NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Economics (Indian Economic Development) Chapter 8 Comparative Development Experiences of India and its Neighbours

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SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 11th

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

Class : 11th

Subject : Economics

Chapter : 10

Chapter Name : Comparative Development Experiences of India and its Neighbours

Q1 Why are regional and economic groupings formed?

Answer. The economic transformation that is taking place in different countries across the world,
partly because of the process of globalization, has both short as well as long term implications
for each country including India. Nations have been primarily trying to adopt various means
which will strengthen their own domestic economies. To this effect, they are forming regional
and economic groupings. There is also an increasing eagerness on the parts of various nations
to try and understand the developmental processes pursued by their neighbouring nations.

Q2 What are the various means by which countries are trying to strengthen their own domestic
economies?

Answer. Following are the means by which countries are trying to strengthen their own domestic
economies :

➔ They are forming regional and global economic groupings such as the SAARC,
European Union, ASEAN, G-8, BRICS, etc.
➔ There is also an increasing eagerness on the parts of various nations to try and
understand the developmental processes pursued by their neighbouring nations as it
allows them to better comprehend their own strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis their
neighbours.

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

Q3 What similar developmental strategies have India and Pakistan followed for their respective
developmental paths?

Answer. Strategies India and Pakistan followed for their respective developmental paths are :

➔ ​India and Pakistan had started planning their development strategies in similar ways
after their independence.
➔ ​Both the countries initiated Five Year Plan for the initial development after
independence. India introduced its first Five Year Plan in 1951 while Pakistan introduced
its first Five Year Plan in 1956.
➔ Both the countries followed mixed economy policy i.e., coexistence of private and public
sector enterprises.
➔ They are adopting similar strategies such as creating a large public sector and raising
public expenditure on social development.

Q4 Explain the Great Leap Forward campaign of China as initiated in 1958.

Answer. The Great Leap Forward (GLF) campaign in China was initiated in 1958 aimed at
industrialising the country on a massive scale. People were encouraged to set up industries in
their backyards. In rural areas, communes were started. Under this system, people collectively
cultivated lands. In 1958 , there were 26,000 communes covering almost all the farm population

Q5 China’s rapid industrial growth can be traced back to its reforms in 1978. Do you agree?
Elucidate.

Answer. Yes, I agree that China's rapid industrial growth can be traced back to its reforms in
1978. China introduced reforms in phases.

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

➔ In the initial phase, reforms were initiated in agriculture, commune lands were divided
into small plots which were allocated to individual households for use. They were
allowed to keep all income after paying the stipulated taxes.
➔ In later phase, reforms were initiated in the industrial sector. Private sector firms and
enterprises which were owned and operated by local collectives were allowed to produce
goods. At this stage, government owned enterprises were made to face competition.
➔ The reform process led to dual pricing, i.e., fixing price in two ways; farmers and
industrial units are required to buy and sell fixed quantities of inputs and outputs on the
basis of prices fixed by the government and the rest were purchased and sold at market
prices.
➔ Over the years, as production increased, the proportion of goods or inputs transacted in
the market also increased. Special Economic Zones were setup to attract foreign
investment.

Q6 Describe the path of developmental initiatives taken by Pakistan for its economic
development.

Answer. Pakistan follows mixed economy model with the existence of public and private sectors.

➔ ​In the late 1950s and 1960s, Pakistan introduced a variety of regulated policy
framework. The policy combined tariff protection for manufacturing of consumer goods
together with direct import controls on competing imports.
➔ The introduction of Green Revolution led to mechanization and increase in public
investment in infrastructure in certain areas, which finally led to rise in production of
production. This changed the agrarian structure dramatically.
➔ In the 1970s, nationalization of capital goods industries took place. It shifted its policy
orientation in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Q7 What is the important implication of the ‘one child norm’ in China?

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

Answer. The ‘one child norm’ introduced in China in the late 1970s is the major reason for low
population growth. This measure led to a decline in the sex ratio, the proportion of females per
thousand males. One child norm and the resultant arrest in the growth of population also have
other implications. After a few decades, in China, there will be more elderly people in proportion
to young people. This led China to allow couples to have two children.

Q8 Mention the salient demographic indicators of China, Pakistan and India.

Answer. The salient demographic indicators of China, Pakistan and India are :

➔ Out of six persons living in this world, one is an Indian and another a Chinese. The
population of Pakistan is very small and accounts for roughly about one-tenth of China
or India.
➔ Though China is the largest nation and geographically occupies the largest area among
the three nations, its density is the lowest. Population growth has been the highest in
Pakistan followed by India and China.
➔ Son preference prevailing in these countries is the reason behind declining sex ration,
the proportion of females per thousand males. The ‘one child norm’ prevailing in China
can be the reason for more elderly people in proportion to young people in a decade. In
recent times, all the three countries are adopting various measures to improve the
situation.
➔ The fertility rate is low in China and very high in Pakistan. Urbanisation is high in China
with India having 33 percent of its people living in urban areas.

Q9 Compare and contrast India and China’s sectoral contribution towards GDP in 2003. What
does it indicate?

Answer.

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

➔ China has the second largest GDP of 19.8 trillion dollars, whereas India’s GDP is 8.7
trillion dollars, which is about 40 percent of China’s GDP.
➔ In China due to topographic and climatic conditions, the area suitable for cultivation is
relatively small – only 10 percent of its total land area. The total cultivable area in China
accounts for 40 percent of the cultivable area in India. Till the 1980s, the people of China
were dependent on farming as their sole source of livelihood. The government then
encouraged the people to pursue other activities.
➔ In 2015-17, with about 18 percent of its workforce engaged in agriculture, its contribution
to GDP in China is 9 percent. In India, the contribution of agriculture to GDP was 17
percent but the proportion of workforce that works in the sector is 43 percent.
➔ In China, manufacturing and service sectors contribute the highest to GDP at 43 and 48
percent, whereas in India, it is the service sector which contributes the highest by more
than 50 percent of the GDP.
➔ China’s growth is mainly contributed by the manufacturing and services sectors and
India’s growth by the service sector.

Q10 Mention the various indicators of human development.

Answer. Indicators of human development are as follows :

➔ Human Development Index (Value)
➔ Rank (based on HDI)
➔ Life Expectancy at birth
➔ Mean years of schooling
➔ GDP per capita
➔ ​People below poverty line
➔ Infant mortality rate
➔ Maternal mortality rate
➔ Population using improved sanitation
➔ Population with sustainable access to improved water source
➔ Percentage of undernourished children

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

Q11 Define liberty indicator. Give some examples of liberty indicators.

Answer. Liberty indicator is the measure of the extent of democratic participation in social and
political decision making. Some examples of liberty indicators are the 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’.

Q12 Evaluate the various factors that led to the rapid growth in economic development in China.

Answer. The various factors that led to the rapid growth in economic development in China are
as follows:

➔ Establishment of infrastructure in the areas of education and health, land reforms, long
existence of decentralized planning and existence of small enterprises had helped
positively in improving social and income indicators in the post reform period.
➔ Before the introduction of reforms, there has already been massive extension of basic
health services in rural areas.
➔ Each reform measure was first implemented at a smaller level and then extended on a
massive scale.
➔ The experimentation under decentralized government enabled to access the economic,
social and political costs of success or failure.
➔ Through commune system, there was more equitable distribution of food grains.
➔ The commune system brought prosperity to a vast number of poor people. It created the
conditions for the subsequent phenomenal growth in rural industries and built up a
strong support base for more reforms.

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

Q13 Group the following features pertaining to the economies of India, China and Pakistan
under three heads

➔ One-child norm
➔ Low fertility rate
➔ High degree of urbanization
➔ Mixed economy
➔ ​Very high fertility rate
➔ Large population
➔ High density of population
➔ Growth due to manufacturing sector
➔ Growth due to service sector

Answer.

India :

➔ Mixed economy
➔ High density of population
➔ Growth due to service sector

China :

➔ One-child norm
➔ Low fertility rate
➔ High degree of urbanization
➔ Growth due to manufacturing sector

Pakistan :

➔ Mixed economy
➔ Very high fertility rate
➔ Large population

Q14 Give reasons for the slow growth and re-emergence of poverty in Pakistan.

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

Answer. The reasons for slow growth and re-emergence of poverty in Pakistan are :

➔ ​Agricultural growth and food supply situation were based not on an institutionalized
process of technical change but on good harvest. When there was a good harvest, the
economy was in good condition, when it was not, the economic indicators showed
stagnation or negative trends.
➔ Foreign exchanges are earned by sustainable export of manufactured goods, while in
Pakistan, most foreign exchange earnings came from remittances from Pakistani
workers in the Middle-east and the exports of highly volatile agricultural products.
➔ There was also growing dependence on foreign loans on the one hand and increasing
inability to pay back the loans on the other.

However, during the last few years, Pakistan has recovered it economic growth and has been
sustaining.

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Q15 Compare and contrast the development of India, China and Pakistan with respect to some
salient human development indicators.

Answer.

➔ China is moving ahead of India and Pakistan. This is true for many indicators – 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.
➔ Pakistan is ahead of India in reducing proportion of population below poverty line and
also its performance in sanitation.
➔ Neither Pakistan or India have been able to save women from maternal mortality. In
China for one lakh births, only 27 women die whereas in India and Pakistan, about 178
and 174 women die respectively.
➔ ​All three countries report providing improved drinking water sources for most of its
population.
➔ India has the largest share of poor among the three countries.

Page : 196 , Block Name : Exercises

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Book : Indian Economic Development Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 10 Economics

Q16 Comment on the growth rate trends witnessed in China and India in the last two decades.

Answer. India, with democratic institutions performed moderately, but a majority of its people
still depend on agriculture. Infrastructure is lacking in many parts of the country. It is yet to raise
the level of living or more than one-fourth of its population that lives below the poverty line.

In China, the lack of political freedom and its implications for human rights are major concerns. It
used the ‘market system without losing political commitment’ and succeeded in raising the level
of growth along with alleviation of poverty.

Page : 196 , Block Name : Exercises

Q17 Fill in the blanks

(a)​ ​First Five Year Plan of __________ commenced in the year 1956. (Pakistan/China)

(b)​ ​Maternal Mortality rate is high in __________. (China/Pakistan)

(c)​ ​Proportion of people below poverty line is more in _________. (India/Pakistan)

(d)​ ​Reforms in________ were introduced in 1978. (China/Pakistan)

Answer.

(a)​ ​First Five Year Plan of ​Pakistan​ commenced in the year 1956.

(b)​ ​Maternal mortality rate is high in ​Pakistan​.

(c)​ ​Proportion of people below poverty line is more in ​India​.

(d)​ ​Reforms in ​China​ were introduced in 1978.

Page : 196 , Block Name : Exercises

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