Question

PQLI is composed of indices that are ranked from:

• A. 0 to 100
• B. 1 to 100
• C. 0 to 50
• D. 1 to 50

Answer 1

Answer:

B. 1 to 100

Understanding the Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI)

• The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) was developed in the mid-1970s by Morris D. Morris of the Overseas Development Council.
• It was introduced as an alternative measure to assess the development and well-being of a country, moving beyond purely economic indicators like Gross National Product (GNP).
• The primary aim of PQLI was to measure the extent to which basic human needs were being met in a society.

• Components of PQLI

  The PQLI is composed of three equally weighted indicators:
  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): The number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births. A lower IMR indicates better healthcare and living conditions.
  • Life Expectancy at Age One (LE): The number of years a person is expected to live if they survive to one year of age. This avoids the impact of high infant mortality on overall life expectancy.
  • Basic Literacy Rate (BLR): The percentage of the population aged 15 and above who can read and write. This reflects educational attainment.

• PQLI Ranking Scale: 1 to 100

  • Each of the three indicators is converted into a scale ranging from 1 to 100.
  • For Infant Mortality Rate, a value of 1 represents the worst performance (e.g., 229 deaths per 1000 live births in 1950) and 100 represents the best (e.g., 7 deaths per 1000 live births in 1975).
  • For Life Expectancy at Age One, 1 represents the worst (e.g., 38 years in 1950) and 100 represents the best (e.g., 77 years in 1975).
  • For Basic Literacy Rate, 1 represents the lowest percentage (e.g., 0%) and 100 represents the highest (e.g., 100%).
  • The final PQLI score for a country is the average of these three scaled index numbers. A higher PQLI score indicates a better quality of life.

• Significance and Limitations

  • PQLI was a pioneering attempt to shift focus from economic growth to social development outcomes.
  • It helped highlight the concept that economic prosperity does not always translate into better living standards for the general population.
  • One of the major criticisms of PQLI was the omission of the income or economic component, which is crucial for development.
  • Another criticism was the arbitrary weighting of the three indicators and the lack of a clear theoretical basis for the chosen components.
  • Despite its limitations, PQLI paved the way for more comprehensive indices. It was largely superseded by the Human Development Index (HDI), introduced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1990, which includes GNI (Gross National Income) per capita along with life expectancy and education indicators.