Do you think it is necessary for India and Pakistan to concentrate on the manufacturing sector as China does? Why?
Yes, it is necessary for India and Pakistan to concentrate on the manufacturing sector. China followed the classical development pattern of gradual shift from agriculture to manufacturing and then to services. In contrast, India and Pakistan shifted directly from agriculture to the service sector.
China's industrial sector has maintained a high growth rate while this is not the case in India and Pakistan. This has led to a rapid increase in GDP per capita in China compared to India and Pakistan. China is also ahead on many human development indicators.
Since the majority of the workforce in all these countries still depends on agriculture, with dependency being greater in India, focusing on manufacturing could help absorb this workforce productively and accelerate economic growth.
Explanation
The textbook context highlights that China's success is attributed to following the classical development path through manufacturing, which created high growth and better human development indicators. India and Pakistan skipped this crucial stage by moving directly to services, resulting in slower GDP per capita growth. The answer uses these comparative facts to argue for manufacturing sector focus.