GeographyCBSE Class 12 · Human Development

Approaches to Human Development (Class 12 Geography, Chapter 3)

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

NCERT lists four approaches to human development. The income approach links development to income. The welfare approach treats people as beneficiaries of government spending on education, health and amenities. The basic needs approach, proposed by the ILO, provides six basic needs. The capability approach, associated with Amartya Sen, builds capabilities in health, education and resources.

Understand Approaches to Human Development

Why this topic matters. Board papers ask which approach the ILO proposed, which treats people as targets of development, and 3- or 5-mark questions describing two approaches. Learn each approach's core idea, who is linked to it, and its weakness.

1. Income approach.

One of the oldest approaches.
Human development is linked to income: the level of income reflects the level of freedom a person enjoys.
Higher income → higher human development.
Weakness (our analysis from the chapter): income does not show how it is spent or shared, and NCERT notes that richer nations do not always rank higher.

2. Welfare approach.

Looks at human beings as beneficiaries or targets of all development activities.
Argues for higher government expenditure on education, health, social security and amenities.
People are passive recipients, not participants.
The government is responsible for raising human development by maximising welfare expenditure.

3. Basic needs approach (also called minimum needs approach in NCERT's list).

Initially proposed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Identified six basic needs: health, education, food, water supply, sanitation and housing.
The question of human choices is ignored; the stress is on providing basic needs to defined sections of people.

4. Capability approach.

Associated with Prof Amartya Sen.
Building human capabilities in health, education and access to resources is the key to increasing human development.
Links to Sen's view that development means increasing freedom.

5. Comparing the four.

Approach	Core idea	Role of people	Linked to
Income	More income = more freedom	Earners	Oldest approach
Welfare	Government spends on welfare	Passive recipients	Government
Basic needs	Provide six basic needs	Defined sections receive needs; choices ignored	ILO
Capability	Build capabilities in health, education, resources	Active, with enlarged choices	Amartya Sen

6. Choosing an approach in a case. A policy that hands out free goods to a target group fits welfare or basic needs; a policy that trains, educates or heals so that people can choose for themselves fits the capability approach. If a question stresses income per head, it is the income approach.

Approaches to Human Development: key facts

Four approaches: Income income reflects freedom
Welfare people as beneficiaries of government welfare spending
Basic needs six needs, proposed by the ILO
Capability build capabilities, Amartya Sen; NCERT Table 3.1.
Six basic needs (ILO): Health
Education
Food
Water supply
Sanitation
Housing; Choices are ignored in this approach.
Capability areas: Health
Education
Access to resources; Same three key areas the HDI measures.

Income	income reflects freedom
Welfare	people as beneficiaries of government welfare spending
Basic needs	six needs, proposed by the ILO
Capability	build capabilities, Amartya Sen

How to answer Approaches to Human Development questions

Expect 1-mark MCQs (ILO's approach, people as targets, Sen's approach) and 3- or 5-mark questions describing or comparing two approaches, sometimes with a case.

1Name the approach and its central idea in one line.
2State who is linked to it (ILO, Sen) or its special feature (oldest; passive recipients).
3Mention the role of people: earners, recipients, defined sections, or capable choosers.
4In a comparison, use a two-column layout with the same points for both.
5In a case, decide whether the policy gives things (welfare/basic needs) or builds abilities (capability).

Approaches to Human Development in real life

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

Welfare vs capability approach

Suppose one state distributes free food grain to poor families every month, while another state runs free skill-training centres and scholarships so young people can find jobs of their choice.

Which approach to human development does each state follow?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Free grain treats families as recipients of government spending; people do not shape the outcome.
Training and scholarships build abilities that let people choose their work.
Building capabilities in education and access to resources is the capability approach.

Answer: The first follows the welfare (or basic needs) approach; the second follows the capability approach associated with Amartya Sen.

Memory hook: Give a fish: welfare. Teach to fish: capability.

Tricks to remember Approaches to Human Development

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

I-W-B-C: 'I Want Basic Cake'
Income, Welfare, Basic needs, Capability, in NCERT's order.
Use it when: Listing the approaches.
ILO = Six Needs
Health, Education, Food, Water, Sanitation, Housing: 'HE Found Water, Sanitation, Housing'.
Use it when: The six basic needs.
Sen = Skills
Sen's capability approach builds skills and abilities.
Use it when: Linking Sen to capability.

Approaches to Human Development: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Approach proposed by the ILO · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

An international agency lists health, education, food, water supply, sanitation and housing as the six needs every family must be provided with. Which approach is this, and which organisation first proposed it?
(A) Welfare approach, UNDP
(B) Capability approach, ILO
(C) Basic needs approach, ILO
(D) Income approach, UNDP

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The six basic needs belong to the basic needs approach, initially proposed by the International Labour Organisation (1 mark).

Answer: (C) Basic needs approach, ILO

Example 2: People as targets · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

A state government doubles its budget for schools, hospitals, pensions and civic amenities and says that citizens only need to receive these benefits. Which approach to human development does this reflect?
(A) Income approach
(B) Welfare approach
(C) Capability approach
(D) None of these

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The welfare approach treats people as passive recipients of government welfare spending (1 mark).

Answer: (B) Welfare approach

Example 3: Assertion and reason on basic needs · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): The basic needs approach has been criticised for ignoring human choices.
Reason (R): It emphasises the provision of basic needs to defined sections of people.
(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

NCERT says the question of choices is ignored because the stress is on supplying basic needs to defined sections; R explains A (1 mark).

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

Example 4: Income and welfare approaches · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

One planner says, 'Raise people's incomes and development will follow.' Another says, 'The government must spend more on schools, hospitals and social security for the people.' Identify and describe the approach each planner follows. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Income approach: oldest; development linked to income; income reflects freedom; higher income, higher development (1.5 marks).
Welfare approach: people as beneficiaries; higher government spending on education, health, social security and amenities; people passive; government responsible (1.5 marks).

Answer: The income approach is one of the oldest. It links human development to income, on the idea that a person's income reflects the freedom he or she enjoys: the higher the income, the higher the level of human development. The welfare approach sees human beings as beneficiaries or targets of all development activities. It argues for higher government spending on education, health, social security and amenities. People are passive recipients rather than participants, and the government is responsible for raising human development by maximising welfare expenditure.

Example 5: Capability vs basic needs · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

"The capability approach goes further than the basic needs approach." Examine the statement. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Basic needs (ILO): provides health, education, food, water, sanitation, housing to defined sections; choices ignored (1 mark).
Capability (Sen): builds capabilities in health, education and access to resources so people can enlarge their choices (1 mark).
Judgement: capability treats people as active agents and aims at freedom, so it goes further (1 mark).

Answer: The basic needs approach, first proposed by the ILO, identifies six needs (health, education, food, water supply, sanitation and housing) and concentrates on providing them to defined sections of people, ignoring the question of human choices. The capability approach, associated with Amartya Sen, aims to build people's capabilities in health, education and access to resources so that they can widen their own choices. Because it treats people as active agents and links development to freedom, it goes beyond merely meeting needs, though meeting basic needs is often the first step.

Example 6: Long answer: four approaches compared · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Compare the four approaches to human development. Which approach best fits Mahbub-ul-Haq's definition of human development? Justify. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Income approach (1 mark).
Welfare approach (1 mark).
Basic needs approach, ILO, six needs (1 mark).
Capability approach, Sen (1 mark).
Judgement: Haq defined human development as enlarging choices; the capability approach fits best because it builds the abilities that widen choices (1 mark).

Answer: The income approach, one of the oldest, links human development to income on the idea that income reflects freedom, so higher income means higher development. The welfare approach treats people as beneficiaries of development and calls for higher government spending on education, health, social security and amenities; people are passive recipients and the government is responsible. The basic needs approach, first proposed by the ILO, identifies six needs (health, education, food, water supply, sanitation and housing) and supplies them to defined sections, ignoring choices. The capability approach, associated with Amartya Sen, builds capabilities in health, education and access to resources.

Mahbub-ul-Haq defined human development as development that enlarges people's choices and improves their lives. The capability approach fits this best: an educated, healthy person with access to resources can choose a career, treatment or way of life, whereas the welfare and basic needs approaches give things without widening choice, and the income approach measures money rather than what people can do. The other approaches remain useful as supports, but capability is closest to Haq's idea.

Where students lose marks in Approaches to Human Development

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

Mistake: Linking the ILO to the welfare approach
Both involve provision of services.
Wrong working
The welfare approach was proposed by the ILO.
Right working
The ILO initially proposed the basic needs approach.
Do this: ILO = Six Needs.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Giving Mahbub-ul-Haq as the source of the capability approach
Haq and Sen worked together.
Wrong working
Mahbub-ul-Haq gave the capability approach.
Right working
The capability approach is associated with Amartya Sen; Haq introduced the concept of human development and the HDI.
Do this: Haq = Index; Sen = Skills.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong list of basic needs
Adding common needs like clothing or employment.
Wrong working
Food, clothing, shelter, employment, health, education.
Right working
Health, education, food, water supply, sanitation, housing.
Do this: Learn the six exactly.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Describing the welfare approach without the role of government
Students write only 'welfare of people'.
Wrong working
The welfare approach means welfare of people.
Right working
People are beneficiaries; government raises development by maximising spending on education, health, social security and amenities.
Do this: Write who acts (government) and who receives (people).
Usually costs: 1 mark in a 3-mark answer.

Exam tips

Asked in: 2023 board paper 64/4/1 Q24 (5 marks, income and welfare approaches); 2023 board paper 64/1/1 Q2 and 2024 board paper 64/3/1 Q2 (1 mark each, approach proposed by the ILO); 2025 board paper 64/7/1 Q7 (1 mark, approach in which people are targets); 2024 board paper 64/3/1 Q23(b) (3 marks, the welfare approach with examples); 2024 board paper 64/2/1 Q2 (1 mark, capability as an approach). The answers on this page are our own.
For 5-mark questions on two approaches, give each 2-2.5 marks' worth: idea, people's role, who proposed it, example.
The phrase 'beneficiaries or targets' identifies the welfare approach in MCQs.
Do not invent dates for the approaches; NCERT gives none except the HDI (1990).

Practice questions on Approaches to Human Development

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

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which approach to human development is associated with Prof Amartya Sen?
(A) Income approach
(B) Welfare approach
(C) Basic needs approach
(D) Capability approach
Hint
Sen = skills.
Answer
(D) Capability approach.
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
Which of the following is NOT one of the six basic needs identified by the ILO?
(A) Sanitation
(B) Housing
(C) Employment
(D) Water supply
Hint
Health, education, food, water, sanitation, housing.
Answer
(C) Employment.
Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Why are people called 'passive recipients' in the welfare approach? (2 marks)
Hint
Who acts, who receives?
Answer
Because the government plans and spends on education, health, social security and amenities, and people simply receive the benefits; they are not participants in deciding or shaping development.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
State one strength and one limitation of the income approach. (2 marks)
Hint
Income and freedom; NCERT's international comparisons.
Answer
Strength: income is easy to measure and does widen freedom to buy goods and services. Limitation: income alone does not show health, education or how income is shared; NCERT notes that poorer countries such as Sri Lanka rank higher than India in HDI, so income and human development do not always match.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a city government builds public toilets and piped water in slums for listed families, but does not consult residents about where facilities are placed. Which approach does it follow, and what criticism applies? (3 marks)
Hint
Defined sections; choices ignored.
Answer
It follows the basic needs approach: it provides sanitation and water supply, two of the six basic needs, to a defined section of people. The criticism is that the question of human choices is ignored: residents are not asked what they need or where, so the facilities may not match their priorities. A capability-based approach would also involve and empower the residents.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Distinguish between the welfare approach and the capability approach. (3 marks)
Hint
Recipients vs capable agents.
Answer
Welfare approach: people are beneficiaries or targets; the government raises human development by maximising spending on education, health, social security and amenities; people are passive. Capability approach (Amartya Sen): building people's capabilities in health, education and access to resources is the key; people become able to enlarge and act on their own choices.
Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
"No single approach to human development is complete." Evaluate with reference to the four approaches. (5 marks)
Hint
Weakness of each; how they complement.
Answer
Each approach captures one part of human development. The income approach rightly sees income as a source of freedom, but income may be unequally shared and does not guarantee health or education. The welfare approach ensures government spending on education, health and amenities, but treats people as passive recipients. The basic needs approach of the ILO makes sure health, education, food, water, sanitation and housing reach defined sections, yet ignores human choices. The capability approach of Amartya Sen builds abilities in health, education and access to resources and widens choices, but capabilities take time to build and need resources that may come from income growth or welfare spending. So the approaches complement one another: basic needs and welfare provide a floor, income provides means, and capability turns these into real choices. A balanced policy uses all four.

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.Which approach is one of the oldest?Show answer
The income approach.
2.Who proposed the basic needs approach?Show answer
The International Labour Organisation (ILO).
3.Name the six basic needs.Show answer
Health, education, food, water supply, sanitation and housing.
4.In the capability approach, in which areas are capabilities built?Show answer
Health, education and access to resources.
5.Who is responsible for raising human development in the welfare approach?Show answer
The government, by maximising welfare expenditure.

Approaches to Human Development: frequently asked questions

What are the approaches to human development?

The income approach, the welfare approach, the basic needs (minimum needs) approach and the capability approach.

Which approach was proposed by the ILO?

The basic needs approach, which identified six basic needs: health, education, food, water supply, sanitation and housing.

What is the capability approach?

An approach associated with Amartya Sen in which building human capabilities in health, education and access to resources is the key to increasing human development.

What is the welfare approach?

It treats people as beneficiaries of development and makes the government responsible for raising human development by spending more on education, health, social security and amenities.