Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Income alone is an inadequate measure of development because it hides disparities in the quality of life of citizens. The UNDP's Human Development Index (HDI) combines per capita income, life expectancy (health), and mean years of schooling (education) to give a fuller picture.

What income-based ranking misses:

• It does not show how income is distributed among people.
• High income does not guarantee good health services or education access.
• It ignores non-material goals like security, equal treatment, and well-being.

Example of two countries with similar incomes but different HDI:
From Table 1.6, Bangladesh (GNI $6,511) has a **better HDI rank (129)** than India (GNI $6,951, HDI rank 134), with higher life expectancy (73.7 vs 67.7) and more schooling. Similarly, Kerala has lower per capita income than Haryana but far better IMR (6 vs 28) and literacy (94% vs 82%).

Policy implication: Governments must invest in public health and education, not just GDP growth. A country may grow economically yet leave its citizens unhealthy and uneducated — so policy must target human well-being directly.

Source: Chapter 1 — Development, sections "Income and Other Criteria" and "Human Development Report"

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What examiners look for in this 5-mark answer:

1. Why income alone is insufficient — mention disparity/distribution problem (Country A vs B logic).
2. What HDI adds — name all three components (income + health + education).
3. Concrete example — Kerala vs Haryana OR India vs Bangladesh from the textbook data. Use at least one specific figure.
4. Policy implication — must state that governments should invest in health and education, not just income growth.
5. Keep it to ~4–5 tight points or two short paragraphs. Do not write a vague essay — examiners reward specific data from the textbook.

Key mistake to avoid: Don't just define HDI — you must compare two cases and link to policy.