Ans: The more important explanation is (b) Because life situations of persons are different.

People have different notions of development because they live in different circumstances and face different problems. A landless rural labourer wants regular work, better wages and quality education for children. A prosperous farmer wants higher support prices and cheap labour. A girl from a rich urban family wants freedom and opportunities equal to her brother. Thus, it is not merely that people are different in nature; their developmental goals arise from their actual life situations and needs.

Ans: No, the two statements do not mean the same.

• (a) People have different developmental goals: This means different people may seek different things, such as more income, freedom, security or respect. These goals may simply be different, without necessarily opposing each other.
• (b) People have conflicting developmental goals: This means the goals of different people may directly oppose each other. What is development for one person may be harmful or destructive for another.

For example, an industrialist may want more dams for electricity, while tribal people displaced by the dam may oppose it because it submerges their land and disrupts their lives. Thus, different goals may sometimes, but not always, become conflicting goals.

Ans: Some examples where factors other than income are important are:

• Equal treatment: People want to be treated with dignity and without discrimination in society and at the workplace.
• Freedom: A person may prefer a job with less pay but more freedom and time for family.
• Security: Regular employment with job security may be preferred over higher pay with no security.
• Respect: Women who do paid work gain greater dignity in the household and society, but respect for women also leads to more sharing of housework.
• Safe and secure environment: A safe environment allows more women to take up jobs or run businesses.
• Friendship and relationships: Friendship and good relationships cannot be bought with money but are very important in life.
• Clean environment: Money cannot buy a pollution-free environment unless the whole community takes preventive steps.

Ans: The important ideas of the section are:

• Development or progress means different things to different people because their life situations and aspirations are different.
• People want not only higher income but also equal treatment, freedom, security, respect and non-discrimination.
• What may be development for one person can be destructive for another. For example, a dam may give electricity to some but displace tribal people.
• Therefore, different persons can have different and even conflicting developmental goals.
• Income is an important goal, but it is not the only goal. Non-material things like friendship, security and clean environment also matter a lot in life.
• For national development, we must think about whether an idea benefits a large number of people or only a small group, and what would be a fair and just path for all.

Ans: The developmental goals for such an area should include:

• Provision of basic amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation and electricity.
• Better housing and living conditions.
• Access to quality education and healthcare facilities.
• Regular employment and better wages for the people.
• Control of pollution and improvement of the environment.
• Equal treatment, safety and dignity for all residents.

The goals should focus on improving the quality of life of the people, not just on increasing income.

Ans:

(i) Who benefited and who did not:

• Benefited: The multinational company dealing in petroleum and metals saved the cost of safe disposal of toxic waste. The local company that was contracted to dispose of the waste also earned money from the contract.
• Did not benefit: The common people of Abidjan and the surrounding area suffered. Seven persons died, twenty were hospitalised and twenty-six thousand people were treated for poisoning. The environment, including the air and sea, was also damaged.

(ii) Developmental goal for this country:

The developmental goal should be to ensure safe disposal of toxic waste and to protect the health and environment of the people. The country should have strict laws and effective enforcement to prevent such dumping. It should also promote sustainable industrial practices that do not harm the health of citizens or degrade the environment.

Ans: Some developmental goals for a village, town or locality can be:

• Providing clean drinking water and proper sanitation facilities.
• Ensuring regular supply of electricity.
• Building and improving roads, transport and communication facilities.
• Opening good schools and health centres.
• Creating employment opportunities and supporting local businesses.
• Planting trees and keeping the environment clean and pollution-free.
• Ensuring safety, equal treatment and dignity for all people, including women and marginalised groups.
• Providing good public distribution and other basic services.

Students may add goals based on the actual problems of their own locality.

Ans: Three examples where an average is used for comparing situations are:

1. Per capita income: The average income of a country is calculated by dividing total income by total population. It is used to compare the income levels of different countries.
2. Average marks of students: The average marks of a class or school are used to compare the performance of different classes or schools.
3. Average rainfall or temperature: The average rainfall or average temperature of different regions is used to compare their climate.

Other examples: average height of students in a class, average runs scored by a batsman, average attendance in a school.

Ans: Average income is an important criterion for development because:

• It tells us what an average person in a country is likely to earn. This is more useful than total income because countries have different populations.
• Higher average income generally means that people can buy more goods and services that they need for a better life.
• It is used by the World Bank to classify countries into high income, middle income and low income groups.
• It provides a simple and easily comparable measure of the economic condition of different countries.

However, average income alone is not enough because it does not show how income is distributed among people, and it ignores non-income aspects like health, education and environment.

Ans: Besides the size of per capita income, the distribution of income is important in comparing two or more societies.

Two countries may have the same average income, but the distribution may be very different. In one country, income may be fairly evenly distributed, so most people are neither very rich nor extremely poor. In another country, most people may be poor while one person is extremely rich. In the second case, the average income hides the poverty of most people.

Therefore, along with average income, we must look at how income is distributed among the people.

Ans: No, we cannot conclude that all sections of the economy have become better simply because the average income has been increasing.

Average income can increase even if only a few people become richer while the condition of others remains the same or even worsens. For example, consider two countries, A and B, each with five citizens.

Both countries have the same average income of Rs 10,000, but in Country B most citizens are poor and one person is extremely rich. If the income of the richest person increases further, the average income will rise, but the poor citizens will not become better off.

Thus, an increase in average income does not necessarily mean that all sections of the economy have improved.

Ans: The text does not provide a list of 10–15 low-income countries. It only states that countries with per capita income of about US$ 2,300 or less are called low-income countries, and India falls in the category of low middle income countries with a per capita income of about US$ 11,000 per annum in 2024.

Students may refer to the World Development Reports or World Bank website to find the latest list and per capita income levels of low-income countries.

Ans: India should aim to become a developed country not only by increasing its per capita income but also by improving the quality of life of all its citizens. It should provide good education and healthcare facilities to everyone, especially in rural and backward areas. It should create regular employment opportunities and ensure fair wages. It should reduce inequality so that the benefits of growth reach all sections of society, including the poor, women, and marginalised groups. It should also protect the environment and use natural resources sustainably so that future generations are not deprived. Along with economic growth, India must strengthen democracy, ensure equal treatment, freedom and dignity for all, and provide basic amenities like clean water, sanitation and housing. Only then can India truly be called a developed country.

Ans: No, Haryana is not ahead of Kerala in literacy rate and other human development indicators, even though it has a higher per capita income.

According to Table 1.3, Haryana has the highest per capita income (Rs 3,25,759) among the three states, while Kerala has Rs 2,81,001. But according to Table 1.4:

• Kerala has a literacy rate of 94%, while Haryana has only 82%.
• Kerala has a net attendance ratio of 94%, while Haryana has 73%.
• Kerala has an infant mortality rate of 6 per 1,000 live births, while Haryana has 28.

Thus, Kerala is ahead of Haryana in literacy, school attendance and infant mortality, even though its per capita income is lower. This shows that income alone is not an adequate measure of development.

Ans: Examples where collective provision is cheaper than individual provision are:

• Security: It is cheaper to have a police station or community security for a whole locality than for each house to have its own security staff.
• Education: Government schools provide education to many children at a much lower cost than each family arranging private tuition or private schooling.
• Healthcare: Public health centres and government hospitals provide treatment to many people at lower cost than each person buying private treatment.
• Water supply: A community water supply system is cheaper than each household digging its own well or buying water.
• Roads and street lighting: These are provided collectively and benefit everyone at a lower total cost.
• Public distribution system: Ration shops provide food grains to many people at subsidised rates.

Ans: No, the availability of good health and educational facilities does not depend only on the amount of money spent by the government. Other relevant factors include:

• Effective planning and management: Money must be used properly and without corruption.
• Adequate number of trained teachers and doctors: Facilities are of no use if there are no qualified staff.
• Proper infrastructure: Schools and hospitals need buildings, equipment, medicines and other facilities.
• Accessibility: Facilities must be located within reach of the people, especially in rural and remote areas.
• Social awareness: People must be aware of the importance of education and health and must be willing to use these facilities.
• Support for girls and marginalised groups: Special efforts may be needed to ensure that girls and disadvantaged groups can attend school and get healthcare.
• Public participation: Community involvement and monitoring can improve the quality of services.

Ans: People in Tamil Nadu would be better off because a much larger proportion of rural people (90%) used a ration shop compared to West Bengal (only 35%).

The Public Distribution System (PDS) provides essential food grains at subsidised prices. When more people use ration shops, it means they are able to get food grains at cheaper rates, which improves their food security and nutritional status. In West Bengal, where only 35% used ration shops, many people may not have been able to get subsidised food grains, which could affect their food security.

However, it is also important to check whether the ration shops function properly and provide good quality grains. If the PDS functions well, as in Tamil Nadu, people are likely to be better off.

Ans:

(a) The literacy rate for all age groups, including young and old, is 76% for rural males and 54% for rural females. However, it is not just that these many adults could not attend school but that there are children aged 10–14 who are currently not in school.

(b) It is clear from the table that 18% of rural girls and 15% of rural boys are not attending school. Therefore, illiteracy among children in the age group 10–14 is as high as 13% for rural females and 10% for rural males.

Calculations:

• Rural girls not attending school = 100% − 82% = 18%
• Rural boys not attending school = 100% − 85% = 15%
• Illiteracy among rural females aged 10–14 = 100% − 87% = 13%
• Illiteracy among rural males aged 10–14 = 100% − 90% = 10%

(c) This high level of illiteracy among children in the 10–14 years age group, even after more than 75 years of our independence, is most disturbing. In many other states also we are nowhere near realisation of the constitutional goal of free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14, which was expected to be achieved by 1960.

Ans:

(a) Why groundwater is overused:

Groundwater is overused mainly because:

• It is used extensively for irrigation in agriculturally prosperous regions like Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh.
• It is a renewable resource but is being extracted faster than it is replenished by rain.
• Rapidly growing urban settlements and industries also use large amounts of groundwater.
• There is lack of proper regulation and awareness about the limits of groundwater use.

(b) Can there be development without overuse:

Yes, development is possible without overusing groundwater if we use it sustainably. This can be done by:

• Using water-saving irrigation methods like drip and sprinkler irrigation.
• Harvesting rainwater to recharge groundwater.
• Growing crops that require less water.
• Regulating the extraction of groundwater and creating awareness among farmers and citizens.
• Recycling and reusing water in industries and cities.

Sustainable use of resources ensures that development continues without harming the resource base for future generations.

Ans:

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

Yes, crude oil is essential for the development process in a country at present because:

• It is a major source of energy for transport, industry, agriculture and electricity generation.
• Petroleum products like petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG are used in daily life and in almost all sectors of the economy.
• It is also used as a raw material in many industries, such as plastics, chemicals and fertilisers.

However, crude oil is a non-renewable resource and its stock is limited. Over-dependence on crude oil is not sustainable in the long run. Countries need to shift to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind and hydro power. So, while crude oil is important today, development should not depend only on it.

(b) India has to import crude oil. What problems do you anticipate for the country looking at the above situation?

The problems India may face due to importing crude oil are:

• High import bill: India has to spend a large amount of foreign exchange on importing oil, which puts pressure on the economy.
• Price rise: If international oil prices increase, the cost of transport, electricity and goods also increases, leading to inflation.
• Burden on common people: Higher oil prices increase the cost of petrol, diesel, LPG and other goods, which affects everyone, especially the poor.
• Uncertainty of supply: Political disturbances or conflicts in oil-producing countries can disrupt supply.
• Pressure on foreign exchange reserves: Continuous imports can weaken the country's balance of payments.

To reduce these problems, India should develop renewable energy sources and use oil more efficiently.

EXERCISES

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ADDITIONAL PROJECT / ACTIVITY

Question 1