Important Questions for Chapter 3 Poverty as a Challenge Class 9 Economics
Important Questions1
What is meant by social exclusion?
Answer
It is a process in which individual or groups are excluded from facilities and opportunities that is enjoyed by the general people.
VSAQ
2
What was the thought of Gandhiji about a truly independent India?
Answer
India would be independent only when the poorest of its people will become free of human sufferings.
VSAQ
3
Name a method to estimate poverty line in India.
Answer
Income method.
VSAQ
4
What are the methods used to measure poverty?
Answer
Income method and Expenditure method.
VSAQ
5
What factors affect the poverty line?
Answer
Rise in price of commodities.
VSAQ
6
How is Poverty line estimated periodically?
Answer
The poverty line is estimated periodically (normally every five years) by conducting Sample Surveys by NSSO.
VSAQ
7
What are accepted average calories required in India in urban areas?
Answer
2100.
VSAQ
8
What is the poverty line fixed for a person in rural areas for the year 2011-12?
Answer
₹ 816 per month.
VSAQ
9
What is the full form of NSSO?
Answer
NSSO stands for National Sample Survey Organisation.
VSAQ
10
Which are the most vulnerable groups of poverty among the economic groups in India?
Answer
The rural agricultural households and urban casual labour households.
VSAQ
11
The calorie requirement is higher in the rural areas compared to Urban areas. Why?
Answer
In urban areas people are more engaged in physical labour.
VSAQ
12
Name two states of India where percentage of poverty is maximum.
Answer
Bihar and Odisha.
VSAQ
13
How has West Bengal reduced poverty?
Answer
Due to land reform measures.
VSAQ
14
Which part of the world shows an increase trend in poverty?
Answer
Sub-Saharan Africa.
VSAQ
15
Give the full form of NREGA.
Answer
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
VSAQ
16
When was National Rural Employment Guarantee Act passed?
Answer
September 2005.
VSAQ
17
For how many days NREGA provides employment?
Answer
100 days.
VSAQ
18
In how many districts was NFWP initially launched?
Answer
150 most backward districts.
VSAQ
19
NFWP is open to which category of people?
Answer
To all rural people who are in need of wage employment and desire to do manual unskilled work.
VSAQ
20
What is the full form of NWFP?
Answer
National Food for Work Programme.
VSAQ
21
Who advocated that India would be truly independent only when the poorest of its people become free of human suffering?
Answer
Mahatma Gandhi.
VSAQ
22
Write the full form of PMRY.
Answer
Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana.
VSAQ
23
When was the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana started?
Answer
In 1993.
VSAQ
24
Which industry suffered the most during the colonial period?
Answer
Textiles.
VSAQ
25
Give any two causes of poverty in India?
Answer
High income inequalities and less employment opportunities.
VSAQ
26
By which year governments are aiming to meet the Millennium Development Goals including halving the rate of global poverty.
Answer
2015.
VSAQ
27
Give the full form of REGP.
Answer
Rural Employment Generation Programme.
VSAQ
28
Mention two major reasons for less effectiveness of the anti–poverty programme?
Answer
Lack of proper implementation and right targeting and overlapping of a number of schemes.
VSAQ
29
Which policy was adopted by West Bengal to reduce poverty?
Answer
Land Reforms.
VSAQ
1
Explain the principal measures taken in Punjab, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to reduce poverty.
Answer
• The principal measures taken in Punjab to reduce poverty is increasing the agricultural growth rates.
• Kerala focussed more on human resource development to reduce poverty.
• Andhra Pradesh focussed on public distribution of food grains to reduce poverty.
SAQ
2
How is the regular growth of population a major cause of poverty in India? Explain.
Answer
• Pressure on resources has increased.
• Unemployment has increased.
• Led to increase in the rate of depletion of resources.
• The people belonging to below poverty line has increased.
• Growth rate of per capita income has become low.
SAQ
3
List the main problems faced by the poor people.
Answer
• Lack of food and shelter.
• Illiteracy.
• Lack of clean water and sanitation facilities.
• Unemployment.
• Malnutrition.
• Helplessness.
SAQ
4
How is poverty seen by social scientists?
Answer
• Social scientists use different types of indicators to understand their consumption of goods.
• Poverty is also observed using other social indicators like lack of education, healthcare, sanitation, job opportunity, illiteracy level and safe drinking water
• Now poverty is looked through other indicators like illiteracy level, lack of access to health care, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation, etc. Nowadays, the concept of social exclusion is becoming very common in the analysis of poverty.
SAQ
5
What is poverty line? Give the income for poverty line fixed for the rural and urban areas in India according to 2000.
Answer
A person is said to be poor if his or her income or consumption level falls below a given minimum level necessary to fulfil basic needs. Each country uses an imaginary line that is considered appropriate for its existing level of development and its accepted minimum social norms. In the year 2011-12, a family of five members living in rural areas and earning less than about ` Rs 4080 per month were below the poverty line, whereas in urban areas earning less than about Rs 5000 per month in the similar family were considered living below the poverty line.
SAQ
6
Explain three ways in which poverty can be estimated in India.
Answer
While determining the poverty line in India, a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, footwear, fuel and light, educational and medical requirement, etc., are determined for subsistence.
• The calorie requirement depending upon the age, sex, area and type of work is the way of estimating poverty. Average calorie requirement in India is Rs 4080 per person per day in rural areas and Rs 5000 per person per day in urban areas.
• Monetary expenditure per capita needed is also a way of estimating poverty. In the year 2000, the poverty line for a person was fixed at `328 per month for the rural areas and `454 for the urban areas.
• A uniform standard for poverty line is also used, which is given by international organisations like the World Bank. This is equivalent to $1 per person per day.
SAQ
7
Discuss the trend of poverty since 1973 in India.
Answer
There has been a substantial decline in poverty ratios in India from about 55 per cent in 1973 to 36 per cent in 1993. The proportion of people below the poverty line further came down to about 26 per cent in 2000. If the trend continues, people below the poverty line may come down to less than 20 per cent in the next few years.
Although, the percentage of people living under poverty line declined in the earlier two decades (1973 – 1993), yet the number of poor remained stable around 320 million for a fairly long period. The latest estimate indicates a significant reduction.
SAQ
8
Discuss the major reasons of poverty in India.
Answer
Main causes of poverty in India are:
• Huge income inequalities make it difficult for the government policies to implement properly for poverty elimination. Therefore income inequality is a major cause of poverty in India.
• Exploitation of traditional Indian handicrafts and textile industries by British colonial administration is another major cause of poverty.
• In order to fulfil social obligations and observe religious ceremonies, the poor spend a lot of money. Poor people borrow money for different reasons and become the victims of indebtedness.
SAQ
9
How were the policies of colonial government responsible for poverty in India?
Answer
Policies of colonial government are one of the historical reasons of poverty after and at the time of British colonial administration. The policies of the colonial government ruined traditional handicrafts and discouraged development of industries like textiles. The low rate of growth persisted until the 1980s. This resulted in less job opportunities and low growth rate of incomes.
This was accompanied by a high growth rate of population. The two combined to make the growth rate of per capita income very low. The failure at both the fronts – promotion of economic growth and population control, perpetuated the cycle of poverty.
SAQ
10
Write any three effects of economic growth on the people of India.
Answer
• Over a period of thirty years lasting up to the early eighties, there was little per capita income growth and not much reduction in poverty.
• Official poverty estimates which were about 45 percent in the early 1950s remained the same even in the early eighties.
• Since the eighties, India’s economic growth has been one of the fastest in the world.
• The growth rates jumped from the average of about 3.5 percent a year in the 1970s to about 6 percent during the 1980s and 1990s.
• The higher growth rates have helped significantly in the reduction of poverty.
SAQ
11
Discuss any three government programmes for poverty alleviation.
Answer
• Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana (PMRY): PMRY was launched on 2nd October, 1993. The aim of this programme is to create self-employment opportunities for educated youth in rural areas and small towns. They are helped in setting up small business and industries.
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): NREGA was passed in September 2005. The Act provides for 100 days assured employment to every rural household in 200 districts. Later, the scheme will be extended to 600 districts.
• Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY): PMGY was introduced in 2000. Its objective is to focus on village level development in five critical areas, that is, primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking water and rural roads. As a result of this, the quality of life of rural people will improve.
SAQ
12
Write a short note on Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana.
Answer
PMGY was introduced in 2000. Its objective is to focus on village level development in five critical areas, that is, primary health, and education, rural shelter, drinking water and roads. As a result of this, the quality of life of rural people will improve.
SAQ
13
Give one positive and one negative side of poverty conditions in India, and mention the major weaknesses of poverty alleviation programmes.
Answer
Positive aspect:
• India's economic growth is one of the fastest in the world which helps in reducing poverty.
Negative aspect:
• Large number of poors live in villages and dependent upon agriculture where growth is much below expectation.
Weakness of Poverty alleviation programme:
• Lack of proper implementation and right targetting with lots of over lapping schemes.
SAQ
1
Give a brief account of inter-state disparities of poverty in India.
Answer
• Proportion of poor people is not the same in every state.
• In 20 states and union territories, the poverty ratio is less than national average.
• In the states of Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, poverty is a serious problem. Along with rural poverty, urban poverty is also high in these states.
• While in the states like Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, there is a significant decline in poverty.
• States like Punjab and Haryana have succeeded in reducing poverty with the help of high agricultural growth rates.
LAQ
2
Describe Global Poverty Scenario?
Answer
• The proportion of people living in extreme poverty has fallen from 25% in year the 1990 to 21% in the year 2001.
• Poverty has declined substantially in China and South East Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth.
• The number of poor has fallen from 606 million in 1981 to 212 million in 2001.
• In some countries of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan), the fall has been marginal.
• In Sub-Saharan Africa, poverty rose from 41% in 1981 to 46% in 2001.
LAQ
3
Give the main features of REGP.
Answer
The Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (REGP), is implemented through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), to help eligible entrepreneurs to set up village industry units and thus create employment opportunities in villages including small towns with population up to 20,000. Under this programme, entrepreneurs can establish village industries by the availing of marginal money assistance from KVIC and loans from public sector scheduled commercial banks, selected regional cooperative banks, etc.
LAQ
4
Mention the two planks on which the current anti-poverty strategy of the government is based. Why were the poverty alleviation programmes not successful in most parts of India?
Answer
The current anti-poverty strategy of the government is based broadly on two planks:
• Promotion of economic growth.
• Targeted anti-poverty programmes.
The results of poverty alleviation programmes have been mixed.
The major reasons for less effectiveness are:
• Lack of proper implementation and right targeting.
• Overlapping of a number of schemes.
• They lack proper monitoring and therefore the benefits of these schemes do not fully reach out to the deserving poor.
LAQ
5
NREGA 2005 is an important anti-poverty programme. Explain.
Answer
NREGA stands for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. Following things were included in the scheme:
• It aims at providing 100-days assured employment every year to every rural household.
• It initially started for 200 districts, but later on it was extended to 600 districts.
• One-third of the proposed jobs were reserved for women.
• The central government established National Employment Guarantee Funds and state government established State Employment Guarantee Funds for implementation of the scheme.
• If an applicant is not provided employment within fifteen days he/she will be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance.
LAQ
6
What is meant by 'vulnerability' to poverty? Which economic categories and social categories are more vulnerable to poverty in India?
Answer
Vulnerability to poverty : It is a measure which describes the greater probability of certain communities or individuals (such as widow or a physically handicapped person) of becoming or remaining poor in coming years.
Economic categories more vulnerable to poverty in India : urban casual labours, rural agriculture labours Social Categories more vulnerable to poverty, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.
LAQ
7
How can poverty be reduced in future in India? Suggest any four points.
Answer
Poverty can be reduced in the following ways:-
• Increasing empowerment of women and the economically weaker sections of society.
• Fostering the economic growth.
• Increasing the stress on universal free elementary education.
• Caste and gender discrimination to be avoided.
• Improving health care, education and job security.
• Removing inequality of wealth among people.
LAQ
1
Differentiate between ‘minimum subsistence level of living‘ and a 'reasonable level of living'.
Answer
• A “minimum” subsistence level of living contain food, cloth and shelter (the basic needs)
• A ‘reasonable‘ level of living means not only food, cloth and shelter but also health.
HOTS
2
“Poverty reduction is expected to mark better progress in the next ten to fifteen years.” Justify the statement.
Answer
• This is sure to happen.
• This would be possible mainly due to higher economic growth, increasing stress on universal free elementary education.
• Declining population growth, increasing empowerment of the women and the economically weaker section of society.
HOTS
3
‘‘In poor families all suffer but some suffer more than others.’’
Answer
Analysis of poverty on the basis of social exclusion and vulnerability shows that there are people in our economy who suffer more than others. Socially
excluded people due to caste discrimination are excluded even from facilities, benefits and opportunities that others enjoy. Vulnerability brings greater risks to the people at the time of natural disasters or terrorism, etc.
HOTS