17 multiple-choice (MCQ / objective) questions from this chapter, in every exam-style shape used in the paper. Every question comes with an explanation along with the answer, so you remember why the option is correct, not just which one it is.
1 Direct Questions
Direct Questions
- 1 markWhich of these best describes ‘growth’ as used in this chapter?
(A) A qualitative change that is always positive(B) A change that always increases with time(C) A change measured only in cities(D) A quantitative change that can be positive or negative - 1 markIn the chapter’s own example, a city’s population grows from one lakh to two lakhs, but housing, provision of basic services and other characteristics remain the same. This is:
(A) growth accompanied by development(B) development without growth(C) growth that has not been accompanied by development(D) negative growth - 1 markThe concept of human development, as described in this chapter, was introduced by:
(A) Prof. Amartya Sen(B) Dr Mahbub-ul-Haq(C) The United Nations Development Programme(D) The International Labour Organisation - 1 markThe Human Development Index was created by Dr Mahbub-ul-Haq in the year:
(A) 1990(B) 2000(C) 1985(D) 1975 - 1 markAccording to the chapter, in India a large number of school dropouts belong to:
(A) urban middle-class families only(B) women and persons from socially and economically backward groups(C) only children with disabilities(D) government employees’ families - 1 markThe idea of human development, as described in this chapter, is supported by four pillars. These are:
(A) growth, welfare, income and trade(B) health, education, housing and sanitation(C) equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment(D) planning, growth, equity and defence - 1 markWhich approach to human development treats human beings as beneficiaries or passive recipients of development activities, rather than participants?
(A) The welfare approach(B) The income approach(C) The capability approach(D) The basic needs approach
2 Assertion-Reason
Assertion-Reason
- 1 markAssertion (A): A city’s population growing from one lakh to two lakhs is, by itself, an example of development.
Reason (R): Development is a qualitative change that is always value positive, while growth is a quantitative change that can be either positive or negative.
(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 true but R is false(D) A is false but R is true - 1 markAssertion (A): The Basic Needs Approach to human development was proposed by the International Labour Organisation.
Reason (R): This approach places human choices at the centre of measuring human development.
(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 true but R is false(D) A is false but R is true
3 Match the Following
Match the Following
- 1 markMatch the approach in List I with its description in List II.
List I: (i) Income Approach, (ii) Welfare Approach, (iii) Basic Needs Approach, (iv) Capability Approach
List II: (a) Human beings are beneficiaries or passive recipients of development activities, (b) The level of income reflects the level of freedom a person enjoys, (c) Proposed by the International Labour Organisation, (d) Associated with Prof. Amartya Sen
(A) (i)-a, (ii)-b, (iii)-d, (iv)-c(B) (i)-c, (ii)-d, (iii)-a, (iv)-b(C) (i)-b, (ii)-a, (iii)-c, (iv)-d(D) (i)-d, (ii)-c, (iii)-b, (iv)-a - 1 markMatch the human development category in List I with the number of countries in it in List II (Table 3.2, Human Development Report 2025).
List I: (i) Very High, (ii) High, (iii) Medium, (iv) Low
List II: (a) 50, (b) 74, (c) 26, (d) 53
(A) (i)-a, (ii)-b, (iii)-c, (iv)-d(B) (i)-c, (ii)-d, (iii)-a, (iv)-b(C) (i)-d, (ii)-c, (iii)-b, (iv)-a(D) (i)-b, (ii)-a, (iii)-d, (iv)-c
4 Statement-Based Questions
Statement-Based Questions
- 1 markConsider the following statements.
(i) Growth is quantitative and value neutral, and can carry a positive or a negative sign.
(ii) Development is a qualitative change that is always value positive.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) Only (i)(B) Only (ii)(C) Both (i) and (ii)(D) Neither (i) nor (ii) - 1 markConsider the following statements about the Human Development Index.
(i) Each of its three dimensions is given a weightage of 1/3.
(ii) Access to resources is measured in terms of purchasing power in Indian Rupees.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) Only (i)(B) Only (ii)(C) Both (i) and (ii)(D) Neither (i) nor (ii) - 1 markConsider the following statements.
(i) The size of a country’s territory and its per capita income are directly related to its level of human development.
(ii) Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago have a higher rank than India in the human development index, despite having smaller economies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) Only (i)(B) Only (ii)(C) Both (i) and (ii)(D) Neither (i) nor (ii)
5 Arrange in the Correct Order
Arrange in the Correct Order
- 1 markArrange the following human development categories in decreasing order of the number of countries in them, as given in Table 3.2 (highest number of countries first).
(a) Very High human development group
(b) High human development group
(c) Medium human development group
(d) Low human development group
(A) (a), (c), (b), (d)(B) (b), (a), (c), (d)(C) (d), (b), (a), (c)(D) (c), (d), (a), (b)
6 Passage-Based Questions
Passage-Based Questions
Passage
As India climbs up HDI rankings, rising inequality poses challenges. Amid a disturbing rate of deceleration in global development and a growing divide between the rich and the poor, India has inched up on the Human Development Index. In the 2025 Human Development Report, ‘A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI’, released on Tuesday, India ranks 130 out of 193 countries, from 133 in 2022. It registered an HDI value increase to 0.685 in 2023 from 0.676 in 2022. Coming on the back of two debilitating pandemic years, it can be said that India’s recovery has been strong in the three fields HDI measures.
- 1 markAccording to the passage, what is the title of the 2025 Human Development Report?
(A) ‘A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI’(B) ‘Human Development for a New Generation’(C) ‘Choices and Freedoms: A Global Report’(D) ‘People, Progress and Possibility’
7 True / False
True / False
- 1 mark(i) The Human Development Index measures the shortfall in human development.
(ii) The Human Poverty Index is a non-income measure.
(A) Both statements are true(B) Both statements are untrue(C) (i) is true and (ii) is untrue(D) (i) is untrue and (ii) is true
Answer Key and Explanations
Direct Questions
- (D) The chapter says growth ‘is quantitative and value neutral. It may have a positive or a negative sign.’
- (C) ‘if facilities like housing, provision of basic services and other characteristics remain the same, then this growth has not been accompanied by development.’
- (B) ‘The concept of human development was introduced by Dr Mahbub-ul-Haq.’
- (A) ‘Pakistani economist Dr Mahbub-ul-Haq created the Human Development Index in 1990.’
- (B) ‘In India, a large number of women and persons belonging to socially and economically backward groups drop out of school. This shows how the choices of these groups get limited by not having access to knowledge.’
- (C) ‘the idea of human development is supported by the concepts of equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment.’
- (A) ‘This approach looks at human beings as beneficiaries or targets of all development activities… People are not participants in development but only passive recipients.’
Assertion-Reason
- (D) A is false: the chapter’s own example says that if ‘facilities like housing, provision of basic services and other characteristics remain the same, then this growth has not been accompanied by development.’ R is true and is the chapter’s own definition of the two terms.
- (C) A is true: ‘This approach was initially proposed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).’ R is false: the chapter says of this very approach, ‘The question of human choices is ignored and the emphasis is on the provision of basic needs of defined sections.’
Match the Following
- (C) Income Approach: ‘the level of income reflects the level of freedom an individual enjoys’ (b). Welfare Approach: ‘People are not participants in development but only passive recipients’ (a). Basic Needs Approach: ‘initially proposed by the International Labour Organisation’ (c). Capability Approach: ‘associated with Prof. Amartya Sen’ (d).
- (D) Table 3.2: Very High, above 0.800, 74 countries (b); High, 0.700 to 0.799, 50 countries (a); Medium, 0.550 to 0.699, 53 countries (d); Low, below 0.550, 26 countries (c).
Statement-Based Questions
- (C) Both are the chapter’s own definitions, word for word: growth ‘is quantitative and value neutral. It may have a positive or a negative sign’; ‘Development means a qualitative change which is always value positive.’
- (A) (i) is correct: ‘Each of these dimensions is given a weightage of 1/3.’ (ii) is wrong: the chapter says ‘Access to resources is measured in terms of purchasing power (in U.S. dollars),’ not Indian Rupees.
- (B) (i) is wrong: ‘Size of the territory and per capita income are not directly related to human development.’ (ii) is correct and is the chapter’s own example.
Arrange in the Correct Order
- (A) Table 3.2 counts: Very High 74, Medium 53, High 50, Low 26. So the decreasing order is Very High, Medium, High, Low.
Passage-Based Questions
- (A) The passage names the report as ‘A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI’, released on Tuesday.
True / False
- (D) (i) is untrue: the chapter says the HDI ‘measures attainments in human development,’ while it is the Human Poverty Index that ‘measures the shortfall.’ (ii) is true: ‘It is a non-income measure.’
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