Please see Development Exam Questions Class 10 Social Science below. These important questions with solutions have been prepared based on the latest examination guidelines and syllabus issued by CBSE, NCERT, and KVS. We have provided Class 10 Social Science Questions and answers for all chapters in your NCERT Book for Class 10 Social Science. These solved problems for Development in Class 10 Social Science will help you to score more marks in upcoming examinations.
Exam Questions Development Class 10 Social Science
Objective Type Questions
Question. Which of the following is not a criterion for comparing development of different countries?
(a) Educational level of the people
(b) People’s material possessions
(c) Their health status
(d) Their per capita income
Answer : (b) People’s material possessions
Question. Development of a country can generally be determined by –
(a) its per capita income
(b) its average literacy level
(c) health status of its people
(d) All of the above
Answer : (d) All of the above
Question. Assume there are four families in a country. The average per capita income of these families is ₹ 5,000. If the income of three families is ₹ 4,000, ₹ 7,000 and ₹ 3,000 respectively, what is the income of the fourth family?
(a) ₹ 7,500
(b) ₹ 3,000
(c) ₹ 2,000
(d) ₹ 6,000
Answer : (d) ₹ 6,000
Question. The two types of resources that get used in the process of production are–
(a) biotic and abiotic resources
(b) renewable and non-renewable resources
(c) individual and national resources
(d) potential and reserved resources
Answer : (b) renewable and non-renewable resources
Question. Which of these is not a renewable resource ?
(a) Water in rivers
(b) Crude oil
(c) Fish
(d) Forest
Answer : (b) Crude oil
Question. Besides seeking more income, people also seek other things like –
(a) Equal treatment
(b) Respect of others
(c) Special treatment
(d) Freedom and security
Answer : (c) Special treatment
Question. According to per capita income prepared by the world Bank in 2004, in which category is India included –
(a) rich countries
(b) middle income countries
(c) low income countries
(d) None of the above
Answer : (c) low income countries
Question. Which of the following neighbouring countries has better performance in terms of human development than India ?
(a) Bangladesh
(b) Sri Lanka
(c) Nepal
(d) Pakistan
Answer : (b) Sri Lanka
Question. Kerala has a low Infant Mortality Rate because–
(a) people of the state are very rich.
(b) the climate of Kerala is very congenial and cozy.
(c) state has adequate provisions of basic health and educational facilities.
(d) people take nutritious diet and are not addicted to drugs.
Answer : (c) state has adequate provisions of basic health and educational facilities.
Question. Per capita of a country means –
(a) the highest income that a person earns in a year.
(b) the lowest income that a person earns in a year.
(c) the average income of a person that he earns in a year.
(d) the average income of all the persons living in that country.
Answer : (d) the average income of all the persons living in that country.
Question. Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person is calculated by–
(a) dividing height by weight
(b) multiplying height by weight
(c) dividing the weight by the square of the height
(d) adding height to the weight
Answer : (c) dividing the weight by the square of the height
Question. A person is considered undernourished if his BMI is–
(a) less than 30.5
(b) less than 25.7
(c) less than 20.9
(d) less than 18.5
Answer : (d) less than 18.5
Question. National development means –
(a) economic development
(b) social development
(c) political development
(d) all round development
Answer : (d) all round development
Question. By national income, we mean the money value of –
(a) all goods produced during a year.
(b) all final goods produced during a year.
(c) all services produced during a year.
(d) all final goods and services produced during a year.
Answer : (d) all final goods and services produced during a year.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question. On the basis of which three indicators of HDI 2004, Sri Lanka has better rank than India?
Answer : (i) Life expectancy.
(ii) Gross enrolment ratio.
(iii) Per capita income.
Question. Why do different individuals have different as well as conflicting notions of development goals?
OR
Explain common, different, and conflicting goals by giving appropriate examples.
OR
“Different persons can have different developmental goals.” Support the statement with an example.
Answer : Development goals may be common, different or conflicting :
(i) Common Goals: There are some needs which are common to all like income, freedom, equality, security, respect, friendship, etc.
(ii) Different Goals: Development or progress does not mean the same thing for every individual. Each individual has his own idea of development. For example, development for a farmer might mean irrigation facilities; while for an unemployed youth, it may mean employment opportunities, etc.
(iii) Conflicting Goals: What may be development for some, may become destruction for some others. For example, Industrialists may want dams for electricity, but such dams would displace the natives of a region by submerging their land.
Question. What is meant by economic development? What are the two bases of measuring economic development of a country?
Answer : Economic development refers to the adoption of new technologies, transition from agriculture-based to industry- based economy and improvement in lifestyle.
Two bases of measuring development of a country are:
(i) Average or per capita income.
(ii) National income and public facilities.
Question. “For development, people look at a mix of goals”. Support the statement with three suitable examples.
Answer : It is true that for development, people look at a mix of goals, e.g:
(i) If women are engaged in paid work, their dignity in the household and society increases. So, dignity is an important goal.
(ii) However, it is also the case that if there is respect for women, there would be more sharing of housework and greater acceptance of women working outside.
(iii) A safe and secure environment may allow more women to take up a variety of jobs or run a business. These are goals other than income. Hence, the development goal is not only for better income, but also for other important things in life.
Question. Explain the factors on which the quality of life depends.
Answer : The quality of life depends upon the following factors :
(i) Money and material things.
(ii) Presence of family members, friends and relatives.
(iii) Good working atmosphere at the office.
(iv) An opportunity to learn.
(v) A position of self-respect in the family.
(vi) A safe and secure environment.
Question. Explain the role of education and health in the overall development of a country.
Answer : (i) Role of education: It plays a vital role in the overall development of a human being and society, therefore stress on imparting education has been given in our Constitution.
(ii) Role of Health: The general health standard in India is quite low. This is quite inevitable as nearly one-fourth of the population lives below the poverty line.
(iii) A community based programmes on healthcare and medical services in rural areas has been launched. As a result of these efforts, there has been a fall in the incidence of certain diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy and polio.
Question. Explain the three components of Human Development Index.
OR
Write the importance of human development index in three points.
OR
Write a note on Human Development Index.
Answer : Human Development Index is published by the UNDP.
(i) It indicates the level of development of a country.
(ii) It indicates to a country how far it has reached and how far it has yet to reach to achieve high ranks in matters such as per capita income of the people.
(iii) One comes to know the important welfare elements such as life expectancy, literacy, educational level of people and health status.
Question. Apart from income, which other six things people look for growth and development?
Answer : (i) Apart from income, people also seek things like equal treatment, freedom, security and respect of others.
(ii) They resent discrimination. All of these are important goals.
(iii) In fact, in some cases, these may be more important than more income or more consumption because material goods are not all that you need to live.
(iv) Money or material things that one can buy with it is one factor on which our life depends.
Question. “Money cannot buy all the goods and services that a person may need to live well”. Explain the statement with suitable examples.
Answer : Money cannot buy all the goods and services that a person may need to live well. Income by itself is not a completely adequate indicator of material goods and services that citizens are able to use. For example, normally, money cannot buy a pollution-free environment or ensure that a person gets unadulterated medicines, unless a person can afford to shift to a community that already has all these things. Money may also not be able to protect individual from infectious diseases, unless the whole of our community takes preventive steps.
Question. What is the meaning of development? Explain the two aspects of development.
Answer : Development refers to progress or improvement in lifestyle. Important aspects of development are:
(i) Different persons can have different developmental goals.
(ii) What may be development for one may not be development for the other. It may even be destructive for others.
Question. “People have conflicting developmental goals”. Support the statement with suitable example.
Answer : Different persons could have different as well as conflicting notions of a country’s development. In fact; two persons or groups of persons may seek things which are conflicting. To get more electricity, industrialists may want more dams. But this may submerge the land and disrupt the lives of people who are displaced – such as tribes. They might resent this and may prefer small check dams or tanks to irrigate their land.
Question. Describe any three features of a developed country.
Answer : (i) High per capita income.
(ii) High HDI.
(iii) Greater focus on economic growth rather than development.
(iv) High standard of living.
(v) Most of the population has access to basic healthcare and education.
(vi) High quality of life parameters—including freedom, equal opportunities etc.
Question. What is sustainable development? Why is the issue of sustainability important for development? Explain.
OR
Explain the term ‘sustainable development’. Suggest two measures to ensure sustainable development.
OR
How is the issue of sustainability important for development? Explain with examples.
OR
‘Sustainable Development is a crucial step for the development of a country’. Explain with suitable examples.
OR
Why is the issue of sustainability important for development?
Answer : Importance of Sustainable Development –
(i) Sustainable development aims at fulfilling the needs of today without compromising the needs of the future generation.
(ii) Sustainability is the capability to use the resources judiciously and maintain ecological balance.
(iii) It lays emphasis on environmental protection and checks environmental degradation.
(iv) To stop over-exploitation and overuse of resources.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question. Explain with examples that there are other important development goals also besides income.
OR
“Developmental goals are different for different people”. Explain the statement with appropriate examples.
Answer : (i) Development or progress does not mean one and the same thing for every individual. Each individual has his/her own notion of development.
(ii) People seek things that are most important for them, i.e. things that can fulfil their aspirations or desires.
Examples :
(a) Development for a farmer might be proper irrigation facilities.
(b) For an urban youth, it may be employment.
(c) For a landless labourer, it may be land.
(d) For a girl, it might mean gender equality or more freedom.
Question. Is per capita income a true measure of development? Elaborate.
OR
What is Per Capita Income? How is it calculated?
OR
Why is “Per Capita Income” not an adequate indicator of economic development of a country? Explain.
Answer : (i) Per capita income is the average income. It is the income per head of the population per year.
(ii) Per capita income = Total income of the Country / Total Population
(iii) It is not an adequate indicator because :
(a) It does not tell us how this income is distributed. Per capita income might not be the income of every individual in the state.
(b) Life expectancy and infant mortality rate are other important criteria for measuring development.
(c) Education and literacy level are other indicators of development.
(d) Pollution free environment, less corruption, gender equality etc. are also important.
Question. How far is it correct to say that money in your pocket cannot buy the basic needs to live well? Explain.
Answer : (i) Income by itself is not a completely adequate indicator.
(ii) Money cannot buy you a pollution-free environment.
(iii) Money may also not be able to protect you from infectious diseases.
Therefore, the whole community needs to take preventive steps, i.e.:
(i) Collective security for the whole society.
(ii) Public facilities such as schools.
(iii) Public Distribution System in some states.
All this can only be done collectively and not individually.
Question. Explain the importance of sustainable development by giving the example of ground- water.
OR
What is sustainable development? Explain it with an example of water.
Answer : (i) Sustainable development is all about judicious use of resources at present keeping in mind the future requirements of the coming generations.
(ii) Groundwater is overused for agriculture.
(iii) Water is drawn from wells and this leaves the underground water-table depleted.
(iv) Since water is a renewable resource, we must help in replenishing water.
(v) We would be overusing the resources, if use more than what is being replenished.
Question. Define Sustainable Development. Write any four features of Sustainable Development.
Answer : Sustainable development may be defined as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.
Features :
(i) It is linked to sustainability since it has to be maintained for future generations.
(ii) Resources are to be used wisely so that they can be replenished. For example, if trees are cut, they should also be re-planted and allowed to grow.
(iii) Overuse of resources which exhausts them. For example, petroleum. If it is used indiscriminately, it will soon get finished and future generations will have nothing left in their hands.
(iv) If development is not sustainable, it will give rise to environmental degradation and become a global problem.
(v) People must be protected against pollution, thereby ensuring their quality of life and health.
Question. Why is sustainable development essential? How does it help to prevent environmental degradation?
OR
Why is sustainable development essential for economic growth? Give three reasons. Suggest also two measures to ensure sustainable development.
Answer : Sustainable development is important for economic growth because :
(i) Environment must be conserved while development is taking place.
(ii) Resources must be used in such a way that they are conserved for future generations.
(iii) The standard of living of all people must be raised.
Measures to ensure sustainable development :
(i) We should focus on using renewable resources and keep inventing new techniques to decrease the use of conventional resources.
(ii) The present resources must be used judiciously, with planning, and over-exploitation should be avoided.
Question. Study the data given in the table carefully and answer the questions that follow :
(i) Which state has highest literacy rate?
(ii) Which state has the highest per capita income and why?
(iii) Which state has highest infant mortality and why?
Answer : (i) Kerala: 91%
(ii) Punjab: ₹ 26,000.
Reason: Developed infrastructural facilities.
(iii) Bihar.
Reason: The state lacks health facilities.
Question. “Consequences of environmental degradation do not respect national or state boundaries”. Support the statement with examples.
Answer : Consequences of environmental degradation do not respect national or state boundaries. This issue is no longer a regional or national issue. Our future is linked together. Sustainability of development is essential for the entire mankind and it is our joint responsibility to save the environment. These days, it is a matter of discussion among different countries of world.
Global warming, acid rain, etc are not to be controlled by one nation. It is a global matter of thinking and finding the solutions.
Question. ‘The earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person’. How is this statement relevant to the discussion of development? Explain.
Answer : This statement is given by Mahatma Gandhi :
(i) It means that the earth has abundant resources to satisfy everyone’s needs but in our greed and hurry to develop, we have been recklessly exploiting these resources.
(ii) In the name of development, we have indulged in activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, encroachment into forest lands, overuse of groundwater, use of plastics, etc.
(iii) The exploitation of natural resources not only harms the environment, but it may also cripple the future generations of the development process itself.
(iv) If fossil fuels are exhausted, the development of all countries would be at risk.
(v) Thus, there is a need for conservation and judicious use of resources for development.
Question. What is development? What are the indicators used by UNDP for measuring development? Compare it with the World Bank report.
Answer : (i) Development refers to the process as a result of which along with increase in real per-capita income, there is improvement in the economic welfare and well-being of people.
The UNDP has taken:
(a) Education,
(b) Health and
(c) Per-capita income as the indicators.
(ii) Compared it to the World Bank Report :
(a) It is a broader concept of development.
(b) Countries have been ranked and goals other than level of income are being taken into account.
Question. Why do we use averages to compare the development of countries? What are the limitations in using it? Explain.
OR
Why do we use averages? Are there any limitations to their use? Illustrate with your own examples related to development.
Answer : Use of averages to compare development:
(i) Averages are used for better understanding.
(ii) For comparison between countries, total income is not very useful.
(iii) Different countries have different populations, so total income will not tell us what an average person is likely to earn.
(iv) According to the World Bank criterion, countries with per capita income of US$ 12236 per annum and above in 2016, are called rich countries and those with per capita income of US$ 1005 or less are called low-income countries.
Limitation: Average income does not depict how the income is distributed among the people. Some may be very rich but the masses may be poor.
Question. What is Sustainable Development? Explain any four measures to promote sustainable development.
Answer : Sustainable development : Development without environmental degradation and with conservation of resources for the future generations.
Measures to promote sustainable development:
(i) Increased use of renewable resources: Sustainable development is the management of renewable resources for the good of the entire human and natural community. For sustainable development, we must support the usage of renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy sources.
(ii) Less use of fossil fuels: Fossil fuels take a lot of time to be formed. These fossil fuels contribute tremendously to environmental pollution.
(iii) Introduction of organic farming: Organic Farming contributes largely in creating a better quality of soil and combating erosion.
(iv) Adopting measures to reduce global warming: In our everyday life, we should contribute towards building a better environment.
Question. What is development? Why do different people have different developmental goals? Explain with four examples.
Answer : Development means continuous progress or increase in real per-capita income. In other words, there is an improvement in the economic welfare of the people and their standard of living.
The four characteristics of development are :
(i) Developmental goals are different for different people.
(ii) What may be development for one may not be development for the others.
(iii) For development, people look at a mix of goals.
(iv) Different persons could have different as well as conflicting notions of country’s development.
Question. Explain with reasons why state of Punjab with a very high per capita income has a very low literacy rate.
OR
How is it that the average person in Punjab has more income than the average person in Kerala but it lags behind in many other crucial areas? Explain.
Answer : (i) Per capita income of Punjab is ₹ 26,000 and that of Kerala is ₹ 22,800.
(ii) Literacy rate of Punjab according to 2001 is 70% and Kerala is 91%, i.e., Punjab lags behind Kerala.
(iii) Therefore, income by itself is not a completely adequate indicator of material goods and services that citizens are able to use.
(iv) Over the past decade, health and education indicators have come to be widely used along with income as a measure of development.
(v) Human Development Report published by UNDP compares countries on the basis of educational levels of the people, health status and per capita income.
(vi) Kerala has a low infant mortality rate as it has adequate provision of basic healthcare and educational facilities.
Question. What is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries? Describe its limitations.
Answer : The average income, i.e., per capita income is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries.
Limitations:
(a) It covers only the economic aspect ignoring factors like infant mortality rate, literacy rate, no attendance ratio for class I-V, etc., which are important indicators for development.
(b) This method also does not provide us the distribution of income at different levels.
Question. Describe any five conditions or aspects that you would consider before accepting a job.
OR
If you get a job in a far off place before accepting it, you would try to consider many factors. Explain any five such factors.
OR
Give examples to prove that there are other important developmental goals than income.
Answer : If one gets a job in a far off place, before accepting it, one would try to consider many factors, apart from income such as:
(i) Facilities for the family: I would have to check if there is a good educational facility for children, a good house and locality to stay in, good medical facilities should also be available.
(ii) Job security: I should have clear terms of employment stated in my appointment letter. A job which gives high pay but no job security will reduce one’s sense of security and freedom.
(iii) Opportunity to learn: There should be an opportunity for personal career growth, so that no boredom or stagnation sets in.
(iv) Working atmosphere needs to be cooperative and healthy: There should be good team spirit and the seniors should look after the newcomers and guide them. If women are engaged in paid work, their dignity in the household and society increases. A safe and secure environment may allow more women to take up jobs or run a business.
(v) Time for your family: Working hours should be fixed and adhered to so that there is time for spending with family. Leave facility must be there as well.
Question. Besides income, what can be the other attributes to compare economic development?
Answer : Income is not only the criterion but it is one of the important indicators of economic development. Some of the other attributes are:
(i) Infant Mortality Rate: It is an indicator of the availability of doctors and medical facilities in the region as well as the awareness of the people living there in regard to diseases and their prevention.
Low infant mortality rate indicates good medical facilities and all-round development in the society. A high rate will be economic loss for the region as much effort is wasted, which could have been harnessed.
(ii) Literacy Rate: This is an indicator of the number of schools and teachers available in a region and it also indicates whether the facilities are being used or not due to societal pressures. Low literacy rate exhibits backwardness and slow economic development.
(iii) Life Expectancy: This is also an indicator of available health facilities. Low life expectancy will be a hindrance to economic development.
Question. How has the World Development Report classified countries? What are the limitations of this report?
Answer : (i) World Bank classifies countries according to the per capita income:
(ii) Countries with per capita income of US$ 12236 per annum and above in 2016, are called rich countries.
(iii) Countries with per capita income of US$ 1005 or less are called low-income countries.
The limitations of this report are:
(i) It considers only income and not other aspects such as literacy, health, life expectancy, etc.
(ii) World Development Report (WDR) only tells about income and not how it is distributed among the citizens.
