Poverty in India
Short Questions
1. What is poverty in the conventional sense?
Answer: Poverty is when people cannot meet basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter due to low income.
2. What is multi-dimensional poverty?
Answer: It includes lack of material needs (food, health, education) and non-material needs (social discrimination).
3. Who defined poverty as a lack of capabilities?
Answer: Prof. Amartya Sen.
4. What is absolute poverty?
Answer: It is measured by the inability to meet minimum calorie intake (2250 calories daily).
5. What is relative poverty?
Answer: It is based on comparing living standards, like income or wealth, among different groups.
6. What is the poverty line?
Answer: An imaginary line dividing poor and non-poor based on per capita household expenditure.
7. What is rural poverty caused by?
Answer: Low agricultural productivity, illiteracy, and lack of jobs.
8. What causes urban poverty?
Answer: Migration of rural poor, lack of housing, and slow industrial growth.
9. What is the vicious circle of poverty?
Answer: Low income leads to low savings, low investment, and low production, perpetuating poverty.
10. What is the goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG1)?
Answer: To eradicate poverty in all forms by 2030.
Long Questions
1. Explain the concept of multi-dimensional poverty.
Answer: Multi-dimensional poverty covers both material and non-material deprivations. Material aspects include lack of food, shelter, health, and education, while non-material aspects involve social discrimination and lack of freedom. It highlights that poverty is not just about money but also about opportunities and capabilities.
2. How does absolute poverty differ from relative poverty?
Answer: Absolute poverty is about not having enough income to meet basic calorie needs (2250 calories daily) and is common in developing countries. Relative poverty compares living standards, like income or wealth, and exists in all countries. Absolute poverty can be eradicated, but relative poverty is harder to eliminate.
3. What is the role of the poverty line in India?
Answer: The poverty line divides the poor from the non-poor based on household expenditure. It helps identify the poor, track poverty over time, compare poverty across regions, and estimate funds needed for poverty alleviation programs. It is set at Rs. 972 (rural) and Rs. 1407 (urban) monthly per person (2011-12).
4. What are the main causes of rural poverty in India?
Answer: Rural poverty is caused by low agricultural productivity, drought, poor infrastructure, illiteracy, and lack of alternative jobs. Small and marginal farmers, landless laborers, and rural indebtedness also contribute. These factors limit income and access to basic needs.
5. Why is urban poverty a growing issue in India?
Answer: Urban poverty grows due to rural poor migrating to cities, leading to slum growth. Lack of affordable housing, illiteracy, and slow industrial growth limit job opportunities. Poor infrastructure and high living costs make it hard for urban poor to meet basic needs.
6. How does the vicious circle of poverty work?
Answer: The vicious circle of poverty, described by Prof. Ragnar Nurkse, shows how low income leads to low savings and investment. This results in low production and employment, keeping national income low. This cycle traps people in poverty, reducing economic growth.
7. What are the effects of poverty on India’s economy?
Answer: Poverty slows economic progress by reducing national and per capita income. It leads to low savings, investment, and capital formation, causing unequal opportunities. It also increases anti-social activities, class conflicts, and government spending on welfare, misallocating resources.
8. How does population explosion contribute to poverty?
Answer: Rapid population growth creates unequal resource distribution, leading to shortages of food, jobs, and infrastructure. This increases deprivation and poverty, as resources cannot meet the needs of a growing population, lowering per capita income and living standards.
9. What measures has the Indian government taken to eradicate poverty?
Answer: The government controls population growth, supports agriculture with cheap credit, and ensures food security via public distribution systems. It promotes rural jobs, education, health, and housing. Skill development and bank nationalization also help provide financial inclusion and self-employment.
10. How do the UN Sustainable Development Goals address poverty?
Answer: The UN SDGs, adopted in 2015, aim to end poverty by 2030 (SDG1). With 17 goals and 169 targets, they focus on social, economic, and environmental issues. India, a signatory, works to reduce poverty through policies like education, health, and infrastructure development.
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