CH-3 Poverty as a Challenge
Summary
We see poverty all around us. In fact, every fourth person in India is poor
This means, roughly 270 million (or 27 crore) people in India live in poverty 2011-12. This also means that India has the largest single concentration of the poor in the world.
The following issues related to poverty:
• Landlessness
• Unemployment
• Size of families
• Illiteracy
• Poor health/malnutrition
• Child labour
• Helplessness
Vulnerability
Vulnerability to poverty is a measure, which describes the greater probability of certain communities (say, members of a backward caste) or individuals (such as a widow or a physically handicapped person) of becoming, or remaining, poor in the coming years.
Social exclusion
poverty must be seen in terms of the poor having to live only in a poor surrounding with other poor people, excluded from enjoying social equality of better-off people in better surroundings.
Poverty Line
At the centre of the discussion on poverty is usually the concept of the “poverty line”. A common method used to measure poverty is based on the income or consumption levels.
The accepted average calorie requirement in India is 2400 calories per person per day in rural areas and 2100 calories per person per day in urban areas.
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