Economics Class 9 : Chapter 3 - Poverty as a Challenge
Chapter-3Poverty as a Challenge
Exercises
Q.1. Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India?
Ans: While determining the poverty line in India, a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, footwear, fuel and light, educational and medical requirements etc. are determined for subsistence.
These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices in rupees.The present formula for food requirements while estimating the poverty line is based on the desired calorie requirement.
The accepted average calorie requirement in India is 2400 calories per person per day in rural areas and 2100 calories per person per day in urban areas.
Q.2. Do you think that present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate?
Ans: No, the present methodology of poverty estimation is not appropriate because it takes into account only the basic needs of food, clothing, fuel etc.
The amount which is fixed as the poverty line does not include the margin for the constant price fluctuations.
Q.3. Describe poverty trends in India since 1973.
Ans: (a) As per the data, there has been a substantial decline in poverty ratios in India from 45% in 1993-94 to 37.2% in 2004-05.
(b) There was a further decline to 22% in 2011-12.
(c) There was a significant reduction in the number of the poor (about 407 million) in 2004-05 and further 270 million in 2011-12 with an average annual decline of 2.2% during 2004-05 to 2011-12.
(d) Poverty ratios always remained higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas.
(e) If the present trend continues, the people below poverty line may come down to less than 20% in the next few years.
Q.4. Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India.
Ans: The major reasons for poverty in the country are:
(i) The low level of economic development under British colonial rule. The policies of the colonial government ruined traditional handicrafts and discouraged the development of industries like textiles.
(ii) The spread of the Green Revolution created many job opportunities for the people of the country, yet they were not sufficient in comparison to the number of job seekers.
(iii) Unequal distribution of land and resources is another important factor for poverty in India.
(iv) In order to fulfill social obligations and religious ceremonies, the poor end up spending a lot, which results in poverty.
(v) Inequality in the income of the people is also a major reason for poverty.
Q.5. Identify the social and economic groups which are not most vulnerable to poverty in India.
Ans: The social groups vulnerable to poverty are:
(a) Scheduled castes households.
(b) Scheduled tribes households.
The economic groups vulnerable to poverty are:
(a) Rural agricultural labour households.
(b) Urban casual labour households.
Q.6. Give an account of interstate disparities of poverty in India.
Ans: Poverty in India differs for different states. The success rate of reducing poverty varies from state to state, causing inter-state disparities in poverty levels. Recent estimates show while the all India Head Count Ratio (HCR) was 21.9 percent in 2011-12, states like Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh had above all India poverty level. Along with rural poverty, urban poverty is also high in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
In comparison, there has been a significant decline in poverty in Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and West Bengal. There are various factors that are responsible for these interstate disparities of poverty in India.
Q.7. Describe global poverty trends.
Ans: There has been a substantial reduction in global poverty. Poverty declined in China and South-East Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth and huge investments in the development of human resources. In Latin America, the ratio of poverty remained almost the same. In sub-Saharan Africa. Poverty in fact declined from 51 per cent in 2005 to 40.2 percent in 2018. Poverty has surfaced itself in some of the former socialist countries like Russia, where formerly it was non-existent.
Q.8. Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation.
Ans: Removal of poverty has been one of the major objectives of Indian developmental strategy. The current anti-poverty strategy of the government is based broadly on two planks, being, promotion of economic growth and targeted anti-poverty programmes. Awareness is being spread across the nation specifying the importance of education, which has resulted in the increase of literary level. Various schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) and Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) have been introduced by the government with an aim to abolish poverty from the country.
Q.9. Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) What do you understand by human poverty?
Ans: Human poverty is a concept that goes beyond the limited view of poverty as lack of income. If refers to denial of political, social and economic opportunities to an individual to maintain a "reasonable" standard of living. Illiteracy, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to proper health care and sanitation, caste and gender discrimination etc. are all components of human poverty.
(ii) Who are the poorest of the poor?
Ans: Women, females, infants and elderly are considered to the poorest of the poor. This is because, in a poor household, these people suffer the most and are deprived of the maximum necessities in life.
(iii) What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005?
Ans: The main features of the National Rural Employment Act 2005 are as follows:
a) To provide 100 days of wage employment to every household to ensure livelihood security.
b) Sustainable development to address the causes of drought, deforestation and soil erosion.
c) One-third of the proposed jobs under this scheme have been reserved for women.
d) The scheme provided employment to 220 crores persons days of employment to 4.78 crore.
Extra Questions
Q.1. "Every fourth person in India is poor." Explain the given statement.
Ans: In India there is poverty all around us. Roughly 270 million people in India live in poverty. This also means that India has the largest single concentration of the poor in the world. India faces the biggest challenge on the poverty front with the landless labourers in villages, over-crowded Jhuggis in cities, daily wage workers, child workers in the dhabas and beggars around us.
Q.2. Explain any three social indicators through which poverty is looked upon.
Ans: Poverty today is looked upon through social indicators like illiteracy level, lack of access to healthcare, lack of job opportunities etc.
(a) People are poor because they are illiterate and they are illiterate because they are poor.
(b) Poverty is a situation where sick people cannot afford treatment, ie, they lack access to healthcare.
(c) Poverty also implies lack of a regular job, at a minimum decent level.
Q.3. Define Vulnerability. How is it determined?
Ans: Vulnerability refers to a measure describing the greater probability of certain communities, like people belonging to backward castes, handicapped persons, old women etc. becoming or remaining poor in the coming years.
It is determined by the options available to different sections of the society to have an access to an alternative living in terms of assets, education, health, and job opportunities when confronted with any kind of disaster or calamity.
Q.4. State the dimensions of poverty.
Ans: The various dimensions of poverty are:
(a) It means hunger and shelter.
(b) It is a situation in which parents are not able to send their children to schools.
(c) It is a situation where sick people cannot afford treatment.
(d) It means lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
(e) It means lack of a regular job at a minimum decent level.
Ans: The aim of Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana was to create self employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns. They were helped in setting up small businesses and industries.
The scheme started in the year 1993.
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