Knowledge society concept – UGC NET Question

A knowledge society is characterised by the central role of knowledge production, distribution and utilisation in economic and social life. Higher education, research institutions and innovation systems become key engines of development. The stem mentions creation, dissemination and application of knowledge as primary drivers of growth and social transformation, which corresponds exactly to the idea of a knowledge society. Therefore, Option D is the correct answer.

Option A:
In a knowledge society, investment in education, research and information technologies is crucial, and lifelong learning becomes a norm. This setting elevates the importance of universities and research centres, linking directly to themes in the Higher Education System unit.

Option B:
A service sector economy is defined by dominance of services in GDP but may or may not be driven by advanced knowledge and innovation. Thus, this option is too narrow and does not fully capture the concept described.

Option C:
A capital-intensive system highlights the use of large amounts of physical capital in production processes, which is a structural economic characteristic rather than a focus on knowledge creation and use. Hence, this option is not the best fit.

Option D:
A primary producing society relies mainly on agriculture and extraction of natural resources. While knowledge matters everywhere, such economies are not defined primarily by knowledge-driven growth, so this option does not match the description in the stem.