Read the Passage given below and answer the following 5 questions. (Q 1)

Both growth and development refer to changes over a period of time. The difference is that growth is quantitative and value neutral. It may have a positive or a negative sign. This means that the change may be either positive (showing an increase) or negative (indicating a decrease). Development means a qualitative change which is always value positive. This means that development cannot take place unless there is an increment or addition to the existing conditions. Development occurs when positive growth takes place. Yet, positive growth does not always lead to development. Development occurs when there is a positive change in quality.

Assertion: Positive growth does not always lead to development.
Reasoning: Development occurs only when there is a positive change in quality.

Both Assertion (A) and reasoning (R) are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.

The correct answer is Option 1: Both Assertion (A) and reasoning (R) are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.

Assertion: Positive growth does not always lead to development. This statement is correct because growth only refers to quantitative increase, whereas development requires improvement in quality as well.

Reasoning: Development occurs only when there is a positive change in quality. This is also correct. The passage defines development as a "qualitative change which is always value positive." It emphasizes that development happens only when there is an "increment or addition to the existing conditions" in terms of quality.

Why R explains A

The reason positive growth does not automatically equal development is that growth only tracks quantity, whereas development requires a shift in quality. Example: If a city’s population grows by 200,000 (Positive Growth) but the number of schools, hospitals, and housing units remains the same, the quality of life actually decreases. In this scenario, you have positive growth but no development. Development takes place only when growth is accompanied by positive qualitative changes.