Poverty

Chapter -`8
Very short answer type:

1. Define poverty?

Ans. Poverty is the situation in which a person is unable to fulfill the minimum
basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter for his/her sustenance.

2. Name two methods of measuring poverty.

Ans. The two methods of measuring poverty are.

I. Income method
II. Expenditure method.

3. What is poverty line?

Ans. Poverty line is the line of separation between people who were able to meet
the basic and those who are not able to meet their basic needs.

4. State four causes of poverty?

Ans . Four causes of poverty are:

I. Under utilization of natural resources.

II. Backwardness of agriculture.
III. Wide spread unemployment.
IV. Rapid growth of population.

5. What is meant by food security?

Ans. Food security can be defined as the ability to ensure on a long term basis
access to enough food for an active and healthy life to the entire population.

Short answer type questions:

1. Explain the vicious circle of poverty?

Ans. Vicious circle of poverty is both the cause and effect. A country is poor
because it is poor. Due to poverty, the standard living of people low, because of
low standard of living the level of efficiency is low, because of low efficiency the
level of productivity is low, low level of productivity brings the level of income
down and because of low level of income there is poverty in the country.

2. Explain the four components of food security.

Ans. Four components of food security are as follows:

I. Food security involves the availability of sufficient quantities and good

quality food.
II. People have enough purchasing power so that they can acquire food 26the
need.
III. Food security ensures timely reliable and nutritional adequate supply of
food on a long term basis.
IV. It also necessitates maintaining a buffer stock so as to take care of natural
calamities resulting in temporary storage.

Long answer type questions:

1. Explain the different causes of poverty in India?

Ans. The different causes of poverty in India are explained in the following points:

I. Vast and natural resources like water, forest and minerals are not properly
used.
II. Agricultural productivity is low due to inadequate supply of water costly
fertilizer, pesticides and high yielding variety of seeds and low level of
technology.
III. The labour force of the country remains idle. As a re4sult their earnings are
insufficient to fulfill their minimum needs.
IV. Per capita income and consumption are not increasing as there is a rapid
rise in population.
V. Poor and middle class people of the society are forced to live under poverty
because of continuous rise of mass consumption o9f food.
VI. Social factors like illiteracy, large size of family, law of inheritance and caste
system are responsible for prevailing of poverty within the people.

2. What steps have been taken for removing poverty?

Ans. The steps that have been taken to remove poverty are:

I. Development of agriculture: Agriculture should be developed as it will

create income and employment opportunities.
II. Population control: To eradicate poverty, population control is necessary.
III. Development of small scale industry: It employs more labors and less
machinery. The problem of unemployment can be reduced.
IV. Income redistribution: The government levies taxes on the rich and middle
class and also on the commodities of luxury consumption. At the same time
it subsidizes the provision of essential goods to lower income groups.
V. Land reforms measures: Several land reform measures such as abolition of
Zamindary system, security of tenant farmers against eviction had been
undertaken by the government.

3. Explain any three poverty removal methods started by the government.

Ans. The three poverty removal methods started by the government are:

I. National Old Age Pension Scheme: This scheme came into effect on 15
August 1995. The scheme provides pension to old people who were above
the age of 65 (now60) who could not find for themselves and did not have
any means of subsist5enc. The pension that was given was Rs. 200 a month.
This pension was given by the central government.
II. National Maternity Scheme: This scheme provides a sum of Rs. 6000 to a
pregnant mother in three installments. The women have to be older than
 19 years of age. It is given normally 12-8 weeks before the birth and in case
of the death of the child the woman can still avail it. The NMBS is
implemented by states and union territories with the help of panchayats
and municipalities.
III. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana: This scheme aimed at creating
houses for everyone. It was initiated in 1985. It aimed at creating 20 lakhs
housing units out of which 13 lakhs were in rural area. This scheme would
also give out loans to people at subsidized rates to make houses.

4. Explain the following food security measures taken up by the government.

I. Food management: Food management is the process of procuring

food against from farmers at remunerative prices and distributed to
the consumers particularly the vulnerable section of the society at
affordable prices. It also maintains food buffer for food security and
price stability.
II. Buffer stock: Buffer stock is a stock of food grains namely wheat and
rice procured by the government through the food corporation of
India (FCI).
III. Public Distribution system: The food procured by the FCI is
distributed through government regulated ration shops among the
poorer section of the society. This is called the Public Distribution
System (PDS).

5. Explain the main features of the Food Security Act, 2013.

Ans. National Food Security Act 2013 is an act of the parliament of India which
aimed to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two third of India 1.2
sbillion people. It was enforced on September 2014.

The main features of food security act are:

I. 75% rural and 50% of the urban population are3 entitled for three years
from enactment to 5kg food grains per month i.e. rice, wheat and coarse
grams.
II. The states are responsible for determining eligibility.
III. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a nutritious “take
home ration” of 600 calories and a maternity benefit of at least Rs.6000 for
six months.
IV. Children from 6 months to 14 years of age are to receive free hot meals or
“take home ration”.
V. The central government will provide funds to states in case of short s
VI. The state government will provide a food security allowance to the
beneficiaries in case of non-supply of food grains.

6. What is meant by vulnerability to poverty? Which economic categories are

more vulnerable to poverty in India?

Ans. Vulnerability to poverty is a situation by which people suffer from food and
nutrition security or people who are not able to get minimum food requirement
for survival.

The following economic categories are more vulnerable to poverty in India.

I. People who have either little or very low productivity e.g. SCs, STs and OBCs
etc.
II. People affected by natural disaster.
III. Traditional artisans, self employed workers and destitute.
IV. People who are employed in very low wages occupation.-