A student argues: 'If the average per capita income of a state has risen over the past decade, every section…

Question

A student argues: 'If the average per capita income of a state has risen over the past decade, every section of society must be better off.' Is this argument correct? Explain with a suitable example.

Accepted Answer

## Model Answer No, the argument is **not correct**. Per capita income is an average figure that hides unequal distribution of income. A rise in average income may benefit only a few rich people while the poor remain worse off. **Example:** Haryana has a higher per capita income (Rs 2,64,729) than Kerala (Rs 2,34,405), yet Kerala has a much lower Infant Mortality Rate (6 per 1,000) compared to Haryana (28 per 1,000) and a higher literacy rate (94% vs 82%). This shows that higher average income does not guarantee that every section of society is better off. Source: Chapter 1 – Development, Tables 1.3 and 1.4 --- ## Explanation - The key examiner expectation is: (1) state the argument is wrong, (2) explain *why* averages are misleading (they hide inequality), and (3) support with a specific example from the textbook (Haryana vs Kerala data). - Do not just say "averages hide distribution" — back it up with figures from the tables. - 3 marks = roughly 1 mark per point: wrong + reason + ex…

Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question