Question: How is it that the average person in Punjab has more income than the average person in Kerala but it lags behind in many other crucial areas? Explain. (Board Term-I, (Set-6HTQGTF), 2016-17)
Answer: (i) Per capita income of Punjab is ` 26,000 and Kerala is ` 22,800.
(ii) Literacy rate of Punjab according to 2001 is 70% and Kerala is 91%, i.e., Punjab lags behind Kerala.
(iii) Therefore, income by itself is not a completely adequate indicator of material goods and services that citizens are able to use.
(iv) Over the past decade, health and education indicators have come to be widely used along with income as a measure of development.
(v) Human Development Report Published by UNDP compares countries on the basis of educational levels of the people health status and per capita income.
(vi) Kerala has a low infant mortality rate as it has adequate provision of basic health and educational facilities.