Scribd
Upload
18 views3 pages

Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 3 Poverty As A Challenge

Uploaded by

binoyzrarsigns
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
18 views3 pages

Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 3 Poverty As A Challenge

Uploaded by

binoyzrarsigns
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 3 Poverty as a challenge

Q-1Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India.


A common method used to measure poverty is based on 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 basic
needs. While determining the poverty line in India, a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, footwear,
fuel and light, educational and medical requirement, etc. are determined for subsistence. These physical
quantities are multiplied by their prices in rupees. The resent formula for food requirements while estimating
the poverty line is based on the desired calorie requirement.As per 2000 figures; a family of five which is
earning less than Rs. 1,640 per month is considered to be living below the poverty line. This figure is Rs. 2,270
per month for the urban area. The expected calorie intake has been fixed at 2400 calories per person in rural
areas and 2100 calories in urban areas. A person consuming less than this amount is considered to be living
below the poverty line.

Q-2Do you think that the present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate?
No, the present methodology of poverty estimation is not appropriate because it takes into account only the
basic needs of food, clothing, fuel etc. But the quality of these basic necessities is the lowest quality available.
The amount which is fixed as the poverty line does not include the margin for the constant price fluctuations.
The poverty line should include some corrections for inflation and market fluctuations.

Q-3Describe poverty trends in India since 1973.


As per the data, there has been a substantial decline in poverty ratios in India from 45 percent in 1993-94 to
37.2 percent in 2004-05. There was a further decline to 22 percent in 2011-12. Although the number of poor
people declined from 1973 to 1993, there was a significant reduction in the number of the poor (about 407
million) in 2004-05 and a further 270 million in 2011-12 with an average annual decline of 2.2 percent. It may
also be noted that poverty ratios always remained higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas. If the present
trend continues, the people below the poverty line may come down to less than 20 percent in the next few years.

Q-4Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India.


There were a number of causes for the widespread poverty in India. One historical reason is the low level of
economic development under the British colonial administration. The low rate of growth persisted until the
nineteen-eighties. This resulted in fewer job opportunities and a low growth rate of incomes. This was
accompanied by a high growth rate of the population. The two combined to make the growth rate of per capita
income very low. Another feature of high poverty rates has been the huge income inequalities. 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.

Q-5Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India.
Social groups, which are most vulnerable to poverty, are scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households.
Similarly, among the economic groups, the most vulnerable groups are the rural agricultural labour households
and urban casual labour households.

Q-6Describe global poverty trends.


The proportion of people in developing countries living in extreme economic poverty— defined by the World
Bank as living on less than $1 per day—has fallen from 28 percent in 1990 to 21 percent in 2001. Although
there has been a substantial reduction in global poverty, it is marked with great regional differences. Poverty
declined substantially in China and Southeast Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth and massive
investments in human resource development. The number of poor people in China has come down from 606
million in 1981 to 212 million in 2001.
In the countries of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan) the decline has not been
as rapid. Despite the decline in the percentage of the poor, the number of poor has declined marginally from 475
million in 1981 to 428 million in 2001. Because of different poverty line definition, poverty in India is also
shown higher than the national estimates. In Sub-Saharan Africa, poverty in fact rose from 41 percent in 1981 to
46 percent in 2001 (see graph 3.3). In Latin America, the ratio of poverty remained the same.

Poverty has also resurfaced in some of the former socialist countries like Russia, where officially it was
nonexistent earlier. The proportion of people living under poverty in different countries is defined by the
international poverty line (means population below $1 a day).

Q-7Describe the current government strategy of poverty alleviation.

The current anti-poverty strategy of the government is based broadly on two planks

 promotion of economic growth


 targeted anti-poverty programs.

Q-8What do you understand by human poverty?

Many scholars advocate that we must broaden the concept of poverty into human poverty. A large number of
people may have been able to feed themselves. But they do not have education or shelter or health care or job
security or self-confidence.
They are not free from caste and gender discrimination. The practice of child labour is still common.

Q-9Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India.

Removal of poverty is one of the major objectives of the Indian developmental strategy. The current
government strategy of poverty alleviation is based on two planks:

1. Promotion of Economic Growth


2. Targeted Anti-poverty Programmes

Some of the targeted anti-poverty programmes undertaken by the government are:

1. Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY). This programme was started in 1993. It aims at creating
self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns.
2. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY). This programme was launched in 2000. It aims at
creating and improving basic services like primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking
water and rural electrification.
3. Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP). This programme was launched in 1995. It aims
at creating self-employment opportunities in rural areas and urban towns.
4. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). This act was passed in
September 2005. The act provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household in
200 districts. Later, the scheme would be extended to 600 districts. One-third of the proposed jobs have
been reserved for women.
Q-10Who are the poorest of the poor?

(ii) Women, children (especially the girl child) and elder people in a poor family are regarded as the poorest of
the poor because they are systematically denied equal access to resources available to the family.

Q-11What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005?

The main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 are:


 The Act assures 100 days of employment every year to every rural household.
 One-third of the jobs are reserved for women.
 It also aimed at sustainable development to address the cause of drought, deforestation and soil
erosion.
 The share of SCs, STs and women are 23 percent, 17 percent and 53 per cent respectively.
 Under this, the average wage has increased from ₹ 65 in 2006-07 to ₹ 132 in 2013-14.
 The scheme provided employment to 220 crores person-days of employment to 4.78 crore
households.

You might also like