CBSE Notes for Development Class 11 Notes Development is a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage). In a narrower sense development is identified with the completion of projects like dams, factories, hospitals, etc. In the broader sense, development is identified with enhancement, progress, and aspiration for a better life vision for society as a whole. Concept of development gained momentum in the post-World-War II period. The development models which have been adopted in many countries have proved very costly for the developing countries. The social cost of development is that a large number of people has been displaced from their homes and localities due to the construction of big dams, industry and mining activities. The economic cost of development is Environmental degradation, Global Warming, Loss of forest, Drying up of rivers and ponds, Falling groundwater levels and Increasing use of energy (non-renewabl