ABU DHABI INDIAN SCHOOL - BRANCH 1, AL WATHBA

GRADE 9 NOTES (2022-2023)

LESSON 3: POVERTY AS A CHALLENGE
1. What is poverty?
Poverty is a situation in which a person is unable to get the minimum basic necessities of life, i.e.,
food, clothing and shelter for his or her sustenance.
2. What is Poverty Line? Mention any two indicators of poverty.
In India, the concept of Poverty line is used as a measure of absolute poverty. So BPL (Below
Poverty Line) is a line which demarcate the people, who are living below the poverty from those,
who are living above the poverty line.
Two indicators of poverty are: 1) Level of income and 2) Level of consumption.
3. Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India.
 One historical reason is the low level of economic development under the 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 nineteen eighties. This resulted in less job
opportunities and low growth rate of incomes. This was accompanied by a high growth rate of
population.
 Another feature of high poverty rates has been the huge income inequalities. One of the major
reasons for this is the unequal distribution of land and other resources.
 Many other socio-cultural and economic factors also are responsible for poverty. In order to fulfil
social obligations and observe religious ceremonies, people in India, including the very poor,
spend a lot of money.
 Since poor people hardly have any savings, they borrow. Unable to repay because of poverty,
they become victims of indebtedness. So the high level of indebtedness is both the cause and
effect of poverty.
4. Explain some measures which have been taken by the government to remove poverty. 
Removal of poverty has been one of the major objectives of Indian developmental strategy. The
current anti-poverty strategy of the government is based broadly on two planks (1) promotion of
economic growth (2) targeted anti-poverty programmes.
1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 aims to provide 100 days
of wage employment to every household to ensure livelihood security in rural areas. It also
aimed at sustainable development to address the cause of draught, deforestration and soil
erosion. One-third of the proposed jobs have been reserved for women.
2. Prime Minister Rozgar Yozana (PMRY) is another scheme which was started in 1993. The aim
of the programme is to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed
youth in rural areas and small towns.
3. Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) was launched in 1995. The aim of the
programme is to create self-employment opportunities in rural areas and small towns.
4. Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) was launched in 1999. The programme aims at
bringing the assisted poor families above the poverty line by organising them into self-help
groups through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy
5. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yozana (PMGY) launched in 2000, additional central assistance is
given to states for basic services such as primary health, primary education, rural shelter,
rural drinking water and rural electrification.