves (2017)

World reserves would last about 47 years; Middle East about 70 years; USA about 10.5 years

Use as evidence in a sustainability answer.

How the board asks Development

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Development

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Two lines on goals

  Different goals + conflicting goals = 'mine may not be yours, and mine may hurt yours.'

  Use it when: Opens any answer on different people, different goals.

• World Bank vs UNDP

  World Bank = Wallet only (income). UNDP = 'HEI': Health, Education, Income.

  Use it when: Answers the difference between the two criteria in seconds.

• Reading the state table

  IMR: lower is better. Literacy and attendance: higher is better. Kerala wins K-H-B on all three despite lower income than Haryana.

  Use it when: Stops you misreading data tables under exam pressure.

• Missing income check

  Average x number = total. Total minus knowns = missing. Then add all back to check.

  Use it when: Average and missing-income MCQs.

• Resource types

  Renewable = Refilled by nature (groundwater, crops). Non-renewable = Never refilled (crude oil).

  Use it when: Assertion-reason and sustainability answers.

• Public facilities in three words

  Collective, Cheaper, Kerala.

  Use it when: Reminds you of the reason (collective provision is cheaper) and the example (Kerala's health and education).

Development: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section E style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 5-mark question split into 1 + 2 + 2 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Development

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Saying per capita income is useless

  Students over-learn the Kerala and Haryana example and swing to the opposite extreme.

  Wrong working

  Per capita income should not be used at all because Kerala has lower income but better human development.

  Right working

  Per capita income is useful for comparison, but it is not adequate on its own. It must be used with health and education indicators.

  ✓Do this: Always write 'useful but inadequate' and name the indicators to add.

  Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks in a 3- or 5-mark answer.

• ✗Mistake: Reading IMR the wrong way round

  With literacy and attendance, higher is better, so students assume the same for IMR.

  Wrong working

  Haryana is better in health because its IMR of 28 is higher than Kerala's 6.

  Right working

  Kerala is better in health because its IMR of 6 is far lower than Haryana's 28 per 1,000 live births.

  ✓Do this: Remember IMR counts deaths of babies before age one: lower means better.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in an MCQ, and the whole conclusion in a table question.

• ✗Mistake: Treating average income as the full story

  Students compute the average and stop.

  Wrong working

  Country A and Country B both have an average of ₹ 10,000, so they are equally developed.

  Right working

  Both averages are ₹ 10,000, but A has equitable distribution while in B four people are poor and one is very rich, so A is preferred.

  ✓Do this: After any average, add one line on distribution.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in a 3-mark question.

• ✗Mistake: Calling groundwater non-renewable

  Students link 'running out' with non-renewable.

  Wrong working

  Groundwater is a non-renewable resource, so it is being exhausted.

  Right working

  Groundwater is renewable because rain replenishes it, but it is overused when we take out more than is replenished.

  ✓Do this: Separate the type of resource from the problem of overuse.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in assertion-reason or a sustainability answer.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up the World Bank and UNDP criteria

  Both bodies appear in the same section of revision notes.

  Wrong working

  The World Bank uses health, education and income, while UNDP uses only per capita income.

  Right working

  The World Bank uses per capita income. UNDP's Human Development Report uses educational levels, health status and per capita income.

  ✓Do this: Use the 'Wallet vs HEI' trick before writing.

  Usually costs: Up to 2 marks, or the full answer to a 'differentiate' question.

• ✗Mistake: Writing only one-sided examples for conflicting goals

  Students show different goals but not how one hurts another.

  Wrong working

  Industrialists want dams for electricity. Farmers want higher crop prices.

  Right working

  Industrialists want dams for electricity, but dams submerge land and displace tribals, who would prefer small check dams or tanks.

  ✓Do this: For 'conflicting', show the same action helping one group and harming another.

  Usually costs: 1 mark per weak example.

NCERT exercise guide: Development

What each exercise in the NCERT chapter tests, how to approach it, and a question of the same kind solved step by step. Questions here are written in our own words.

Development: previous year questions

• Asked in 21 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 5 marks per paper; 65 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 4 of 4 sample papers.

Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.

Solved board questions from Development

Real questions from recent papers. Try each one first, then open our step-by-step solution with marks per step.

Every Development question, by year

Practice questions on Development

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

   There are four families in a village. Their average monthly income is ₹ 8,000. Three of them earn ₹ 6,000, ₹ 5,000 and ₹ 4,000. Which option correctly gives the fourth family's income and what the average shows?
   (a) ₹ 17,000; income in the village is evenly shared
   (b) ₹ 17,000; the average hides an unequal distribution of income
   (c) ₹ 15,000; the average hides an unequal distribution of income
   (d) ₹ 8,000; income in the village is evenly shared

   Hint

   Find the total first, subtract the known incomes, then compare the fourth family with the rest.

   Answer

   (b) ₹ 17,000; the average hides an unequal distribution of income. Total = 8,000 × 4 = ₹ 32,000. Known incomes = 6,000 + 5,000 + 4,000 = ₹ 15,000. Fourth family = 32,000 − 15,000 = ₹ 17,000, which is more than the other three families earn together, so income is not evenly shared.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

   Assertion (A): Kerala has a lower Infant Mortality Rate than Haryana.
   Reason (R): Haryana has a higher per capita income than Kerala.
   (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   (c) A is true but R is false.
   (d) A is false but R is true.

   Hint

   Check both statements against the tables, then ask whether income is the cause of Kerala's low IMR.

   Answer

   (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. Kerala's IMR is 6 against Haryana's 28, and Haryana's per capita income is higher. But a higher income in Haryana cannot explain a lower IMR in Kerala. The real reason is Kerala's adequate basic health and educational facilities.

3. Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

   Explain, with three examples, why a person's private income cannot secure everything needed to live well. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Think of things the whole community must arrange together.

   Answer

   • A pollution-free environment: you normally get it only if the place you live in already has one.
   • Unadulterated medicines: money alone cannot ensure that the medicines you buy are pure.
   • Protection from infectious diseases: this needs the whole community to take preventive steps, not one family alone.

4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

   Define Body Mass Index. Explain how it is calculated, with an example of a student who weighs 55 kg and is 160 cm tall. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Convert the height to metres before you square it.

   Answer

   BMI is a measure that nutrition scientists use to check whether a person is properly nourished.
   Method: take the weight in kg, convert the height to metres, and divide the weight by the square of the height.
   Example: 160 cm = 1.6 m, and 1.6 × 1.6 = 2.56, so BMI = 55 ÷ 2.56 ≈ 21.5. Compare this with the BMI-for-age table to see whether it is normal, underweight or overweight.

5. Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources. How can even a renewable resource be overused? Give an example. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Compare what nature replaces with what we use.

   Answer

   • Renewable resources, such as groundwater, crops and plants, are replenished by nature.
   • Non-renewable resources, such as crude oil, have a fixed stock and will run out even if new sources are found.
   • A renewable resource is overused when we take more than nature replaces. Groundwater use above what rain recharges has caused falling water levels in about 300 districts.

6. Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   Crude oil reserves (2017): Middle East 836 thousand million barrels, lasting 70 years; USA 69, lasting 10.5 years; World 1732, lasting 47 years. Looking at this data, what problems can India expect, given that it has to import crude oil? (3 marks)

   Hint

   Think about stock, dependence and price.

   Answer

   • World reserves will last only about 47 years at the present rate of extraction, so crude oil will run out.
   • India does not have enough oil of its own and depends on imports. Any rise in oil prices becomes a burden for everyone.
   • Countries with low reserves, such as the USA, try to secure oil through military or economic power, which makes supply uncertain. India must look for other sources.

7. Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

   "Kerala has a lower per capita income than Haryana but better human development. So per capita income is of no use and should not be used to compare states." Do you agree? Give reasons. (5 marks)

   Hint

   Give both sides: why income is useful and why it is not enough.

   Answer

   Not fully. Per capita income is useful: it shows what an average person earns, it allows comparison across populations, and the World Bank uses it.
   But it is inadequate. Kerala has an IMR of 6 against Haryana's 28, and better literacy and attendance, despite lower income. Averages hide distribution, and money cannot buy public facilities.
   Conclusion: use income along with health and education indicators, as the Human Development Report does.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   "For development, people look at a mix of goals." Explain this with reference to women. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Link income, respect and safety to one another.

   Answer

   • When women do paid work, their dignity in the household and in society increases.
   • When women are respected, housework is shared more and women working outside is more accepted.
   • A safe and secure environment allows more women to take up different jobs or run a business. So income, respect and safety work together as goals.

9. Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

   Rural Uttar Pradesh (Table 1.5): literacy of the rural population is male 76%, female 54%; children aged 10-14 attending school are boys 85%, girls 82%. Work out the share of children not in school and explain what the data shows about public facilities. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Subtract from 100, then compare boys and girls.

   Answer

   15% of rural boys and 18% of rural girls aged 10-14 are not in school, and adult female literacy lags male literacy by 22 points.
   This shows that schooling facilities, especially for girls, are not enough. The constitutional goal of free and compulsory education up to the age of 14, expected by 1960, is still not met, so the government and society must provide better schools.

10. Q10 · 1 mark · MCQHOTS / competency

    Which conclusion is best supported by the Human Development Report 2025 data on India and its neighbours?
    (a) A higher per capita income always means a longer life expectancy.
    (b) Bangladesh has a lower per capita income than India but a longer life expectancy.
    (c) Pakistan has more mean years of schooling than India.
    (d) Myanmar has a better HDI rank than India.

    Hint

    Check each option against the actual figures; remember a smaller rank number is better.

    Answer

    (b) Bangladesh earns 8,498 (2021 PPP dollars) against India's 9,047, yet its life expectancy is 74.7 years against India's 72. Option (a) is disproved by this, Pakistan's schooling (4.3 years) is below India's (6.9), and Myanmar's rank of 150 is worse than India's 130.

11. Q11 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Study the imaginary data for three countries.
    Country L: per capita income 14,000 US dollars; life expectancy 68 years; mean years of schooling 5
    Country M: per capita income 9,000 US dollars; life expectancy 76 years; mean years of schooling 10
    Country N: per capita income 2,000 US dollars; life expectancy 62 years; mean years of schooling 3.5
    (a) Using the World Bank income limits given in the NCERT text, which of these countries would be called a low-income country? (1 mark)
    (b) Which country is likely to be the most developed in human terms? Give two reasons. (2 marks)
    (c) What does this data show about the difference between the World Bank and UNDP criteria? (2 marks)

    Hint

    Compare N with the low-income limit, then read health and schooling separately from income.

    Answer

    (a) Country N, because its per capita income of 2,000 US dollars is below the limit of about 2,300 US dollars.
    (b) Country M. Its people live longest (76 years against 68 and 62), and it has the most schooling (10 years against 5 and 3.5), even though L earns more.
    (c) The World Bank uses per capita income alone, so L would look ahead of M. UNDP's Human Development Report combines education, health and income, so M is likely to rank higher. The data shows that income alone does not reveal people's well-being.

12. Q12 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    Imagine a town where the shared water supply is unreliable, so every household digs its own borewell. Each year the borewells must go deeper. Using the ideas of public facilities and sustainability, explain why this is happening and suggest a better way. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Think about what happens when each family acts alone, and what rain can put back.

    Answer

    • When each family arranges water alone, it costs more and nobody controls total use, so more and more water is pumped out.
    • Groundwater is renewable, but it is overused when use exceeds what rain replenishes, so the level keeps falling.
    • A reliable supply arranged for the whole town can be cheaper, like collective security, and can keep total use within what rain puts back, so water lasts for future residents.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.What is per capita income?Show answer

   Total income of a country divided by its total population; also called average income.

2. 2.Which body uses per capita income to classify countries, and in which report?Show answer

   The World Bank, in its World Development Reports.

3. 3.What three things does the Human Development Report compare?Show answer

   Educational levels of people, their health status and per capita income.

4. 4.Define Infant Mortality Rate.Show answer

   Number of children dying before the age of one per 1,000 live births in that year.

5. 5.Which neighbour of India is ahead of it on every item in Table 1.6?Show answer

   Sri Lanka (HDI rank 89 against India's 130).

6. 6.Why does Kerala have a low IMR?Show answer

   Because it has adequate provision of basic health and educational facilities.

7. 7.Give one renewable and one non-renewable resource from the chapter.Show answer

   Renewable: groundwater. Non-renewable: crude oil.

8. 8.How is BMI calculated?Show answer

   Weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Can you give two examples of conflicting development goals from the chapter?
• ☐Can you list four non-material goals people seek besides income?
• ☐Can you explain why total income is not used to compare countries?
• ☐Can you state the World Bank income limits for high and low income countries and India's category?
• ☐Can you find the missing income when an average and three of four incomes are given?
• ☐Can you explain what the Country A and Country B table shows about averages?
• ☐Can you define IMR, literacy rate and Net Attendance Ratio, and say which way is better for each?
• ☐Can you explain, using data, why Kerala is ahead of Haryana in health and education?
• ☐Can you write the difference between the World Bank and UNDP criteria in two lines?
• ☐Can you explain why groundwater overuse and crude oil exhaustion make development unsustainable?

Development: frequently asked questions