Q. With reference to ‘Human Development Index’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The UNDP published its first Human Development Report in 1990, which had a Human Development Index.
2. The first team that developed the Human Development Index was led by Mahbub-ul-Haq and S. Priesner.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
a) Only 2
b) Neither 1 nor 2
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Only 1
Correct Answer: d) Only 1
Question from UPPSC Prelims 2025
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The UNDP published the first Human Development Report in 1990, and it introduced the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI was conceived under the leadership of Mahbub ul Haq with key intellectual contributions from Amartya Sen, and inputs from scholars like Sudhir Anand, Paul Streeten, Frances Stewart, Gustav Ranis, and Meghnad Desai.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The HDI was not developed by a team led by Mahbub ul Haq and S. Priesner. S. (Stefan) Priesner is a UN official but is not recognized as a co-lead or architect of the original HDI. The well-documented co-architect is Amartya Sen.
