Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

No, a rising per capita income alone does not confirm that a country is truly developing. High infant mortality rate and low school enrolment show that people's health and education — essential aspects of development — are being neglected despite income growth.

This shows that a single indicator like per capita income is an inadequate measure of development. As the textbook states, income does not capture the quality of life of citizens. The UNDP's Human Development Index (HDI) therefore combines per capita income with health (life expectancy) and education (mean years of schooling) to give a more complete picture of development. For example, Kerala has lower per capita income than Haryana but far better IMR and literacy, making it more developed in human terms.

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

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• Examiners expect you to: (1) directly answer whether the country is developing, (2) state the limitation of per capita income as a single indicator, and (3) mention what better/additional indicators are used (HDI — health + education + income).
• The Kerala–Haryana comparison is the textbook's own example — use it to illustrate.
• Avoid writing more than ~90 words in the Model Answer for a 3-mark question.
• Key terms to include: per capita income, infant mortality rate, HDI, health and education indicators.