SSC-CGL (TIER-III) - Poverty in India
Category : SSC
POVERTY IN INDIA
Key Point:
Introduction
Initiatives taken
Way Ahead
THE ESSAY BEGINS..,
"Poverty is hunger, lack of shelter. It's being sick and not being able to see a doctor. It's not having access to school and not knowing how to read. It's not having a job, fear for the future, living one day at a time. It's losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.."
This alternate definition of poverty given by World Bank shows clearly how it is to be a poor person, and that it's not just earning less than $1.90 per day.
India, with the growth rate of 7.4%, is the fastest growing economy at present. Still, the poverty in our country is widespread among the rural population which is 70% of the total. The poverty line of 33 Rs a day can't fulfill a person's needs in the present world. Initiatives taken by various NGOs like Care India and Smile Foundation and the union and state governments have changed things to a great extent. Government schemes like National Food Security Mission and Antyodaya Anna Yojana has ensured food security among the citizens. The public distribution system has received a boost with it being connected to AADHAR card thus preventing leakages.
It's better to teach a man fishing than feeding him fish. Rather than giving people free food and money, the best way to alleviate poverty is to create employment, which is bound to increase with programs like Make in India and Skill India.
Education, an empowering tool for people has a big role to play in poverty alleviation. India needs to spend more on public education, and should increase the quality of the same, and care should be taken to convert education to employability.
The poverty line estimates are too impractical and the government should take steps to bring it to a pragmatic level. Multidimensional poverty Index that was recently introduced by the World Bank takes factors beyond income level, which should be adopted by India, keeping in mind that the present concept of defining it by nutritional intake doesn't cover all the dimensions of poverty. Being a phenomenon having cascading effect, this hydra-shaped monster can be tackled through multi-faceted approach only. The government needs to continue with their own initiatives and people should do whatever little they can to create an India of Gandhiji's dreams.
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