Human Capital Formation In India — Economics STD 12 Humanities & Commerce — Question

Education is considered to be an important input for the development of a nation. How?

Many farmers have reported to have committed suicides in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Why?

Discuss the various reasons for environmental crisis.

While subsidies encourage farmers to use new technology, they are a huge burden on government finances. Discuss the usefulness of subsidies in the light of this fact.

Discuss economic reforms in India in the light of social justice and welfare.

Read the passage given below and answer the following questions from 1 to 5.
Traditional economic theory viewed capital in physical terms only. Economists during the late 1950s based on the aggregate production function found that the standard measures of simple labour and physical capital were incapable of explaining adequately the rapid post-war growth. Speculations on what was missing were diverse. Some argued that the principal explanation lays in the lack of appropriate adjustments for improvement in the quality of physical capital and the embodiment of technical progress in that capital. Others suggested that the most important omission pertains to the organisational advance or a vaguely specified human capital. The residual of unexplained growth was at first ascribed to technology by Solow, but later, the residual was defined to include improvements in the quality of capital can the investment in human beings. Human capital is formed with improvement in skills education. Improved health and education is merit as well as a public good and is associated with a large number of externalities which are often indirect, indivisible and non-quantifiable.

1. Which of the following gives the definition of public goods?

1. Excludable and non rivalrous in nature
2. Non-excludable and non-rivalrous in nature
3. Non-excludable and rivalrous in nature
4. Excludable and rivalrous in nature

2. Consider the situation of 2 countries – A and B. Country A has invested more towards the technological progress whereas Country B has invested more towards expanding its military network and arms. To Solow, which country would go faster?

1. Country A
2. Country B
3. Both grows and the same pace
4. Can’t comment

3. Standard economic theories failed to explain the post war rapid growth due to?

1. Measuring growth in terms of physical inputs only
2. Ignoring other important factors such as improved skills and education
3. Both (a) and (b)
4. None of the above

4. An externality is the good or bad impact which enters the utility or production function of another individual or firm with no choice of their own. The given statement is?

1. True
2. False
3. Partially True
4. Partially False

5. In the context of the above paragraph, the ‘residual’ factor include.

1. Improvement in the quality of human capital
2. Investment in human beings
3. Improvement in technology
4. All of the above

Discuss how the following factors contribute to the environmental crisis in India?

1. Air pollution.
2. Industrialisation.
3. Water contamination.
4. Illiteracy.

Though public sector is very essential for industries, many public sector undertakings incur huge losses and are a drain on the economy’s resources. Discuss the usefulness of public sector undertakings in the light of this fact.

Why are regional and economic groupings formed?

1. Why are less women found in regular salaried employment?
2. Analyse the recent trends in sectoral distribution of workforce in India:

Trends in Employment Pattern (Sector-wise), 1993 - 2012 (in %)

Sector	1993 - 94	1999 - 2000	2011 - 2012
Primary	64	64.4	48.9
Secondary	16	15.8	24.3
Services	20	23.8	26.8