The most common indicators for measuring economic development of a country are:

 

• national income and per capita income

   

•  health and education

   

• employment and poverty

   

•  life expectancy and literacy rate

Assume there are four families in a country. The average per capita income of these families is Rs. 5000. If the incomes of three families is Rs. 4000, Rs. 7000 and Rs. 3000 respectively, what is the income of the fourth family?

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

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

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

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

Find out present sources of energy used by people in India. What could be possibilities fifty years from now?

Why is the issue of sustainability important for development?

“The earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed to even one person.” How is this statement relevant to the discussion of development? Discuss.

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

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