UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The HPI was designed to complement income poverty indicators by focusing on basic human capabilities. It combined measures related to survival, education and minimum living standards to show how many people lacked essential opportunities for a decent life.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because the index did not look only at inequality among the rich; it focused on deprivations among the broader population.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since military expenditure is a budget choice, not a direct measure of human poverty.

Option C:
Option C is correct as it highlights longevity, knowledge and a decent standard of living as central to the HPI and the human development approach.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because counting billionaires says little about how many people are deprived of basic capabilities.

The Physical Quality of Life Index was developed to measure development through basic human outcomes rather than income. It combines life expectancy, infant mortality rate and adult literacy rate into a single composite. These indicators reflect health and education conditions that directly affect people’s lives. Therefore, the option that lists life expectancy, infant mortality and literacy together correctly states the components of PQLI.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it focuses on survival and basic education, which are central to the idea of physical quality of life. By using these three, the index captures whether people live long, whether children survive and whether adults can read and write. The index deliberately excludes income so that attention remains on outcomes, not monetary means.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because per capita income is not a part of PQLI; it is used in other indices like HDI or income-based measures. Introducing income would shift the focus away from the physical quality of life concept that PQLI was designed to highlight.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since carbon emissions are environmental indicators and do not directly measure individual physical well-being. While relevant for sustainability, they are not one of the three PQLI components.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because Gross Domestic Product and an environmental quality index are not included in PQLI. GDP measures economic output, and the index was designed partly to offer an alternative to such macroeconomic measures.