Comprehensive Study Notes on Development and Development Indicators of Concepts Development

Learning Objectives for the Teacher and Core Concepts of Development

• Multi-faceted Nature of Development: Development has many aspects and people hold different perspectives on what it entails. It is essential to understand both intuitive personal responses and complex macro-level analyses.

• Common Indicators: Education enables students to understand how countries or states can be compared using specific development indicators.

• Income Method Strengths and Weaknesses: While economic development is most commonly measured by income, this method has significant weaknesses. Newer perspectives include quality of life and environmental sustainability.

• Instructional Approach: Teachers are encouraged to facilitate active classroom discussion and debate, as opinions on development vary widely. Recapping ideas through questions and activities helps link themes to real-life situations.

• Essential Terms for Clarification:

  • Per Capita Income.
  • Literacy Rate.
  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
  • Attendance Ratio.
  • Life Expectancy.
  • Gross Enrolment Ratio.
  • Human Development Index (HDI).
  • Purchasing Power Parity (used for calculating per capita income).

• Data Sources: Information in this study is derived from:

  • Government of India (Economic Survey).
  • United Nations Development Programme (Human Development Report).
  • World Bank (World Development Indicators).
  • Reserve Bank’s Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy.

The Idea and Complexity of Development

• Aspirations and Progress: Development involves our desires for how we want to live and what we think a country should be like. It addresses questions such as:

  • What are the essential things we require?
  • Can life be better for all?
  • How should people live together?
  • Can there be more equality?

• Interdisciplinary Nature: Answers to developmental questions are found not only in economics but also in history and political science. Our current lives are influenced by the past, and change is achieved through democratic political processes.

• The Systemic Struggle: The text notes a systemic conflict expressed by a figure: "Without me they cannot develop… in this system I cannot develop!"

Different People, Different Goals

• Diversity of Aspirations: Development means different things to different people based on their life situations. Table 1.1 outlines these variations:

  • Landless rural labourers: Seek more days of work, better wages, quality education for children in local schools, no social discrimination, and opportunities to become village leaders.
  • Prosperous farmers from Punjab: Seek high family income through higher support prices for crops, cheap hardworking labourers, and the ability to settle children abroad.
  • Farmers depending only on rain: Seek adequate and timely rainfall for crop growth.
  • Rural woman from a landowning family: Seeks economic security and respect.
  • Urban unemployed youth: Seeks stable employment opportunities.
  • Boy from a rich urban family: Seeks luxury, high-end education, and career freedom.
  • Girl from a rich urban family: Seeks as much freedom and opportunity as her brother, equality in household work sharing, and the ability to pursue studies abroad.
  • An adivasi from Narmada valley: Seeks protection of land and traditional lifestyle.

• Conflicting Goals: What may be development for one can be destructive for another.

  • Example: Industrialists want more dams for electricity, but this submerge lands and disrupts the lives of displaced tribals, who might prefer small check dams or tanks for irrigation.

Income and Other Life Goals

• The Common Desire for Income: People generally desire regular work, better wages, and decent prices for products to achieve more income.

• Non-Material Desires: Quality of life depends on factors beyond money, such as:

  • Equal treatment.
  • Freedom.
  • Security.
  • Respect of others.
  • Absence of discrimination.
  • Friendship.

• Limitations of Money: Material goods are a factor, but money cannot buy everything needed for a good life (e.g., a pollution-free environment, protection from infectious diseases, or unadulterated medicines).

• A Mix of Goals: For development, people look at a combination of goals.

  • Example of Women's Work: Paid work increases a woman's dignity, but respect for women leads to more sharing of housework and greater acceptance of women working outside. A safe environment allows more women to take up variety in jobs or business.

National Development

• Varying Notions of Progress: Individuals have different and sometimes conflicting notions of what a country's development should look like.

• Core Considerations for National Development:

  • What would be a fair and just path for all?
  • Would the idea benefit a large number of people or only a small group?

• Case Study: Toxic Waste in Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

  • A vessel dumped $500$ tonnes of liquid toxic wastes into open-air dumps.
  • The waste came from a multinational company dealing in petroleum and metals, which contracted a local company for disposal.
  • Fumes caused nausea, skin rashes, fainting, and diarrhoea.
  • After one month: $7$ dead, $20$ in hospital, and $26,000$ treated for poisoning.

Comparing Countries or States via Income

• Criteria for Comparison: Countries are compared based on their income as it represents the total of all things human beings need.

• Average Income / Per Capita Income: Total income is not useful for comparison because populations vary. Average income is calculated as:     $\text{Average Income} = \frac{\text{Total Income of Country}}{\text{Total Population}}$

• World Bank Classification (World Development Report 2006):

  • Rich Countries: Per capita income of $\text{Rs } 4,53,000$ per annum and above (in 2004).
  • Low-income Countries: Per capita income of $\text{Rs } 37,000$ per annum or less (in 2004).
  • India's Status: Classified as Low-income because its 2004 per capita income was $\text{Rs } 28,000$ per annum.
  • Developed Countries: Generally includes rich countries, excluding those in the Middle East and certain small countries.

The Limitation of Averages: Disparities

• Average vs. Distribution: Averages can hide significant disparities. Two countries might have the same average income, but one might have equitable distribution while the other has extreme wealth concentrated in a few hands.

• Hypothetical Comparison (Table 1.2):

  • Country A: Monthly incomes of citizens are roughly similar ($\text{Rs } 9,500$ to $\text{Rs } 10,500$). Equitable distribution.
  • Country B: Four citizens earn $\text{Rs } 500$ each, and one earns $\text{Rs } 48,000$. High disparity.
  • Both countries may have the same average, but Country A is preferred by most as it lacks extreme poverty or concentrated wealth.

Income and Other Criteria: Comparing Indian States

• State Income Statistics (2002-03):

  • Punjab: $\text{Rs } 26,000$ (Highest per capita income among the three).
  • Kerala: $\text{Rs } 22,800$.
  • Bihar: $\text{Rs } 5,700$ (Lowest).

• Social Indicator Definitions:

  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): Number of children that die before age one per $1,000$ live births in a year.
  • Literacy Rate: Proportion of literate population in the $7$ and above age group.
  • Net Attendance Ratio: Total number of children in the age group $6-10$ attending school as a percentage of total children in that group.

• Comparative Data (Table 1.4):

  • Punjab: IMR = $49$; Literacy Rate = $70\%$; Net Attendance Ratio = $81$.
  • Kerala: IMR = $11$; Literacy Rate = $91\%$; Net Attendance Ratio = $91$.
  • Bihar: IMR = $60$; Literacy Rate = $47\%$; Net Attendance Ratio = $41$.

• Key Insight: Despite having higher income, Punjab has a much higher IMR ($49$) than Kerala ($11$). Money alone cannot provide health and education facilities.

Public Facilities and Collective Provision

• Efficiency of Collective Provision: The cheapest and best way to provide many services is collectively (e.g., collective security for a locality vs. individual guards for every house; government-run schools vs. private tutoring).

• Role of Government: Education and health depend on the government opening schools and providing facilities. In many areas, girls lag behind because these facilities are inadequate.

• Public Distribution System (PDS): States like Kerala or Tamil Nadu where PDS (ration shops) function well show better health and nutritional status of people compared to states like Jharkhand.

Human Development Report (UNDP)

• Broadening the Scope: The UNDP uses educational levels, health status, and per capita income to compare countries.

• India and Neighbours Data (2004):

  • Sri Lanka: Per Capita Income: $4,390$; Life Expectancy: $74$; Literacy Rate: $91\%$; HDI Rank: $93$.
  • India: Per Capita Income: $3,139$; Life Expectancy: $64$; Literacy Rate: $61\%$; HDI Rank: $126$.
  • Myanmar: Per Capita Income: $1,027$; Life Expectancy: $61$; Literacy Rate: $90\%$; HDI Rank: $130$.
  • Pakistan: Per Capita Income: $2,225$; Life Expectancy: $63$; Literacy Rate: $50\%$; HDI Rank: $134$.
  • Nepal: Per Capita Income: $1,490$; Life Expectancy: $62$; Literacy Rate: $50\%$; HDI Rank: $138$.
  • Bangladesh: Per Capita Income: $1,870$; Life Expectancy: $63$; Literacy Rate: $41\%$; HDI Rank: $137$.

• Observation: A small country like Sri Lanka is ahead of India in every respect. Nepal, despite half the per capita income of India, is nearly equal in life expectancy and literacy.

Measuring Nutrition: Body Mass Index (BMI)

• BMI Formula:     $\text{BMI} = \frac{\text{Weight (kg)}}{\text{(Height (m))}^2}$

• Classification Criteria:

  • Undernourished: BMI < $18.5$.
  • Overweight: BMI > $25$.
  • Note: This criterion is for adults and not applicable to growing children.

Sustainability of Development

• The Warning: Scientists warn that present levels of development are not sustainable. We must preserve resources for future generations.

• Renewable Resources: Resources like groundwater are replenished by nature. However, they can be overused if consumption exceeds replenishment rate.

  • Groundwater in India: Evidence shows serious overuse in $300$ districts. Nearly one-third of the country is overusing reserves. In $25$ years, $60\%$ of the country could face this if trends continue. Problems are acute in Punjab, Western U.P., and hard rock plateaus of central/south India.

• Non-renewable Resources: Fixed stocks that cannot be replenished, like crude oil.

  • Crude Oil Reserves Table (1.7):
    • Middle East: $89$ Billion Tonnes; Years to last: $93$.
    • United States of America: $4$ Billion Tonnes; Years to last: $10$.
    • World: $137$ Billion Tonnes; Years to last: $43$.

• Consequences: Environmental degradation does not respect national boundaries. Sustainability is a collaborative field involving scientists, economists, and philosophers.

Questions & Discussion

• The Four Families Calculation: If a country has four families with an average per capita income of $\text{Rs } 5,000$, and three families earn $\text{Rs } 4,000$, $\text{Rs } 7,000$, and $\text{Rs } 3,000$, the fourth family’s income is calculated by:     $\text{Total Income} = 4 \times 5000 = 20,000$$\text{Total of three families} = 4000 + 7000 + 3000 = 14,000$$\text{Fourth family income} = 20,000 - 14,000 = 6,000$

• Nutritional Stats in India (2001):

  • Kerala: $22\%$ Male undernourished, $19\%$ Female.
  • Madhya Pradesh: $43\%$ Male undernourished, $42\%$ Female.
  • All States Average: $37\%$ Male, $36\%$ Female.

• Sustainability Quote: "The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person."