SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN INDIA

INTRODUCTION:
India is one of the developing nations of the modern world. It has become
independent country more than half century ago. During this period the country has
been engaged in efforts to attain development and growth in various areas such as
building infrastructure, production of food grains, science and technology and
spread of education. The life expectancy has increased and many diseases have
been controlled. However, there are many areas in which Indian society is
experiencing a variety of problems. Some of these problems have their roots in our
colonial past while others are related to demographic changes, socio-political
conditions and cultural processes.

Various social problems are as follows:

 Population Explosion

 Poverty

 Child Labor

 Illiteracy

 Corruption

 Dowry

 Social Tensions

 Unemployment

 Superstitions
Population Explosion:

Population refers to the total no. of people residing at a place.

Few in India can deny that India is facing an intense crisis of resources.
The exploitation of our mineral resources is threatening our forests, nature reserves
, and general ecology.
70%of our energy resources need to be imported putting constant pressure on us to
export more or face currency devaluation. Over use of resources is contributing to
natural disasters ocurring more frequently and with greater devastation.
Even more serious than the physical consequences of expected scarcities are the
potential social consequences.

As is already quite evident worldwide, industrial growth can, and is taking pl

acewith virtually no increase in the demand for labor. Improved agricultural imple
ments and expanded availiability of tractors and mechanical threshers and harveste
rs, has meant that there has also been little growth in the demand
for agricultural labor.

Since most of the population growth in India is taking place amongst those
who will have the least skills when entering the job market.The social consequence
s could be simply devastating and to some extent hints of this impending crisis are
already visible in the slums of our metros.

More and more children from the slums are being pushed into the job market
as their parents find it impossible to feed their families. Village youth and young a
dults from poor and desperate villages migrate to the cities to compete with the exi
sting pool of unskilled workers for a very limited supply of service-sector jobs.As t
heir numbers explode, the bargaining power of these desperately poor slum dweller
s diminishes to the point where they cannot exercise any control on corrupt official
s cheating them out of the few schemes the government runs in their name.

But an army of poor and unemployed cannot be expected to tolerate their mi

series for ever. In the absence of strong social organizations that represent the inter
ests of the poor and help build a more humane and just society their seething disco
ntent could manifest itself in many unexpected and unpleasant ways. With the pres
ent disarray in India's left movement and the inability of the unions to organize the
unorganized.It is not unlikely that India's urban slums could become centres of soci
al anarchy. While some may take to petty or violent crime, others may let out their
frustrations in sudden and volcanic explosions of social discontent. It may be quite
difficult to predict as to which direction this frustration will take. There is intense
competition for the nation's limited natural resources that is leading to quarrels
between states.

CERTAIN FACTS ABOUT INDIA’S POPULATION:

 India’s population ranks second in the world after China.
 The population has rise from 23.84 crores in 1901 to 102.27 crores in
2001 & now it is 111 crores.
 India has about 2.4 % of the world area and less than 1.2 % world’s income
but accommodates 16.7%world’s population.
 Every sixth person in the world is an Indian.

GROWTH OF POPULATION IS NOT DESIRABLE BECAUSE:

 There may not be adequate jobs to absorb additional people.
 They put pressure on means of subsistence.
 They result in increased consumption n reduced savings n henceslow down t
he capital formation.
 They may increase dependency exploitation of
resources increase harming ecological balance of nature.

CAUSES OF RAPID GROWTH OF POPULATION:

 High birth rate.
 Relatively lower death rate.
 Immigration is more than emigration.

EFFECT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

 Problem of unemployment.
 Lack of food supply.
 Growth of national income decreases.
 Unproductive consumers.
 Reduced capital formation.
 Ecological degradation.
 Poverty.
MEASURES TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF POPULATION EXPLOSION:
 Spread of education.
 Family planning.
 Removing economic reasons for preferring large families.
 Provision of old age pension and social security.
 Introducing incentives for people with low families.

India's population policy needs to be based on concrete measures that

not onlyhelp solve our population problem but also helps the poor to improve their
lives in tangible and meaningful ways.

Poverty:

Objectively poverty implies a dehumanizing condition

in which people are unable to look after the basic needs. Subjectively poverty stand
s for perceived deprivation. Poverty interferes with development
in many ways. For instance lack of or inadequate nutrition arrests mental developm
ent during early childhood.

There are two types of Poverty:

1. Relative Poverty:- Relative Poverty refers to the Income or Asset Position
of one Class or Group of People in comparison with the other Classes or
Groups, or of one Individual vis-a-vis the others. The essential point here is
that Poverty of One is Relative to the Richness of the other. For Example, an
Average Middle Class Person is Poor when compared to the Upper Middle
Class Person, who in turn, may be poorer than the Richer Person and so on.
2. Absolute Poverty: It is associated with a Minimum Level of Living or
Minimum Consumption Requirements of Food, Clothing, Housing, Health,
etc. All those People who fail to Secure Income or Assets to have access to
even these Minimum Consumption Requirements are classified as ‘Poor’ &
is relevant for the less developed Countries.
POVERTY LINE:
Poverty line is drawn on the basis of expenditure that is necessary to secure t
he minimum acceptable living standard for work and efficiency. In India min. cal
intake of a person has been put at 2,400 in rural area and 2,100 in urban areas. The
government defined a person with an income of less than Rs.368 (rural) and
Rs.559 (urban) per month as living below poverty line.

CAUSES OF POVERTY:
 Under developed nature of Indian economy.
 Rapidly growing population is a major cause of low per capita income and p
overty line.
 Inequalities in income and assets distribution cause additional income from
development to be cornered by a few rich people. Thus
"RICH BECOME RICHER & POOR BECOME POORER".
 Large scale of unemployement causes lowering of levels of living of the pro
ple.

In this context it may be pointed out that poverty is also related to the social
structure. Anumber of low caste, scheduled tribe and backward communities have
been put todiscrimination for many centuries. They are socially disadvantaged and
are deprived fromthe experiences necessary for development on account of their m
embership of specific groups. In this sense they are doubly deprived.

MEASURES TO ERADICATE POVERTY:

 Agriculture & other Rural Vocations should be rapidly developed so as to
Eradicate Rural Poverty.
 Village and Small Industries should be developed to create greater
Employment both in Rural & Urban Areas.
 Program should be implemented that directly target the Poor & help them
increase their Income & Consumption.
 Income Inequalities should be reduced:
i. Labor Legislation should ensure better Wages.
ii. Goods consumed by the Poor should not be taxed.
iii. Goods required by the Poor must be subsidized.
iv. Free Health Care & Education should be provided to the Poor.
v. Persons belonging to Poor Families must be provided Employment.
 Rapid Growth of Population must be controlled & Population Growth Rate
brought down through Family Planning, Education, Incentives, etc.
EFFECTS OF POVERTY:
 It increases the problem of unemployment.
 Child labor is increased.
 This also leads to problem of bonded labor.
 Economic development cycle is hindered.
 Various social problems also arise.