Poverty is defined as not being able to participate in leisure activities, not being able to send children on a day trip with their classmates or to a birthday party, and not being able to pay for drugs for an illness. All of these are the expenses of being impoverished. People who are barely able to pay for food and shelter just cannot contemplate these additional costs. There are negative implications for society when people are removed from society, when they are not properly educated, and when they have a greater frequency of sickness. Poverty has an impact on all of us.
The growing expense of the health-care system, the judicial system, and other systems that give assistance to the poor has an influence on our economy.
While great progress has been achieved in measuring and evaluating poverty, the World Bank Organization is working harder to discover indicators for poverty’s other aspects. Identifying social indicators to measure education, health, access to services, vulnerability, and social exclusion is part of this endeavour.
Types of Poverty
There are two types of poverty in India: absolute poverty and relative poverty.
Both of these kinds of poverty are concerned with money and consumption. However, poverty is sometimes linked to more than just economics; it is also linked to society and politics.
Absolute Poverty
This notion simply considers the amount of money required to cover fundamental requirements such as food, clothes, housing, safe drinking water, education, healthcare, and so on. People living below the aforementioned poverty level are unaffected in this sort of poverty, even if their nation is economically booming. In a different way, absolute poverty can be understood as, regardless of how rich and successful the economy is, those living in abject poverty receive no advantages from their country’s economic progress.
Absolute poverty, on the other hand, does not take into account larger quality of life concerns or the general level of inequality in society. What the notion fails to comprehend is that people have essential social and cultural demands as well.
Relative Poverty
It is the circ*mstance in which individuals are deprived of the bare minimum of income required to sustain the average level of living in the society in which they live. As a result, even while persons and households living in relative poverty, or relative deprivation, as it is frequently called, have some money, it is insufficient to provide fundamental needs. This sort of poverty, on the other hand, defines poverty in relation to the economic position of other members of society. This implies that it evolves in tandem with the country’s economic prosperity.
Although persons in this sort of poverty are not in total (absolute) poverty, they cannot afford the same level of living as the rest of society. This can occasionally relate to a lack of television, Internet access, clean clothes, quality and safe housing, and education. Although it appears to be less severe than extreme poverty, it is nonetheless a category that may last a lifetime. Some families cannot afford the same quality of living as others. As a result, they are restricted to low income and unable to break past the obstacles.
How can poverty be decreased in India?
Education– Children who live in dangerous areas have lower rates of school attendance and completion. Giving these youngsters a house with appropriate lighting and no leaks allows them to learn and finish their schoolwork. This is how these youngsters develop into responsible, educated adults.
Opportunities for employment – In order to obtain a job, one must have a registered address and Internet connection. A great housing leads to better health, which is essential for both finding and keeping a job. Furthermore, creating a home-based small business is an excellent approach to earn money. A person needs adequate space and security in order to establish a company and thereby sustain his or her entire family.
Safety – A quality home provides protection from natural calamities such as storms, rain, cold, and earthquakes. It also ensures the safety of the entire community, since decent housing contributes to strong education systems and healthy community connections.
Security – Having a lockable door in a home reduces the chance of theft and crime. Safe houses and surroundings contribute to societal stability and security.
Programs in India for Poverty Prevention
- SGRY (Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana): The scheme’s principal goal is the creation of wage jobs, the development of long-term economic infrastructure in rural regions, and the supply of food and nutrition security to the poor.
- National Rural Livelihood Mission: Aajeevika (2011): It arose from the necessity to diversify the demands of the rural poor and offer them employment that provides a regular monthly salary. To assist the destitute, self-help groups are organised at the village level.
- National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM): The NULM focuses on organising the urban poor into Self-Help Groups, providing chances for skill development leading to market-based employment, and assisting them in establishing self-employment initiatives by providing easy access to finance.
Conclusion
Poverty is defined as not being able to participate in leisure activities, not being able to send children on a day trip with their classmates or to a birthday party, and not being able to pay for drugs for an illness. The growing expense of the health-care system, the judicial system, and other systems that give assistance to the poor has an influence on our economy. However, poverty is sometimes linked to more than just economics; it is also linked to society and politics. People living below the aforementioned poverty level are unaffected in this sort of poverty, even if their nation is economically booming.
