Poverty – Introduction
* Poverty is defined as the lack of common things like food, clothing, shelter, safe drinking water, medical care and education, which determine the quality of life.
* The concept of social exclusion states that poor people have to live in poor surroundings excluded from neighborhoods of people who are better off.
* Vulnerability is the measure of the probability of certain groups of people becoming poor or remaining poor in future.
Poverty Line and Vulnerable Groups
* Poverty line is a commonly used measure based on levels on income and consumption by people to identify the poor.
* In India, the determination of the poverty line takes into consideration the minimum requirements of food, clothing, footwear, fuel, power, education and healthcare for the subsistence of a person.
* The cost of each item in the minimum requirements of food, clothing, footwear, fuel, power, education and healthcare is added to find the minimum income for a person at the poverty line.
* Some groups and communities are more vulnerable to poverty than others.
Interstate Disparity in Poverty
* The poverty ratio is not uniform all over India and varies across different states.
* Orissa and Bihar are the poorest states in India.
* High agricultural growth rate, land reforms, good public distribution system and focus on education and training are some of the ways that poverty has been successfully reduced in India.
Global Poverty Scenario
* The World Bank standard of poverty line states that all people living under one US dollar per person per day live in poverty.
* Poverty has declined in most regions of the world.
* Poverty in some regions has declined more rapidly than in others.
Causes of Poverty and Antipoverty Measures
* Poverty in India is attributed to several historical and social factors.
* Anti-poverty measures taken by the Indian government are aimed at increasing economic growth in the country and launching anti-poverty programmes for specific groups of people.
* Human poverty extends beyond the traditional definition of poverty to include lack of housing, education, healthcare, job security and lack of equal opportunities or dignity, due to discrimination based on caste, colour or gender.
* India’s future in combating poverty appears bright.