Chapter-3
Poverty as a Challenge
1. What is poverty?
It is the lack of human needs such as nutrition, education, clothing and shelter
because of the inability to afford them.
2. What are the issues related to poverty?
Issues related to poverty are:
● Landlessness
● Unemployment
● Size of families
● Illiteracy
● Poor health
● Child labour
● Helplessness
3. What are the social indicators of poverty?
#) The level of income and consumption is the main indicator of poverty.
#)Other social indicators are illiteracy level, lack of general resistance, due to
malnutrition, lack of access to healthcare, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to
safe drinking, sanitation etc.
#) Poverty is also analyzed based on social exclusion and vulnerability
4. What is social exclusion?
● According to this concept, poverty must be seen in terms of the poor
having to live only in a poor surrounding with poor people, excluded
from enjoying social equality of better off people.
● Social exclusion can be both a cause as well as a consequence of
poverty in the usual sense. Broadly it is a process through which
individuals or groups are excluded from facilities, opportunities and
benefits that others enjoy.
, 5. What is poverty line? Describe how poverty line is calculated or estimated in
India.
● The line dividing poor and rich on the basis of per capita (person)
income and expenditure is known as poverty line.
● A common method used to measure poverty is based on the income or
consumption level.
● A minimum level of food requirement, footwear, clothing, fuel and
light , educational & medical requirement etc. are determined for
subsistence. These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices in
rupees.
For food requirement while estimating poverty line is based on the
desired calorie requirement.
● The accepted average calorie requirement in India’s 2400 calories per
person per day in rural areas and 2100 calories per person per day in
urban areas.
● On the basis of these calculations, for the year 2011-12, the poverty
line for a person was fixed at Rs. 816 per month for the rural areas and
Rs. 1000 for urban areas.
6. .What is meant by the term vulnerability to poverty?
* Vulnerability to poverty is a measure which describes the greater probability of
certain communities or individual (such as widow or physically handicapped
person ) of becoming, or remaining poor, in coming year.
* Vulnerability is determined by the options available to different
communities for finding an alternative living in terms of assets, education , health
and job opportunities.
* Further its analysed on the basis of the greater risks these groups face at the time
of natural disasters (earthquake ,tsunami), terrorism.
7. Do you think the present methodolgy of poverty estimation is appropriate?
* The present method of measuring poverty is not appropriate . It takes into
consideration income of consumption levels only.
* According to social scientists poverty should looked through social indicators
like illiteracy level , lack of general resistance due to malnutrition ,lack of job
opportunities and access to safe water and sanitation.
* Due to inflation and high prices the amount fixed for poverty line is not
adequate.
Poverty as a Challenge
1. What is poverty?
It is the lack of human needs such as nutrition, education, clothing and shelter
because of the inability to afford them.
2. What are the issues related to poverty?
Issues related to poverty are:
● Landlessness
● Unemployment
● Size of families
● Illiteracy
● Poor health
● Child labour
● Helplessness
3. What are the social indicators of poverty?
#) The level of income and consumption is the main indicator of poverty.
#)Other social indicators are illiteracy level, lack of general resistance, due to
malnutrition, lack of access to healthcare, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to
safe drinking, sanitation etc.
#) Poverty is also analyzed based on social exclusion and vulnerability
4. What is social exclusion?
● According to this concept, poverty must be seen in terms of the poor
having to live only in a poor surrounding with poor people, excluded
from enjoying social equality of better off people.
● Social exclusion can be both a cause as well as a consequence of
poverty in the usual sense. Broadly it is a process through which
individuals or groups are excluded from facilities, opportunities and
benefits that others enjoy.
, 5. What is poverty line? Describe how poverty line is calculated or estimated in
India.
● The line dividing poor and rich on the basis of per capita (person)
income and expenditure is known as poverty line.
● A common method used to measure poverty is based on the income or
consumption level.
● A minimum level of food requirement, footwear, clothing, fuel and
light , educational & medical requirement etc. are determined for
subsistence. These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices in
rupees.
For food requirement while estimating poverty line is based on the
desired calorie requirement.
● The accepted average calorie requirement in India’s 2400 calories per
person per day in rural areas and 2100 calories per person per day in
urban areas.
● On the basis of these calculations, for the year 2011-12, the poverty
line for a person was fixed at Rs. 816 per month for the rural areas and
Rs. 1000 for urban areas.
6. .What is meant by the term vulnerability to poverty?
* Vulnerability to poverty is a measure which describes the greater probability of
certain communities or individual (such as widow or physically handicapped
person ) of becoming, or remaining poor, in coming year.
* Vulnerability is determined by the options available to different
communities for finding an alternative living in terms of assets, education , health
and job opportunities.
* Further its analysed on the basis of the greater risks these groups face at the time
of natural disasters (earthquake ,tsunami), terrorism.
7. Do you think the present methodolgy of poverty estimation is appropriate?
* The present method of measuring poverty is not appropriate . It takes into
consideration income of consumption levels only.
* According to social scientists poverty should looked through social indicators
like illiteracy level , lack of general resistance due to malnutrition ,lack of job
opportunities and access to safe water and sanitation.
* Due to inflation and high prices the amount fixed for poverty line is not
adequate.
