Development — Practice

Question 1

What does Amartya Sen mean by 'development as freedom'?

Accepted Answer

Amartya Sen, in 'Development as Freedom' (1999), argues that development should be measured not by GDP or income but by what people can actually DO and BE. He calls these 'capabilities' — the real freedoms to live the life one values. These include: being educated, being healthy, participating in community life, being free from discrimination, and living with dignity. Income is only a MEANS to these ends, not the goal. A country with high income but unfree or uneducated citizens has not truly developed. True development means EXPANDING the substantive freedoms people enjoy.

Question 2

What is sustainable development? Why is it important for developing countries like India?

Accepted Answer

Sustainable development, as defined by the Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987), is 'development that meets the needs of the PRESENT without compromising the ability of FUTURE GENERATIONS to meet their own needs.' It requires balancing economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection. Why it is important for India: 1) Environmental degradation: India faces severe environmental challenges — air pollution (Delhi is among the world's most polluted cities), water scarcity (over-extraction of groundwater), soil degradation, and deforestation. Conventional growth-focused development has accelerated these problems. 2) Intergenerational justice: India's development cannot steal from its grandchildren — the current generation has no right to use up resources that future generations will need. 3) Vulnerability of the poor: India's poor are most dependent on natural resources (farmers on rainfall and soil, fisherfolk on marine ecosystems, Adivasis on forests) — environmental degradation hits them hardest, even though they consume the least. 4) Climate change: India is among the most vulnerable countries to climate impacts (monsoon disruption, sea level rise, extreme heat). Sustainable development is not an option — it is a necessity for India's long-term survival and prosperity.

Question 3

Critically examine the critiques of conventional development from indigenous communities and feminist perspectives. What alternative vision of development do these critiques suggest?

Accepted Answer

The conventional view of development — rising GDP, industrialisation, infrastructure — has generated enormous wealth but has also created what critics call 'mal-development': development that benefits some while destroying the lives and livelihoods of others. THE INDIGENOUS CRITIQUE: For Adivasi (tribal) communities across India and globally, 'development' has meant DISPLACEMENT from ancestral land, DESTRUCTION of forests and rivers, and LOSS of culture and livelihood. A dam produces electricity and GDP — it is called 'development.' But it also submerges villages, destroys forests, and displaces communities who depended on those resources for generations. FROM WHOSE PERSPECTIVE is this development? The Narmada Bachao Andolan (led by Medha Patkar) challenged the Sardar Sarovar Dam on precisely these grounds — the 'development' being measured in kilowatts displaced hundreds of thousands of Adivasis and marginal farmers. The indigenous critique asks: who DEFINES development? Who BENEFITS? And who PAYS THE COST? When the beneficiaries (urban electricity consumers, irrigated agriculture) and the cost-bearers (displaced Adivasis) are different people, 'development' is a redistributive act that transfers resources from the powerless to the powerful. THE FEMINIST CRITIQUE: GDP counts PAID work but does NOT count UNPAID CARE WORK — the cooking, cleaning, childcare, and elder care that women perform disproportionately across the world. This care work makes the formal economy possible, yet it is invisible in development statistics. A country's GDP can rise while women's wellbeing stagnates, because the metric is designed to measure market transactions. Feminist economists argue: development must RECOGNISE (count in statistics), REDUCE (through labour-saving technology and social services), and REDISTRIBUTE (share equitably between men and women) care work. Women's empowerment is not a 'benefit' of development — it IS development. THE ALTERNATIVE VISION: These critiques together suggest a development paradigm that: 1) Centres HUMAN WELLBEING — measured through capabilities (Sen), not just income; 2) Is ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE — does not destroy the ecological basis of life; 3) Is SOCIALLY JUST — benefits the most marginalised, including women, Adivasis, and the rural poor; 4) Is DEMOCRATICALLY DEFINED — communities must have a say in the development projects that affect them (free, prior, and informed consent for Adivasi communities); 5) Is INTERGENERATIONALLY FAIR — does not mortgage future generations' resources. This is a vision of development as human flourishing, not just economic growth.

Practice — Development

Sign in to save attempts to your dashboard and track your accuracy over time

Find a verified tutor

Join a live course

Browse coaching centres

About

Categories

Support

Documentation

Get Study Tips & Updates

Download Our App

Download for iOS

Download for Android

Popular Cities