1. Describe how the poverty line is
estimated in India?
Ans. A common method used to measure poverty is based
on the income or consumption levels. A person is considered poor if his or her
income or consumption level falls below a given “minimum level” necessary to
fulfill the basic needs. Poverty line may vary with time and place.
Following are the methods which are used in
calculating the poverty line in India:
1. Minimum level of food requirement, foot-wear, fuel
and light, clothing, educational and medical requirements etc. are the basic
factors on which the basis poverty line is calculated.
2. After deciding the minimum level and amount of the
physical quantities, their prices are multiplied by the nominal prices and
their summation tells the minimum poverty line basis.
3. While estimating the poverty line, the present
formula is based on the desired calorie requirement.
4. In urban area the accepted
average calorie requirement in India is 2100 calories per person per day and in
rural areas the accepted average calorie requirement is 2400 calorie per person
per day.
2. Do you think that present methodology
of poverty estimation is appropriate?
Ans. No,
according to me the present methodology of poverty determination is not
appropriate because the present poverty estimation techniques are based on the
minimum sustenance standards. The human life is far more valuable and
complicated than to be weighed in the light of mere sustenance. So, the
appropriation should also take in consideration important human development
features like education, job security, health care etc.
3. Describe poverty trends in India since
1973?
Ans. Poverty trends in India since 1973:
After analyzing the above table, it is clear that poverty has been on the downward curve over the last few decades. The percentage of poor has declined drastically from 45 in 1993-94 to 22 in 2011-12. The poverty level calculation methodology has also been revised over these years.
The percentage of
urban poor has declined faster than that of the rural areas. This can be
attributed to the fact that there are more availability of economic activities
in urban areas than the rural areas.
4. Discuss the major reasons for poverty
in India?
Ans. 1. Illiteracy: Independent India had very high rates of illiteracy
just after independence. This was due to the fact that the Britishers did not
spend commensurately on education and rather discouraged educational reforms.
Over the years, the literacy rates rose but still as nearly 26 percent of the
Indians are illiterate, they find it difficult to engage in well-paying economic
activities and thus remain poor.
2. Unemployment: It is the second major reason of
poverty. The people who don’t get work sit idle. Unemployment is basically
because of unavailability of education which plays a vital role in the social
as well as economic development of an individual.
3. Inequalities of Incomes: The unequal distribution of income is
the other reason of poverty. Money has been rendered in few people’s hand and
then they distribute it. One of the major reasons for this is the unequal
distribution of land and other resources. Despite many policies, we have not
been able to tackle the issue in a meaningful manner. Land reforms which aimed
at redistribution of assets in rural areas have not been implemented properly.
4. Slow Growth of Employment
Opportunities: There is slow
growth of employment opportunities, especially in industrial sectors. On the
other hand, population is growing day by day leading to growth of labor force
without sufficient job opportunities. The failure at both the fronts: promotion
of economic growth and population control has perpetuated the cycle of poverty.
5. Identify the social and economic
groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India.
Ans.
Groups vulnerable to
poverty can be divided into two groups:
(a) Social groups
vulnerable to poverty -
29% of scheduled castes are poor and 43% of scheduled tribes are not able to
meet their basic needs and come under social groups vulnerable to poverty.
(b) Economic groups
vulnerable to poverty - The
rural agricultural labour households and the urban casual labour households are
the most vulnerable groups among the economic groups vulnerable to poverty.
6. Give an account of interstate
disparities of poverty in India.
Ans. In
India one of the aspects of poverty is inter-state disparities. Every state has
different quantities of poor people. Although state level poverty has started
to witness a regular decline from the early seventies, the success rate varies
from state to state.
Following are few facts related to inter-state
disparities of poverty -
1. In Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal,
Tamil Nadu, have shown a significant decline in poverty.
2. In Orissa and Bihar, poverty is still an earnest
issue and these states have the highest poverty ratios in the country.
3. The percentage of urban poverty is also very high
in the states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
4. The disparity is due to the variable social and
political scenarios of different states.
5. The factors like success in population control,
availability of resources and tourist destinations has also led to this
disparity as all these factors are variable.
7. Describe global poverty trends.
Ans.
Global poverty trends:
1. In developing countries the percentage of poor people is
extremely high and still increasing per day.
2. Population living
on less than $ 1.90 per day in developing countries has fallen from 36% in 1990
to 10% in 2015 according to World Bank.
3. There has been
reduction in global poverty, yet it is marked with great regional deviations.
4. Considerably
poverty decline has been observed in China and South East Asian countries
leading to economic growth and massive investments in human resources
development.
5. Poverty has not
declined as swiftly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The percentage decline is meagre in
the area when compared with the global average and the performance of other
areas in the world.
6. The global
percentage of poor has declined from 44 percent in 1990 to 17 percent in 2013.
8. Describe current government strategy
of poverty alleviation?
Ans.
Removal of poverty has been
one of the major objectives of Indian developmental strategy. The current
anti-poverty strategy of the government is based broadly on two planks (1)
promotion of economic growth (2) targeted anti-poverty programmes.
Some of them have been
mentioned below:
1. Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2005) [MNREGA]: It was launched in 2005 and was
implemented in 200 districts on 2nd February, 2006. This scheme
provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household in 200
districts. If an applicant is not provided employment within 15 days then s/he
will be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance.
2. Prime-Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY): This programme was started
in 1993 which aims at creating self-employment opportunities for educated
unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns by helping them set up small
business and factories.
3. Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY): This was launched in
1999 aiming to bring the assisted poor families who are not below the poverty
line by organizing them into self-help groups. In this yojana people below
poverty line are not targeted; here the aim of government is to avail self-help
groups for people who are above poverty line so that they can improve their
conditions and fulfill their other basic requirements.
4. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY): This was launched in
2000 and aims at improving the standard of living of rural people by developing
aspects like health, drinking water, housing, roads and primary education.
5. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): Its launching year was December
2000. Under this yojana, one crore of the poorest families were identified. Food
grains of 25 kilograms were made available to each family at a highly
subsidized rate of Rs. 2 per kilogram for wheat and for rice for Rs. 3 per
kilogram. The quantity is subject to be improvised to improve the efficacy of
the program.
9. Answer the following questions briefly
(i) What do you
understand by human poverty?
Ans. Human poverty: This concept broadens the general definition of
economic poverty by including the aspects like education, healthcare, job
security etc. into the methodology of marking poverty line. This is basically a
concept to help improve the human life standard instead of just ensuring mere
sustenance.
(ii) Who are the
poorest of the poor?
Ans. The poorest of the
poor: This category of economic
standard means that the people in it are not economically capable of even
meeting their basis sustenance requirements. This also can be used to describe
the old people, children (especially the girl child) and the women who are
conventionally not taken in consideration while making policies for the poor
and unemployed.
(iii) What are the main features of the National Rural
Employment
Guarantee Act 2005?
Ans.
Main features of the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act, 2005:
1. This provides 100
days assured employment every year to rural household in 200 districts of the
country.
2. The scheme was
extended to 600 districts later on.
3. Jobs were reserved
for women and that also was one third.
4. If an applicant is
not rendered employment within 15 days, then s/he will be entitled to a daily
unemployment allowance.