Assertion:. Countries with low levels of human development tend to spend more on defence rather than social sectors.
Reasoning: Countries with low levels of human development tend to be located in areas of political instability and have not been able to initiate accelerated economic development.

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: Countries with low levels of human development tend to spend more on defence rather than social sectors. This is true. Many countries with low human development allocate a significant share of their resources to defence and security needs. As a result, fewer resources may be available for social sectors such as education, healthcare, and welfare, which are essential for improving human development.

Reasoning: Countries with low levels of human development tend to be located in areas of political instability and have not been able to initiate accelerated economic development. This is true. Countries with low human development are frequently situated in regions plagued by political instability, civil conflict, or past histories of turmoil. Because these nations struggle to achieve consistent economic growth and stability, they are often trapped in a cycle where they feel compelled to prioritize defense spending over social welfare to manage that instability, which in turn hinders their ability to accelerate human development.

How the Reason explains the Assertion: Political instability and slow economic development increase the need for defence spending. Consequently, these countries may devote fewer resources to social sectors, which contributes to lower levels of human development. Thus, the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.

NCERT:Places with low levels of human development tend to spend more on defence rather than social sectors. This shows that these countries tend to be located in areas of political instability and have not been able to initiate accelerated economic development.