You are on page 1of 13

Standard - IX

It will be nice if we look back and see See the picture given below.
where we are after 60 years of What do you understand from this
Independence. picture?
Tremandous changes are taking place
in many fields. Some reports show that
India is one of the leading countries
having high economic growth. Some
countries and international
organisations see India as a big
economic power of the future.
The following changes happened here
during the period 1950 - 2007.
• The production of food grains
increased fourfold.
• Population increased three times.
• Realised self sufficiency in food
production.
• Started exporting rice, wheat and
other food grains.
• Universalised public distribution
Fig 7.1
system.
• Implemented many poverty This is also a reality of the present day.
eradication programmes. Even when we are advanced in terms
Even while these claims are being made, of economic growth, poverty still
the Planning Commission estimated continues to be a big problem. The
that more than 30 crores of people were picture shows the existence of large-
poor in the country in 2004. The World scale poverty. This contrast of
Bank reported that India had the largest prosperity of a few and poverty of the
number of poor people in the world in masses is one of the challenges that
2005. India faces today. As a result of the

94 Social Science - II
Chapter - 7

development of science and Can you say whether a family


technology, we have the capacity to is experiencing poverty by
produce enough food for us as well as looking at the life style? Discuss.
to provide basic facilities for all. Still, Given below is a chart prepared by a
the existence of poverty remains a student as part of the class work:
serious social problem.
In India the social and economic Poverty - a Multi-dimensional
condition of the people is not uniform. Problem
When some people live very
Poverty means a situation where human
comfortably, the condition of the
beings
majority is bad. But, it is the duty of all
to see that the basic needs of everyone Experience hunger
are met. Do not have enough clothes
What are the basic needs of a family? Do not have a house
• Clothing Do not have access to drinking water
• Shelter Do not have access to medical facilities
• Food Do not have access to education
• Are not able to get a job
• Are denied opportunities
• Are denied freedom
Rank the basic needs you have
indentified in the order of priority.
How suitable is the title given to the
As noticed, food, clothing, shelter, chart? Can you give a better title?
drinking water, medical care, education
etc are the basic needs of all human Poverty is a situation that cannot be
beings. explained in a single word. Why?
Do you agree with the contents of
What is poverty? Explain. the chart? Do you want to add
Evaluate the description anything? Why?
given below.
Poverty is a situation where people fail
to satisfy their basic needs.

POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY 95


Standard - IX

Poverty - Hunger - Famine Measuring Poverty - Interna-


tional level
Poverty is the situation where the basic
needs are not met. When people do not As per the World Bank estimate, a
get enough to eat, it is hunger.When all person who earns income of less than
the people or majority of them do not get $ 1.25 per day at 2005 prices is
food and consequently a sizable number considered below the poverty line. For
of people die, it is described as famine. example, when a dollar is equivalent to
In the last century, the biggest famine Rs.48, people who do not have Rs.60 to
reported in 20th Century was in Bengal in buy their daily requirements are
1943 in which 30 lakh people died. considered to be poor. Accordingly, 140
crores of people were considered poor
in 2005. Of this 137.35 crores of people
To fulfill the basic needs,
belonged to the developing countries
income is necessary. But the
like India, China, Pakistan, Brazil Iraq
income of all families is not the same. When
etc. The distribution of the poverty in
some people have very high income, some
developing countries is given below in
others have very little. This causes poverty.
figure 7.2.
How relevant is this in the case of India?
Discuss.

The distribution of poverty in developing countries (2005)


World Bank 2009

East Asia -
Pacific 23.02%
28.28 %
Sub-Saharan
Europe 1.26% Africa
Central Asia
Latin America 3.28%
Caribbean
Middle East Asia - 0.8 %
North Africa

South Asia 43.36 %


Fig 7.2
Source: World Bank 2009, Global Economic Prospects,
Commodities at the cross roads

96 Social Science - II
Chapter - 7

Sub Saharan Africa: In 2005, 43.36% of the poor people were


from South Asian countries like India
The African countries which are situated and Pakistan. Among the developing
on the south of the Sahara desert like countries, one third of the poor live in
Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, India.
Zambia, Nigeria, Mauritius, Senegal,
Somalia.
Measuring Poverty in India
The poor are identified using a
South Asia
yardstick of expenditure needed to
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, fulfill the basic needs. The amount
Bangladesh etc which lie in the southern required for this has to be determined
part of the Asian continent. and those who earn less than this level
is considered to be living below
Middle East Asia - North Africa
poverty line.
Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, The first stage to identify the poor is to
Yemen, Morocco, Algeria etc fix the poverty line. This is an imaginary
Latin America -Caribbean line. Deciding the physical energy
requirement of an individual for his
Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, Bolivia, daily life is the first phase. Physical
Colombia, Cuba etc energy is calculated in calories. In India,
Europe - Central Asia a person in the rural area needs 2400
calories and in the urban area 2100
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Russia, calories for his daily needs. Food
Turkey, Romania etc articles required to obtain that amount
East Asia - Pacific of energy have to be ascertained. Then,
the income required to buy the amount
China, Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, of food articles has to be calculated.
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam The usual procedure in India is to
etc decide the poverty line keeping that as
the yardstick. On the basis of this, in
2004-2005, it was decided that a person
Which developing countries had a earning less than Rs. 356.30 in rural
lot of poor people in 2005? areas and Rs.538.60 in urban areas, in a
month, falls below the poverty line.
On the map mark the
Poverty ratio can be found out by
developing countries that had
dividing the number of poor by the
the largest number of poor people.
total population.

POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY 97


Standard - IX

Poverty ratio = Poverty in India (1973 - 2004)

No of people below the poverty line Year Below poverty line


× 100
Total population
Percentage Number (crore)

Poverty ratio shows the percentage of 1973 54.88 32.13


people living below the poverty line.
1983 44.48 32.29
In 2004, the poverty ratio in India was
27.5. It means that out of the total 1993 35.97 32.04
population 27.5% were living below 2004 27.5 30.17
the poverty line.
Poverty in India Source: Govt. of India (2008), Press

Dadabhai Naoroji, who was one of the Information Bureau, Poverty

important leaders of our national Estimates for 2004 - 05

movement, was the person who first Table 7.1

scientifically calculated the poverty in Are the changes in the number and
India. After independence, many the percentage of the poor in In-
attempts were made to calculate dia at different points of time
poverty. similar? Compare.
Examine Table 7.1 and figures 7.3 A and
7.3 B
Poverty ratio in India
Poverty Ratio (%)

Year
Fig. 7.3 A
Number of the Poor in India (crores)
Number of people below poverty line (Crores)

Year
98 Social Science - II Fig. 7.3 B
Chapter - 7

Poverty ratios in some states in India (2004 05)

50
46.4
45 41.4 40.9 40.3
39.6 38.3
40
35 32.8 30.7
Poverty ratio (%)

30 27.5
25 24.7
25 22.5 22.1
20 16.8 15.8
15 14
15
10 8.4
5.4
5
0

West Bengal

Jammu & Kashmir


Orissa

Bihar

Chattisgarh

Jharkhand
Uttarakhand

Uttar Pradesh

Maharashtra

India

Karnataka

Tamil Nadu
Rajastan

Gujarat

Kerala

Haryana

Punjab
Madhya Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh
States
Source: Govt of India, 2008, Poverty Estimates for 2004 - 05
Fig 7.4

Between 1973 and 2004, the poverty Poverty in Kerala


ratio decreased by half but there was
Kerala is known all over the world for
no substantial change in the number.
its acheivements in human
You have understood what is meant by development. Even though the per
poverty ratio. Figure7.4 shows the capita income in Kerala is not high our
poverty estimates in the important achievements in human development
states. indicators are very high. Kerala stands
Is the poverty ratio same in all the first in India in the field of human
states of India? development. Low infant mortality, low
mortality rate, high life expectancy and
Mark the states that have high literacy rate are the achievements
higher and lower poverty ratio of Kerala. Although Kerala has made
than the Indian average (27.5) on the map progress in all these areas, poverty has
using different colours. not been completely eradicated.
According to the Planning Commission,
Poverty is more among landless 15 % of the people are poor in 2004-05.
agricultural labourers, fishermen, traditional In urban areas, 20.6% are poor. Poverty
industrial workers, Schedule Castes and in rural areas is severe among the
Scheduled Tribes. Discuss the reasons for this. agricultural labourers and craftsmen. In

POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY 99


Standard - IX

the urban areas intensisity of poverty Discuss and write about the
is concentrated among those employed causes of poverty
in informal sectors. See table 7.2 • Unemployment
Percentage of people below poverty • Exploitation
line-different classes
• Inequality in wealth and income.
Class Below poverty Total
line (%) population (%) •

Scheduled •
Castes 19 9.81
Scheduled Observe the flow chart 7.1 and show
Tribes 3 1.14 how unemployment leads to poverty
Others 78 89.05
You have understood how
Total 100 100
unemployment causes
Source: Economic Review 2008 poverty. In the same way, find out how
Kerala State Planning Board. illiteracy leads to poverty and prepare a chart.
Table 7.2

What can you deduce from the We can eradicate poverty only
Table7.2? by removing the factors
causing poverty. Discuss
• In Kerala, Schedule Castes constitute
9.81% of the total population , but among Inequality in wealth leads to
the poor they constitute 19% . poverty. This problem also has
• to be solved to eradicate poverty. How can
this be done in India? Discuss.
Eradication of poverty
Reasons for poverty
Poverty is not only the problem of the
More than 30 crores of people in India person who faces it. It is also the
are poor, according to the statistics 2004 problem of the society. So the
for the year. Have you ever thought of government has to play a major role in
the reasons for this? eradicating it. Along with that, social
interventions are inevitable for
elimination of poverty.

100 Social Science - II


Chapter - 7

for education →
→ Less opportunity


Unemployment

→ Low income →
Low purchasing
power → Low consumption →

Poverty
Flow chart 7.1 Low nutrition →


Illnesses →



Low capacity to
work
Eradication of poverty is essential for necessities, since it reduces purchasing
the growth of a country. One of the power. Hence, poverty increases. FAO
prime objectives of our plan has been pointed out that , in 2007, the number
the eradication of poverty. of poor people increased by 7.5 crores.
It is mainly due to increase in food
How can the government prices. This would have made you
intervene in the eradication of understand that problems like price rise
poverty? would affect the poor most. Let us see
• By creating employment what can be done to reduce poverty and
to protect the poor people.
• By making educational opportunities
available to all • Strengthen the Public Distribution
System.
• By making drinking water available to
all • Make available basic amenities like
good roads, water supply, education
• facilities and medical facilities to the
• poor. Let us see how good roads can
• help in eradicating poverty.
Transport facility generates job
opportunities and helps the poor
The adverse effects of price rise, natural people find markets for their
calamities, diseases, pollution etc are products. This helps to earn more.
more severely felt by the poor. For • Make available land, house and
example, price rise makes it more other assets to the poor.
difficult for the poor to buy their basic

POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY 101


Standard - IX

Land reforms and eradication of • Provide universal free education.


poverty From the flow chart 7.2, we can find out
how education helps in reducing
Most of the poor do not have land or a poverty.
house. As a result of land reforms, the
landless get land. This ownership right of
Do you think that poverty in
land provides opportunities for housing,
a family can be reduced if a
better education and employment. Kerala
child studies well? Discuss.
is one of the states that has implemented
land reforms successfully. Points:
• Education and employment
Decentralisation
• Education and health care
Decentralisation devolves more power,
• Education and social status
responsibility and finance to local
governments (Panchayat, Municipality, • Better standard of living
Corporation). With people's participation, •
local development programmes are

planned, implemented and evaluated.
Decentralisation facilitates the poor to get
involved in planning, implementation and Food Security and Poverty Eradi-
monitoring. Hence the problems of the
cation
poor get more attention. This facilitates
the creation of assets for the poor. Kerala Food security is the first step to
has implemented decentralised planning eradicate poverty. Food security means
successfully. availability of quality food for all, at all
times. It has three aspects.
• Strengthen local self-government
institutions. • Availability of sufficient food for all
• Capacity for all to buy sufficient food

→ →
eradication of poverty

better health care


better standard
Education


of living

→ better job
opportunities → more income → morecapacity
purchasing

Flow chart 7.2

102 Social Science - II


Chapter - 7

• Quality food available to all The major poverty eradication


The objective of food security is to free programmes of the union government
people from poverty and malnutrition. are:

Increased food production is important • National Rural Employment


to eradicate poverty. Equally important Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)
is the distribution food. The noted
• Indira Avas Yojana(IAY)
economist and Nobel prize winner,
Amartya Sen has stated that even when • Swarnajayanthi Grama Swarosgar
there is an increase in food production, Yojana (SGSY)
hunger can take place. Equitable • Swarna Jayanthi Shahari Rozgar
distribution of food has an important Yojana (SJSRY)
role in eradicating poverty. So food
• Integrated Housing and Slum
security cannot be achieved without
Development Programme (IHSDP)
strengthening the public distribution
system. • Total Sanitation Mission (TSM)

In the modern world, health problems are NREGS


due to eating too much. This leads to The Parliament passed the National
obesity. Not only that, when one section Rural Employment Guarantee Act in
of people have problem in finding food, September 2005. According to this law,
another section calculate the calories to each family in the rural areas is assured
find means to lose weight. of 100 days of work in a year. Those
Poverty Eradication Programmes who are willing to do physical labour
would get jobs. As a part of this
The focus of the first three five-year programme, minor irrigation projects,
plans in India was eradication of road construction etc are taken up.
poverty through economic growth. But, Now, this porgramme is known as
in the beginning of the 70s, it became Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
clear that it was not possible to eradicate Employment Guarantee Scheme
poverty through economic growth (MGNREGS).
alone. So, it was decided to attack
poverty directly. As part of this, many See the flow chart (7.3) to know how this
special programmes were launched. In scheme helps to eradicate poverty.
the 11th five-year plan (2007 - 12),
inclusive growth was made a major Organise a seminar on the
objective. Various poverty eradication topic, 'A review of the main
programmes were modified and re poverty eradication programmes in India'
organized to attain this objective.

POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY 103


Standard - IX

More
Creates assets like
→ irrigation facilities
employment

Poverty Eradication
Ensure 100 days of
employment
More
→ → →
NREGS

Income
→ Generates
employment



Development of
Expenditure of rural economy

Generates
income income
Flowchart - 7.3

Public Distribution System in everywhere in Kerala. You have learnt


India about this earlier. The main objective
of Kudumbasree is poverty reduction
It was at the time of the Second World through empowerment. 'Ashraya' is a
War that the ration system was comprehensive development scheme
introduced in India. arrived at the rehabilitation of
When the food scarcity was severely felt destitutes 'Mahilamandirams',
in 1960s, this system was strengthened Aftercare Homes and Rescue Homes
and spread to more areas. But, with the function under the Social Welfare
introduction of liberalised economic Department for the welfare of women.
policies in India, rationing was confined There are more than 40 pension
to the poor. As part of this, Targeted schemes in Kerala for the under
Public Distribution System was privileged like agricultural labourers
introduced in 1997. According to this and widows. For the workers in the
,the families above the poverty line unorganized sector, there are 24 welfare
(APL) and those below the poverty fund boards. There are also many
line(BPL) have separate ration cards special welfare programs for the
with different colours. Food articles are Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
available at different prices for BPL and Tribes.
APL categories.
Prepare a table of the pension
Poverty Eradication in Kerala
schemes in Kerala. Choose one
To reduce poverty, many poverty from that and discuss how it eradicates poverty
eradication programmes and and provides social security.
employment generation schemes have
been implemented in Kerala. Many
Public Distribution System in
projects for providing infrastructural Kerala
facilities have aslo been implemented. Universalisation of rationing came into
'Kudumbashree' has come into being existence in Kerala in 1966. The public

104 Social Science - II


Chapter - 7

distribution system functions efficiently additional branches are opened and this
in Kerala. It has a special place in help to control the price in the open
Kerala, since we have shortage of more market. The Co-operative sector also
than 75% of food grains. The public actively involves in the distribution of
distribution system has three facets. commodities for daily needs.
• Distribution of grains through ration Poverty Eradication Programmes
shops. in India- An Evaluation
• Mid-day meal scheme in schools. The poverty alleviation programmes in
• Distribution of nutritious food to India have contributed greatly to the
children below 5 and pregnant reduction of poverty. The public
women through Anganwadis. distribution system, generation of
employment in rural areas, building
Visit a ration shop near your basic facilities like roads, buildings etc.
house and collect relevant are the achievements of the
data to evaluate the ration system. Points programmes. But, these programmes
given below may be considered. have many limitations.

• Helps to control the prices in the open Important limitations are:


market • All are not getting the benefits
equally
• Ensuring food security
• Even those who are not poor also get
• Helps to eradicate poverty
the benefit
• Number of families using the facilities of • Insufficient allocation of fund for the
the ration shops schemes
• Whether the weight, quality and • Corruption and inefficient
availability are satisfactory implementation
• Difference of price for BPL and APL card • Neglect of local conditions
holders The Indian constitution upholds the
• Compatability of the timings of the ration principles of equality and public well
shops and those of the public. being of all. Even now, a large section
of the population is poor. This shows
Kerala State Civil Supplies Cor- that we still have not been able to attain
poration (KSCSC) this goal. We have been able to reduce
This was established in 1974. KSCSC has the poverty ratio in the post -
presence all over the state. All necessary independence period. But, poverty
commodities are sold at reasonable exists as a serious problem. We have a
prices. During festival times like Onam long way to go to eradicate poverty.

POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY 105


Standard - IX

Points
Follow up Activities.... • Short term measures for
eradication of poverty
1. To eradicate poverty, the poor get
• Long term measures for
Rice at a cheaper rate through ration eradication of poverty
shops.
2. As a student, what is your role in
Jobs through programmes like the eradicating poverty? Discuss and
NREGS. write a note.
Education and technical skills are Points
imparted to students.
• Education and eradication of poverty
• Which of the above measure is the
most suitable to eradicate • Poverty as a social issue
poverty? Why? • Helping your classmates
• Are all the measures given above • Social intervention
necessary for the eradication of

poverty? If so, why?

Discuss and prepare a note.

106 Social Science - II

You might also like