(ii) Poverty in social sciences.
(iii) Concept of Poverty line.
(iv) Causes of poverty
(v) Anti-poverty measures taken by the government
(vi) Official concept of poverty into human poverty
| Aspect | Key Points | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Poverty as inability to meet basic needs; measured by poverty line | Rural: 2400 calories/day; Urban: 2100 calories/day |
| Causes | Historical, economic, social, and demographic factors | Colonial exploitation, unemployment |
| Government Measures | Programs like MGNREGA and PDS for employment and food security | MGNREGA: 100 days of work guarantee |
| Trends | Poverty declined from 45% in 1993-94 to 21.9% in 2011-12 due to growth and policies | Green Revolution impact on agriculture |
| Challenges | Inequality, corruption, and regional disparities | Higher poverty in Bihar vs. Kerala |
This table summarizes the chapter’s core elements for quick reference during revision.
• The poor could be landless labourers in villages or people living in overcrowded jhuggis in urban areas.
• Every 4th person in India is poor. India has the largest single concentration of the poor in the world.
Key Concepts and Definitions
Before diving into questions and answers, it’s essential to understand some core terms. These are defined clearly to help you grasp the chapter better.
- Poverty: A condition where individuals or households cannot afford basic necessities for a decent standard of living. It includes absolute poverty (based on minimum income) and relative poverty (compared to others in society).
- Poverty Line: A benchmark used to measure poverty. In India, it’s based on the minimum income required to buy essential goods. For example, in rural areas, it’s often set at a certain calorie intake level (e.g., 2400 calories per person per day), and in urban areas, it’s slightly higher.
- Vulnerability to Poverty: Groups more likely to fall into poverty, such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and women-headed households, due to social, economic, or regional factors.
- Poverty Alleviation Programs: Government schemes aimed at reducing poverty, such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Public Distribution System (PDS).
(ii) Vulnerability• Social exclusion: For analysis of poverty, social exclusion is very useful. As per this concept poverty must be seen in terms of the poor living only in a poor surrounding with other poor people.
• Vulnerability: Vulnerability describes the greater probability of being more adversely affected than other people, which is done due to earthquake or simply a fall in the availability of jobs.
• Measurement of vulnerability to poverty describe the greater probability of certain communities i.e., members of a backward caste or individuals i.e. a widow or a physically handicapped person.
• Poverty Line: Poverty line is a way which is used to identify the poor. It is a method used to measure poverty. In this method poverty is measured with the help of consumption and income level of the people.
• If the level of income and consumption falls below the minimum level of income and consumption of this line, then the person is considered to be poor.
Economic Survey 2011–12, Ministry of Finance, Government of India
The poverty ratio in the year 1973 is 55 per cent and 30 per cent in 2009-10 which shows decline in the poverty ratios. Poverty ratios further came down to about 26 per cent in 2000 and 36 per cent in 1994. Therefore, the poverty ratio is continuously decreased from 1974 to 2000.
Vulnerable Groups
• In India, proportion of people below poverty line is also not same for all social groups and economic categories.
• Scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households are vulnerable to poverty in social groups.
• In same direction rural agricultural labour households and the urban casual labour households are vulnerable to poverty in economic categories.
World Development Indicators 2012, The World Bank.
• Through huge investments in human resource development and rapid economic growth poverty is substantially decreased in China and Southeast Asian countries.
• In China. number of poors has come down from 85 per cent in 1981 to 16.2 per cent in 2013.
• In Asian countries i.e India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan despite decline in the percentage of the poor the decline has not been rapid.
• In India, poverty is higher than the national estimates. It is done because of different poverty line definition.
• In Latin America the ratio of poverty has declined from 11% in 1981 to 4 per cent in 20013.
During the British colonial administration, the rate of growth was very low which was the basic cause of poverty.
• Discouragement of development of industries and handicrafts Products is one historical reason of poverty. The policies of the colonial government discourage development of industries, like textile industries which is the basic source of income of the poor. An uneducated person can easily get job in this type of industries as labour and sustains his livehood.
• Discouragement of handicrafts Products is also a major causes of poverty, during the British colonial administration. The households can easily earn money by the way of to produce handicrafts products.(ii) High growth rate of population
The population is increasing instead of low level of income. Which becomes cause of poverty.(iii) Huge income inequalities
There are huge income inequalities between have or have not. For this term, huge income inequalities makes it difficult to properly implement the poverty elimination policies of government. Therefore , it is the major cause of poverty.
(iv) Lack of land resources
Lack of land resources is the also major cause of poverty. Incomes of the villagers are fully based on agriculture income and lack of land resources creates low level of agriculture income which becomes the major cause of poverty.
(i)Promotion of economic growth
(ii)Targeted anti-poverty programmes
• According to official poverty estimation, the growth rate jumped from the average of about 3.5 percent a year in the 1970s to about 6 percent during the 1980s and 1990s. With the help of high rate of growth, reduction of poverty is possible.
• It shows a link between poverty reduction and economic growth. Therefore, promotion of economic growth helps to reduce poverty.(ii)Targeted anti-poverty programmes
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)
It was launched in September 2005 and it provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household in 200 districts. Later, the scheme will be extended to 600 districts. One third of the proposed jobs would be reserved for women. In this Act if an applicant is not provided employment within fifteen days, then he/she will be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance. The central government and state governments will also establish National Employment Guarantee Funds and State Employment Guarantee Funds for implementation of the scheme.
• Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana (PMRY)
Prime Minister Rozgar Yozana (PMRY) was launched on 2nd October, 1993. The objective of the programme is to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns. It also helped in setting up small business and industries.
• Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
This programme was launched on 1st April, 1999. The objective of this programme is to help rural people to organise themselves into self help groups by the way of promoting enterprises at the village level. This programme helps to exist poor families above the poverty line. In this programme the government provides subsidy and bank credit to the rural people for generating the income.
• Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP)
This programme was launched in 1995. The target of this programme is to provide 25 lakh new jobs to the rural and small towns persons under the Tenth Five Year plan.
• Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yozana (PMGY)
This programme was launched in 2000. The objective of this programme to develop standard of living of the rural people by the way of focus in five critical areas i.e primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking water and rural electrification.
• Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana (SGRY)
This programme was launched in september , 2001.The Employment Assurance Schemes and JGSY would be merged with SGRY.The aim of the programme is to provide wage employment and to create durable community, social and economic assets.
• The positive situation can be done by the way of higher economic growth, increasing stress on universal free elementary education, declining population growth, increasing empowerment of the women and the economically weaker sections of society, providing health care, education and job security.
• Unemployment: Unemployment is a situation where a person have not job despite of he/she able to do job. It is a big cause of poverty. Unemployment is also a situation of being joblessness when people are in condition of without job and in situation of seeking job during recession.
• It is a sign of poverty, where an individual is unemployed. It is a loss of human resourses to the nation and stigma to the society.
• The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 defines a child as any person who has not completed his fourteenth year of age.
• According to International labour Organization (ILO), the term ‘child labour’ is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.• Illiteracy: Illiteracy is the condition where a person unable to read and write. In India Illiteracy is a major problem of poverty.
Causes of Poverty
Understanding the causes of poverty helps in analyzing why it persists. The NCERT chapter outlines several factors:
- Historical Reasons: Colonial rule and exploitation left India with low economic growth and underdeveloped infrastructure.
- Economic Factors: Unequal distribution of land, low agricultural productivity, and lack of job opportunities contribute to poverty.
- Social Factors: Illiteracy, large family sizes, and caste-based discrimination increase vulnerability.
- Other Factors: Rapid population growth, natural disasters, and inadequate access to healthcare and education exacerbate poverty.
For instance, in rural areas, low wages in agriculture keep many families poor, while in urban areas, unemployment and inflation play a bigger role.
Measures to Reduce Poverty
The chapter discusses various strategies and programs by the Indian government to combat poverty. These include:
- Growth-Oriented Approach: Focusing on higher economic growth to create jobs and increase incomes.
- Poverty Alleviation Programs: Specific schemes like:
- MGNREGA: Guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households.
- PDS: Provides subsidized food grains to the poor.
- Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Offers free meals in schools to improve nutrition and attendance.
- Social Empowerment: Initiatives like free education and skill development programs aim to reduce vulnerability.
These measures have helped reduce poverty rates in India, but challenges like corruption and unequal access remain.
5. Important Questions and Answers
Based on the NCERT Class 9 curriculum, here are some frequently asked important questions and their answers. These are drawn from typical exam patterns and cover key aspects of the chapter. I’ve included short answers for quick revision and detailed explanations for better understanding. Questions are often asked in short-answer (2-3 marks) or long-answer (5 marks) formats.
Question 1: What is poverty? How is it measured in India?
Short Answer: Poverty is a state where people lack basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter. In India, it is measured using the poverty line, which is based on minimum calorie intake and monetary value.
Detailed Answer: Poverty refers to the inability to fulfill basic human needs due to insufficient income or resources. In India, the poverty line is determined by the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) based on the expenditure needed for a minimum standard of living. For example, in 2011-12, the rural poverty line was set at about ₹816 per person per month, and the urban poverty line at ₹1000, based on the cost of consuming 2100 calories in urban areas and 2400 calories in rural areas. This measurement helps identify the percentage of the population living below this line, such as 21.9% in 2011-12. However, this approach has limitations, as it doesn’t account for non-food needs like education and healthcare, leading to debates on redefining poverty.
Question 2: What are the main causes of poverty in India?
Short Answer: The main causes include historical factors like colonial exploitation, economic issues like unemployment, social factors like illiteracy, and demographic pressures like rapid population growth.
Detailed Answer: Poverty in India stems from multiple interconnected causes. Historically, British colonial policies drained resources and stunted industrial growth. Economically, low productivity in agriculture and lack of industrial jobs keep many in poverty. Socially, factors like caste discrimination, gender inequality, and low literacy rates (e.g., only 74% literacy as per Census 2011) limit opportunities. Additionally, rapid population growth increases the demand for resources, straining services. For instance, in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, high poverty rates are linked to low agricultural yields and limited access to education, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
Question 3: Describe any two government programs to reduce poverty in India.
Short Answer: Two key programs are MGNREGA, which provides rural employment, and PDS, which ensures food security through subsidized rations.
Detailed Answer: The Indian government has launched several poverty alleviation programs. MGNREGA (2005) guarantees at least 100 days of paid work to adult members of rural households, focusing on unskilled labor like building roads or irrigation. This not only provides income but also creates assets that boost rural economies. Another important scheme is the Public Distribution System (PDS), which supplies essential commodities like wheat, rice, and kerosene at subsidized prices through fair-price shops. PDS aims to ensure food security for the poor, reducing hunger. However, challenges like leakages and corruption affect their efficiency, and reforms like digitization have been introduced to improve targeting.
Question 4: What is the difference between urban and rural poverty?
Short Answer: Rural poverty is often linked to agriculture and landlessness, while urban poverty involves issues like unemployment and poor housing.
Detailed Answer: Rural poverty is primarily caused by low agricultural productivity, unequal land distribution, and lack of irrigation, affecting about 70% of India’s poor. In contrast, urban poverty arises from factors like casual employment, high cost of living, and slums with inadequate services. For example, rural poor might struggle with seasonal income fluctuations, while urban poor face issues like child labor and lack of sanitation. According to NCERT, urban poverty has been rising due to migration from rural areas, but government schemes like urban employment programs are addressing this gap.
Question 5: How has poverty declined in India since independence?
Short Answer: Poverty has declined due to economic growth, government programs, and higher literacy rates, dropping from 45% in 1993-94 to 21.9% in 2011-12.
Detailed Answer: Since independence, India has made significant progress in reducing poverty through sustained economic growth, agricultural reforms, and social welfare programs. For instance, the Green Revolution increased food production, reducing hunger. Government initiatives like the Five-Year Plans focused on inclusive growth, and programs such as MGNREGA and PDS have directly targeted the poor. Additionally, improvements in education and health have empowered vulnerable groups. Data shows poverty rates fell from 54.9% in 1973-74 to 21.9% in 2011-12, but challenges like regional disparities (e.g., higher poverty in northeastern states) persist, requiring ongoing efforts.
These questions cover the core themes and are commonly tested in exams. Practicing them with examples from the textbook can help improve your understanding.
6. Real-World Examples and Case Studies
To make the chapter more relatable, NCERT includes case studies. For example:
- Case Study on Bihar: This state has high poverty due to low literacy and poor infrastructure. Government programs like MGNREGA have created jobs, reducing poverty from 54.4% in 2004-05 to 33.7% in 2011-12.
- Urban Poverty in Mumbai: Slums like Dharavi highlight issues like overcrowding and lack of services. Initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission aim to improve sanitation, indirectly reducing poverty.
In daily life, you might see poverty in your community through migrant workers or underprivileged families, emphasizing the need for empathy and action.