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Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.

Q1. [5] deep thorough-understanding
Development is no longer viewed merely as growth in national income, but as an expansion of human well-being and capabilities. Explain this shift in thinking. In your answer, highlight at least two limitations of using per capita income as the sole indicator of a country's development and suggest what a more comprehensive assessment should include.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:23 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Shift in Thinking about Development:

Earlier, development was measured mainly by per capita income (national income ÷ population). However, economists recognised this is inadequate. Today, development is seen as expansion of human capabilities — including health, education, freedom, and well-being — not just income growth.

Limitations of Per Capita Income:

  1. Hides inequality: Averages can be misleading. If a few people earn very high incomes, per capita income appears high even if most people remain poor (e.g., a country with per capita income Rs 5,000 may have most families earning far less).
  2. Ignores quality of life: Kerala has lower per capita income than Haryana but far better literacy (94% vs 82%) and Infant Mortality Rate (6 vs 28 per 1,000). Income alone fails to capture this.

Comprehensive Assessment should include:

This is exactly the approach of the UNDP's Human Development Index (HDI), which combines all three for a fuller picture of development.

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

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Explanation

Examiners look for: (1) a clear statement of the shift from income-only to multi-dimensional view, (2) two distinct, explained limitations of per capita income with examples from the text (Kerala-Haryana or the averaging problem), and (3) a brief suggestion of what else should be included (health + education + income = HDI). Naming UNDP/HDI earns a mark. Avoid listing without explaining — each limitation needs a one-line reason or example. Stay within ~120 words.

Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.