Which of the following statements about Pillars of Human Development are correct?
A. Equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment are four Pillars of Human Development.
B. In every society of the world, there is equal access to opportunities to all.
C. Sustainability means continuity in the availability of opportunities.
D. Productivity must be enriched by building capabilities in people.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A, C, D only
Human development means development that enlarges people’s choices and improves their lives. Just as a building stands on pillars, this idea stands on four pillars: equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment.
(A) Equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment are four Pillars of Human Development. — True. These are the four concepts that support the idea of human development.
(B) In every society of the world, there is equal access to opportunities to all. — False. Equal access to opportunities for everybody is what equity aims at, but it is very often not the case, in almost every society. In India, for example, a large number of women and persons from socially and economically backward groups drop out of school.
(C) Sustainability means continuity in the availability of opportunities. — True. Sustainability means that each generation must have the same opportunities. So environmental, financial and human resources must be used keeping the future in mind.
(D) Productivity must be enriched by building capabilities in people. — True. Productivity here means the productivity of human work. People are the real wealth of nations, so more knowledge and better health make them work more efficiently.
NCERT (2026-27): “THE FOUR PILLARS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT … Just as any building is supported by pillars, the idea of human development is supported by the concepts of equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment.” “Equity refers to making equal access to opportunities available to everybody. The opportunities available to people must be equal irrespective of their gender, race, income and in the Indian case, caste. Yet this is very often not the case and happens in almost every society.” “Sustainability means continuity in the availability of opportunities. To have sustainable human development, each generation must have the same opportunities.” “Productivity here means human labour productivity or productivity in terms of human work. Such productivity must be constantly enriched by building capabilities in people.” |