Poverty in India : Group Discussion Topic

Poverty in India

●Poverty estimation in India is carried out by NITI Aayog’s task force through the calculation of poverty line based on the data captured by the National Sample Survey Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI).

●Poverty line estimation in India is based on the consumption expenditure and not on the income levels.

Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2020:

◆India lifted as many as 270 million people out of multidimensional poverty between 2005-06 and 2015-16.

◆Impact of Covid-19: Covid-19 is having a profound impact on the development landscape.

◆The study finds that on average, poverty levels will be set back 3 to 10 years due to Covid-19.

◆Sustainable Development Goals: The index emphasises on measuring and monitoring progress under the goals to reach ‘zero poverty by 2030-Goal 1’ of the SDGs.

Recent Measures Taken:

●The government enhanced its social safety programs including direct benefit transfers such as cash transfers under PM Kisan scheme, more liberal financing under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 like advance disbursement, direct cash grants to construction workers and release of free and subsidized food grains under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to about 800 million people to ensure food for all.

●The Government announced a special economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore (equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP) under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme with the aim of making the country independent against the tough competition in the global supply chain and to help in empowering the poor, labourers, migrants who have been adversely affected by Covid.

●The challenge of poverty is enormous especially in the background of Covid-19. The need is to collaborate at both Global and Regional levels.

●Collaboration in the form of sharing information on disease and cure.

●Developmental and poverty eradication aid by the international financial organizations is of real meaning here.

●At national level, respective governments must ensure both short and long-run strategies proposed by the World Bank apart from existing efforts of national governments.   

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