Development

Development means positive growth of the economy along with the

improvement in the quality of life of the people like health, education, etc. In
other words, progress from the previous situation is called development.
Development has many aspects. People have different perspectives on
development because life situations of persons are different and therefore their
aspirations, desires, and goals. What may be development for one may not be
development for the other person. It may even be destructive for the other. For
example: to generate electricity, a dam is constructed over a river where nearby
mass is considered for construction resulting in the development of society and
country. It causes destruction for farmers and the lives of people living nearby.
Income and other goals-
 One common thing about the developmental goals of different persons is
more income.
 Money, or material things that one can buy with it, is one factor on which
our life depends.
 However, people also need non-materialistic things like freedom, security
and respect of others for a quality life.
 So, for development, people look at a mix of goals. The developmental
goals are not only about better income but also about other important
things in life.
National Development-
Improvement in people’s living standards, providing basic things to citizens like
food, education, social service, medical aid, etc, and increase in per capita
income, is known as National development. Different persons could have
different as well as conflicting notions of a country’s development.
How to Compare Different Countries or States?
 All countries are not equally developed. Some are developed while others
are underdeveloped. For comparing countries, their income is considered
to be one of the most important attributes.
  World Bank says that countries with the per capita income of Rs 4,53,000
per annum and above in 2004 are called rich countries and those with the
per capita income of Rs 37,000 or less are called low-income countries.
India comes in the category of low income countries because its per
capita income in 2004 was just Rs 28000 per annum.
 As different countries have different populations, comparing total income
will not tell us what an average person earns. So, we compare the average
income of countries.
 The average income of the country is the ratio of the overall income of
the country to the overall population of the country.
Income and other criteria-
 Besides average income, other equally important attributes to the
development of a country or a region are – gross national income, life
expectancy at birth, literacy rate and HDI (Human Development Index)
rank in the world.
 HDI is a composite index prepared by UNDP with major parameters such
as longevity of life, level of literacy and per capita income. Apart from
these, the BMI index also plays an important role.
 Body mass index (BMI) is measured to measure the adults who are
undernourished by calculating the weight of the person (kg) divided by
the square of the height. If the value is less than 18.5, the person is
undernourished and if it is more than 25, then the person is highly obese.
Public Facilities-
Public facilities play a major role in the development of the country. These are
the facilities provided by the government like schools, transportation,
electricity, hospitals, residences, community halls, etc.
Sustainability of Development
 Sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs
of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations.
 It is not wise to overuse our natural resources. It can pose problems
before us as well as our future generations.
 To achieve sustainable development, we should use non-renewable
resources such as carbon-based fuel wisely