SOCIETY
4. Poverty and developmental issues.
How do instruments of social discrimination lead to poverty? Illustrate with the help of suitable
examples.
Social discrimination is sustained inequality and unfairness present between individuals in the society
mainly due to hierarchal social structure. Inequality leads resources stratification in the society which
becomes main cause for poverty.
SC/ST, women, elderlies etc are often denied access to market, public places and economic activity.
Women are not given right to property. Only 8% women own immovable property. There are
stereotyping against women in different sectors. Girls are trained to develop a low profile and learn
home based works. Female literacy is 65% as compared to male literacy of 80% (2011 census). Males
get more medical care compared to girls. Child marriage is rampant among girls (27% as per
UNICEF).
All this has resulted in poor socio-economic conditions and poverty among women –
Quote data -
If economy is not engendered, it is endangered. WEF said gender parity can not only fight
poverty but boost India`s GDP by 27%.
Caste in India has often played lead to poverty as economic activity was inherently link to
caste. Dominate caste still holds major stake in regional economy and land. They deny other
caste from entering in these avenues. Land owned by SC/STs is still very less so they are
reduced to economic labourer. Often they are presumably linked to marginalised work like
manual scavenging.
Disabilities have also provided unequal opportunity to them leading to poverty. There is not
only denial of physical infrastructure but denial of social respect. Proper transportation,
unavailability of ramp in buildings etc often disinterest them to take part in economic activity.
They have also no representation in political institution
Transgender and civil partnership often face worse form of discrimination. They are not
accepted as part of society and often denied job opportunity. Even after Supreme court decision
to treat transgender as third gender, they face huge discrimination at work places.
Elderly population are often faced discrimination, due to early retirement, decline of health,
abandonment by their children. They even cannot get new job at this age, leading them to
poverty.
Social discrimination have often aroused from socials taboos, religious cults, rites and social beliefs. So
they are still strong. It needs good laws, political will, and above all behavioural change to reduce this
discrimination. As India cannot become superpower leaving out important section of its society.
What are life cycle vulnerabilities and how do they lead to poverty? Explain. In this light,
examine the need to have a developmental paradigm that focusses on addressing life cycle
, vulnerabilities. Elucidate.
The World Bank defines poverty as the inability to attain a minimum standard of living where WHO
goes on to describe it as the greatest cause of suffering in the world. Around 22% of India’s
population lives under the poverty line where life cycle vulnerabilities play a debilitating role to arrest
the development of this population.Life cycle vulnerabilities refers to the risks associated with
a series of stages through which an individual passes during his/her lifetime like childhood, puberty,
adolescence, adulthood, old-age, etc.
Housing is usually the principal economic asset of poor households. Damage or loss to housing
places enormous strain on household economies, given the high monetary cost of replacing lost
assets, relative to low and irregular incomes, and the absence of insurance or safety nets.
Urban poverty is now understood to have many additional dimensions – including
‘voicelessness’ and ‘powerlessness’, and inadequate provision of infrastructure and basic
services. Most of the immediate causes of the deprivations associated with urban poverty are
vulnerability related.
Key factors in underprivileged areas include low-quality and insecure housing, which in turn
limits access to basic services such as health care, public transport, communications, and
infrastructure such as water, sanitation, drainage and roads.
Poor rural livelihoods are highly exposed and vulnerable to weather-related risks and have a
low resilience to loss because they have little or no surplus capacity to absorb crop or livestock
income losses and to recover. Research suggests that vulnerabilities cause impoverishment,
which can lead to a cycle of losses, poverty traps and a slowing of efforts to reduce poverty.
Further, Life cycle vulnerabilities which can cause poverty can be seen from the following points in
brief:
INADEQUATE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD
LITTLE OR NO ACCESS TO LIVELIHOODS OR JOBS
POOR EDUCATION AND INEQUALITY
CONFLICT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESERVES
The above factors necessitate a development paradigm to address the issues of poor who are the
most vulnerable. This need is due to the following factors:
1. Pro-poor(broad-based or balanced) growth-led development – Growth matters for
development only if associated with an equitable distribution of income, to be achieved through
the promotion of activities generating a broad-based primary income distribution and
institutional mechanisms.
2. Constitutional ideals – Constitution provide peaceful, democratic means to bring about social
4. Poverty and developmental issues.
How do instruments of social discrimination lead to poverty? Illustrate with the help of suitable
examples.
Social discrimination is sustained inequality and unfairness present between individuals in the society
mainly due to hierarchal social structure. Inequality leads resources stratification in the society which
becomes main cause for poverty.
SC/ST, women, elderlies etc are often denied access to market, public places and economic activity.
Women are not given right to property. Only 8% women own immovable property. There are
stereotyping against women in different sectors. Girls are trained to develop a low profile and learn
home based works. Female literacy is 65% as compared to male literacy of 80% (2011 census). Males
get more medical care compared to girls. Child marriage is rampant among girls (27% as per
UNICEF).
All this has resulted in poor socio-economic conditions and poverty among women –
Quote data -
If economy is not engendered, it is endangered. WEF said gender parity can not only fight
poverty but boost India`s GDP by 27%.
Caste in India has often played lead to poverty as economic activity was inherently link to
caste. Dominate caste still holds major stake in regional economy and land. They deny other
caste from entering in these avenues. Land owned by SC/STs is still very less so they are
reduced to economic labourer. Often they are presumably linked to marginalised work like
manual scavenging.
Disabilities have also provided unequal opportunity to them leading to poverty. There is not
only denial of physical infrastructure but denial of social respect. Proper transportation,
unavailability of ramp in buildings etc often disinterest them to take part in economic activity.
They have also no representation in political institution
Transgender and civil partnership often face worse form of discrimination. They are not
accepted as part of society and often denied job opportunity. Even after Supreme court decision
to treat transgender as third gender, they face huge discrimination at work places.
Elderly population are often faced discrimination, due to early retirement, decline of health,
abandonment by their children. They even cannot get new job at this age, leading them to
poverty.
Social discrimination have often aroused from socials taboos, religious cults, rites and social beliefs. So
they are still strong. It needs good laws, political will, and above all behavioural change to reduce this
discrimination. As India cannot become superpower leaving out important section of its society.
What are life cycle vulnerabilities and how do they lead to poverty? Explain. In this light,
examine the need to have a developmental paradigm that focusses on addressing life cycle
, vulnerabilities. Elucidate.
The World Bank defines poverty as the inability to attain a minimum standard of living where WHO
goes on to describe it as the greatest cause of suffering in the world. Around 22% of India’s
population lives under the poverty line where life cycle vulnerabilities play a debilitating role to arrest
the development of this population.Life cycle vulnerabilities refers to the risks associated with
a series of stages through which an individual passes during his/her lifetime like childhood, puberty,
adolescence, adulthood, old-age, etc.
Housing is usually the principal economic asset of poor households. Damage or loss to housing
places enormous strain on household economies, given the high monetary cost of replacing lost
assets, relative to low and irregular incomes, and the absence of insurance or safety nets.
Urban poverty is now understood to have many additional dimensions – including
‘voicelessness’ and ‘powerlessness’, and inadequate provision of infrastructure and basic
services. Most of the immediate causes of the deprivations associated with urban poverty are
vulnerability related.
Key factors in underprivileged areas include low-quality and insecure housing, which in turn
limits access to basic services such as health care, public transport, communications, and
infrastructure such as water, sanitation, drainage and roads.
Poor rural livelihoods are highly exposed and vulnerable to weather-related risks and have a
low resilience to loss because they have little or no surplus capacity to absorb crop or livestock
income losses and to recover. Research suggests that vulnerabilities cause impoverishment,
which can lead to a cycle of losses, poverty traps and a slowing of efforts to reduce poverty.
Further, Life cycle vulnerabilities which can cause poverty can be seen from the following points in
brief:
INADEQUATE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD
LITTLE OR NO ACCESS TO LIVELIHOODS OR JOBS
POOR EDUCATION AND INEQUALITY
CONFLICT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESERVES
The above factors necessitate a development paradigm to address the issues of poor who are the
most vulnerable. This need is due to the following factors:
1. Pro-poor(broad-based or balanced) growth-led development – Growth matters for
development only if associated with an equitable distribution of income, to be achieved through
the promotion of activities generating a broad-based primary income distribution and
institutional mechanisms.
2. Constitutional ideals – Constitution provide peaceful, democratic means to bring about social
