Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Both comparisons reveal that per capita income alone is an insufficient measure of development.

Bangladesh has a lower per capita income than India yet ranks higher on the HDI (Rank 129 vs 134), and Kerala, despite lower per capita income than Haryana, has far better indicators — Kerala's IMR is just 6 per 1,000 live births versus Haryana's 28, and its literacy rate is 94% versus 82%.

This shows that what truly matters is how income is used — particularly investment in public health and education facilities. Money in your pocket cannot buy a pollution-free environment or protect against infectious diseases unless the whole community benefits. Therefore, development must be measured using multiple indicators — income, health status, and education levels — as the UNDP's Human Development Index does.

Source: Chapter 1 — Income and Other Criteria; Public Facilities; Human Development Report

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The examiner expects you to:

1. Name both comparisons (Bangladesh vs India; Kerala vs Haryana) with at least one specific statistic each — this shows you've read the data, not just memorised a vague point.
2. State the core insight: per capita income is necessary but not sufficient.
3. Briefly explain why — public facilities, collective provision of health and education matter more than income alone.
4. Mention the UNDP/HDI as the better alternative. Avoid padding with unnecessary detail.