Poverty as a Challenge Chapter 3: Question/Answers

Understand poverty in India with our simple Q&A guide. Learn how we measure poverty, the trends over time, and what the government is doing to help. Our guide uses easy words and includes Hindi meanings for tough words. Get the answers you need to succeed in your exams and understand more about poverty!

Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India?

• In India, the poverty line (गरीबी रेखा) is estimated based on the consumption expenditure (खपत व्यय) required to meet basic needs (मूलभूत आवश्यकताएं) such as food, clothing, education, and healthcare. The estimation is done by calculating the minimum calorie intake (न्यूनतम कैलोरी सेवन) requirement, which is 2400 calories per person per day in rural areas (ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में) and 2100 calories per person per day in urban areas (शहरी क्षेत्रों में). The corresponding expenditure is used to define the poverty line.

Do you think that present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate?

• The present methodology (वर्तमान पद्धति) has been criticized (आलोचना की गई है) for being outdated (पुरानी) and not accounting for other essential needs (अन्य आवश्यक आवश्यकताओं) like healthcare, education, and housing. It primarily focuses on calorie intake (कैलोरी सेवन) and does not consider quality of life (जीवन की गुणवत्ता) aspects. Hence, it may not be fully appropriate (पूर्ण रूप से उपयुक्त नहीं) for measuring poverty in contemporary times (आधुनिक समय में).

Describe poverty trends in India since 1973?

• Since 1973, India has seen a significant reduction (महत्वपूर्ण कमी) in poverty levels (गरीबी स्तर). The percentage of people living below the poverty line (गरीबी रेखा के नीचे) has decreased from about 54.9% in 1973 to 21.9% in 2011-12. This reduction is attributed to economic growth (आर्थिक वृद्धि), agricultural development (कृषि विकास), and various poverty alleviation programs (गरीबी उन्मूलन कार्यक्रम).

Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India?

• Major reasons for poverty (गरीबी के प्रमुख कारण) in India include:
  • Unemployment (बेरोजगारी)
  • Underemployment (अपर्याप्त रोजगार)
  • Low levels of education and skills (शिक्षा और कौशल के निम्न स्तर)
  • Social inequality (सामाजिक असमानता)
  • Lack of access to healthcare and sanitation (स्वास्थ्य सेवा और स्वच्छता तक पहुंच की कमी)
  • Over-reliance on agriculture (कृषि पर अत्यधिक निर्भरता), which is often subject to unpredictable monsoons (अनिश्चित मानसून).

Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India.

• The most vulnerable groups (अत्यधिक संवेदनशील समूह) to poverty in India are:
  • Scheduled Castes (अनुसूचित जाति) and Scheduled Tribes (अनुसूचित जनजाति)
  • Landless agricultural labourers (भूमिहीन कृषि मजदूर)
  • Daily wage workers (दैनिक मजदूरी करने वाले)
  • Urban slum dwellers (शहरी झुग्गी निवासी)
  • Women, particularly widows and single mothers (महिलाएं, विशेष रूप से विधवाएं और अकेली मांएं)
  • Children (बच्चे) from poor families

Give an account of interstate disparities of poverty in India.

• Interstate disparities (अंतरराज्यीय असमानताएं) in poverty in India are significant. States like Kerala (केरल), Punjab (पंजाब), and Himachal Pradesh (हिमाचल प्रदेश) have lower poverty levels due to better infrastructure (बेहतर बुनियादी ढांचा), higher literacy rates (उच्च साक्षरता दर), and better healthcare (अच्छी स्वास्थ्य सेवा). On the other hand, states like Bihar (बिहार), Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश), and Odisha (ओडिशा) have higher poverty rates due to factors like low industrialization (निम्न औद्योगिकीकरण), poor infrastructure (खराब बुनियादी ढांचा), and lower educational attainment (निम्न शिक्षा स्तर).

Describe global poverty trends.

• Globally, poverty (वैश्विक गरीबी) has seen a decline (कमी) over the past few decades. The percentage of the world’s population living in extreme poverty (अत्यधिक गरीबी) has decreased from over 35% in 1990 to around 10% in 2015. Factors contributing to this decline include economic growth (आर्थिक वृद्धि), international aid (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सहायता), and improved access to education and healthcare (शिक्षा और स्वास्थ्य सेवा तक बेहतर पहुंच).

Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation?

• The current government strategy (वर्तमान सरकार की रणनीति) for poverty alleviation (गरीबी उन्मूलन) in India includes:
  • Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005 (महात्मा गांधी राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी अधिनियम 2005) which provides 100 days of guaranteed employment (100 दिनों का गारंटीकृत रोजगार) to rural households.
  • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (प्रधानमंत्री आवास योजना) for affordable housing (सस्ते आवास).
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (प्रधानमंत्री जन धन योजना) for financial inclusion (वित्तीय समावेशन).
  • Public Distribution System (PDS) (सार्वजनिक वितरण प्रणाली) for subsidized food grains (सस्ती दरों पर अनाज).
  • Midday Meal Scheme (मिड-डे मील योजना) to improve nutritional status (पोषण की स्थिति) of school children (स्कूल के बच्चों).

Answer the following questions briefly: (i) What do you understand by human poverty? – Human poverty (मानव गरीबी) means more than the lack of income (आय की कमी). It includes deprivation in various aspects of life (जीवन के विभिन्न पहलुओं में अभाव) such as education (शिक्षा), health (स्वास्थ्य), sanitation (स्वच्छता), and opportunities (अवसर).
(ii) Who are the poorest of the poor? – The poorest of the poor (सबसे गरीब) are those who are deprived of even the basic necessities (मूलभूत आवश्यकताओं से भी वंचित). This includes individuals such as women, children, the elderly (वृद्ध), and socially disadvantaged groups (सामाजिक रूप से वंचित समूह) like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
(iii) What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005?

– The main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी अधिनियम 2005) are:

• – Provides at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment (100 दिनों का गारंटीकृत मजदूरी रोजगार) in a financial year to every rural household (प्रत्येक ग्रामीण परिवार).
• – Employment to be provided within 15 days of demanding work (काम की मांग करने के 15 दिनों के भीतर रोजगार प्रदान किया जाना चाहिए).
• – Focus on creating durable assets (स्थायी संपत्तियों का निर्माण) like roads (सड़कें), canals (नहरें), and ponds (तालाब). – Ensures transparency (पारदर्शिता) and accountability (जवाबदेही) in the implementation (कार्यान्वयन में).