Q1. [1] medium exam-ready
Assertion (A): An increase in average per capita income over time proves that all sections of society have become better off.
Reason (R): Average income hides the disparity in income distribution among different groups within the population.
- A Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
- B Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
- C A is false and R is true.
- D Both A and R are false.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:20 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Option C: A is false and R is true.
Assertion (A) is false because higher average income does not mean all sections benefit equally — it may hide inequality. Reason (R) is true and correctly explains why the assertion is wrong.
Source: Development, Chapter 1
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Explanation
- The assertion is false: average/per capita income is a mean that can be high even if a few rich people pull it up while the poor remain poor. The textbook uses the example of calculating average family income (Exercise Q3) to show this limitation.
- The reason is true: averages hide the disparity in distribution — this is explicitly discussed as a limitation of using per capita income as a development measure.
- Since A is false and R is true, the correct option is C.
- Note: Do not choose B — that option requires both A and R to be true.