Class XII – Comparative Development Experience of India and Its Neighbours – PYQs

Ans. The various means used by countries to strengthen their own domestic economies are

(i) Countries are forming regional and economic groups such as SAARC, European union, G-8, G-20, etc.

(ii) Countries try to understand the development processes followed by their neighbouring countries as it helps them to better understand their strength and weakness.

(iii) Nations have also resorted to liberalise their economies by minimising government interference in economic activities. The economy is governed by market forces which promote efficiency and strengthen the economy.

Ans. They followed following similar strategies in their respective development plans

(i) Both India and Pakistan have followed five-year planning. India announced its first plan in 1951and Pakistan in 1956.

(ii) Both nations adopted a strategy of creating a large public sector and raising public expenditures on social development.

(iii) Both of them have adopted the mixed economic system involving the co-existence of both the public and the private sector.

Ans. Yes, it cannot be denied that China’s rapid industrial growth is an aggregate outcome of the various economic reforms that were introduced in phases since 1978. In the initial phase, reforms were initiated in agriculture, foreign trade and investment sectors. The system of collective farming known as Commune System was implemented. In the later phase, reforms were initiated in the industrial sector. During this phase, the private firms, village and township enterprises were allowed to produce goods and services and to compete with the state owned enterprises. The reforms also included dual pricing. The reforms also included setting up of special economic zones to attract foreign investors. Therefore, China’s rapid industrial growth is attributable to the success of different phases of its economic reforms.

Ans. One child policy was introduced in china in the late 1970s. This policy resulted in a decline in the growth of population. It has an important implication also. After a few decades, there will be more elderly people in proportion to young people. This will compel China to initiate step to provide social security measures with fewer workers

Ans. The great leap forward campaign initiated by China in 1958 aimed at industrialising the country on a massive scale. Under this programme, people were encouraged to set up industries in their backyards. The system of collective farming known as commune system was implemented.

Ans. The salient demographic indicatiors of China, Pakistan and India are discussed below

(i) China is the most populous country followed by India with 1352 million and Pakistan with 212 million.

(ii) China has the lowest density of population and India has the highest with 455. For Pakistan this figure is 275.

(iii) Sex ratio is baised against females in all the three nations. It is estimated at 924, 949 and 943 for India, China and Pakistan respectively.

(iv) Urbanisation is high in both Pakistan (37 %) and China (59%). In India, 34% of people are living in urban areas.

Ans. China has a second largest GDP (PPP) of $ 2.5 trillion in the world where as India’s GDP (PPP) $ 9.03 trillion and Pakistan GDP (PPP) is $ 0.94 trillion, roughly about 11% of India’s GDP. In 1980, Pakistan was ahead of India. China was having double digit growth and India was at the bottom. In 2015-2017, there was a decline in Pakistan and China’s growth rate, whereas India met with moderate increase in growth rate.

In both India and Pakistan, the contribution of agriculture was 16 and 24% respectively but the portion of workforce that work in this sector is more in India. In Pakistan, about 41% of people work in agriculture whereas in India it is 43%.

Ans. ‘‘India, China and Pakistan have travelled more than seven decades of developmental path with varied results.’’ This statement can be explained with the help of following arguments

(i) Till the late 1970s, all of them were maintaining the same level of low development. The last three decades have taken these countries to different levels.

(ii) Indian economy performed moderately, but majority of the population depends on agriculture and 1/4th of the population lives below poverty line. Infrastructure is also lacking in many parts of the country.

(iii) Pakistan economy was slowdown because of political instability, over dependence on remittances and foreign aid along with volatile performance of agriculture sector.

(iv) China used the market system without losing political commitment and succeeded in raising the level of growth along with alleviation of poverty. Public intervention in providing social infrastructure bought positive results in human development indicators in China.

Ans. India and Pakistan can be compared on demographic front as follows

(i) The population of Pakistan is very small and accounts for roughly about 1/10th of India.

(ii) Pakistan have more proportion of urban people than India.

(iii) The fertility rate is very high in Pakistan as compared to India.

(iv) The sex ratio of the two nations stand quite near to each other, showing preference of male child in both the nations. India stands at 924 females per 1,000 males and Pakistan stands at 943 females per 1,000 males.

Ans. ‘Liberty indicators’ are those indicators which represent the degree of civil and political freedom to individuals in a country. They should also be considered along with indicators of income, health and education in the human development index.

One such indicator has actually been added as a measure is ‘the extent of democratic participation in social and political decision-making’ but it has not been given any extra weight.

Some other ‘liberty indicators’ are measures of ‘the extent of constitutional protection given to rights of citizens’ or the extent of constitutional protection of the ‘Independence of the Judiciary’ and the ‘Rule of Law’ which have not been introduced in HDI till now. Without including such indicators and giving them adequate weightage, the construction of a human development index remains incomplete and its usefulness remains limited.

Ans. For economic development Pakistan followed the mixed economy model with co-existence of public and private sectors.

The different policies adopted by Pakistan are stated below

(i) A variety of regulated policy frameworks were introduced in late 1950s and 1960s.

(ii) Protection of consumer goods, domestic industries through tariff harriers.

(iii) The introduction of green revolution and mechanisation in agriculture sector.

(iv) Public investment in infrastructure in selected areas.

(v) Nationalisation of capital goods, industries were introduced in 1970s.

(vi) In 1980s, denationalisation and encouragement to private sector.

(vii) In 1988, economic reforms were initiated in the economy.

Ans. The development of India, China and Pakistan with respect to some salient human development indicators can be assessed and compared with the help of the following points

(i) China is ahead of India and Pakistan in human development indicators. China has better ranking in terms of income indicator such as GDP per capita or proportion of population below poverty line or health indicators such as mortality rates, access to sanitation, literacy, life expectancy or malnourishment.

(ii) India is ahead of Pakistan in reducing proportion of people below the poverty line as per Human Development Report 2019.

(iii) India’s performance in education, sanitation and access to water is better than Pakistan.

(iv) Maternal mortality is very high in India and Pakistan as compared to China. In China, for one lakh births, only 29 women die whereas in India and Pakistan, more than 130 women die.

(v) All the three countries provide improved water sources for most of their population.

(vi) Considering the international poverty rate of $ 2 a day, India has the largest share of poor among the three countries in absolute terms.