The Concept of Development

Human Development is the process of enlarging people’s choices. The ethos of planning in India has always been people-centric. However, the introduction of the human development paradigm in the planning mechanism ensured the focus of human development in the growth process. The idea of human development is supported by the concepts of equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment. For a large country such as India, the utility of the study of human development is enhanced once the exercise is attempted at the state level. Apart from the diversity, an important reason for establishing a “benchmark” and subsequent “follow-up” on different aspects of human welfare at the state level is due to the dominant role played by the states in social sectors in the country. This chapter discusses the concept of Human Development as it pertains to nations and communities.

Essential topics from Geography Class 12: The Concept of Development

• Growth and Development

Growth is a quantitative term and may have a positive or negative sign. This means that it may show an increase or decrease. 

Development is a qualitative term and is always positive. It occurs when there is a positive change in the quality. 

• The significant difference between growth and development

The significant difference between both is mainly attached to the value. For example, an increase in population from 40 to 50 lakhs is termed as growth. Development, on the other hand, is when specific opportunities and resources are provided to the people.

• The four pillars of human development:

Human Development is supported by the concepts of equity, sustainability, productivity, and empowerment. These concepts have been explained as below:

1. Equity: This means equal opportunities for everybody irrespective of race, colour, caste, creed, or gender. However, in many Indian regions, such discriminations have been observed.

2. Sustainability: This refers to the availability of chances for everyone. A government tries its level best to provide ample resources for all. However, the misuse of resources by specific individuals can cause the next generations to suffer.

3. Productivity: This refers to the output or fruitfulness concerning human labour. When people get enough education and opportunities to polish their capabilities, they act as a source of growth for their country. 

4. Empowerment: This refers to the ability to make choices. On a larger scale, authorisation by the government plays a vital role in deciding the well-being of its countrymen. 

• Approaches to human development

To increase human development, specific approaches are involved. These include:

1. Income approach: In this case, human development runs parallely with income level. For example, a region with high income sees a lot more development than other regions.

2. Welfare approach: This approach works by keeping people as the target of all development. The development in health, job and education sectors will affect human development in India for sure. 

3. Basic needs approach: The human race needs six basic amenities to survive. These include health, education, food, water, sanitation, and housing. By emphasising these, human development might see an increase.

4. The capability approach: Building human capabilities in health, education, and resource areas may help enhance human development and the environment.

• Measuring human development

Human Development Index (HDI) measures the development of a region. These rankings are between 0 and 1 and are based on specific aspects of development such as literacy, employment, health, resource access. If the score is close to 1, it indicates more human development. A score near zero indicates less human development and the need for improvement.

• International comparisons

HDI does not depend on the size of the region directly. In many cases, smaller countries have higher ranks. More than 59 countries have an HDI of more than 0.8. Countries with a more elevated position are often people-oriented, emphasising the health sector, technology, education, and jobs.