INTRODUCTION
Poverty stands out as a critical and urgent challenge within the Indian economy. This issue is deeply rooted in socio-economic factors. The definition and nature of poverty vary across nations, shaped by each country’s perception of an acceptable standard of living for its populace. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) characterizes income poverty as the absence of essential material well-being and human poverty as the denial of opportunities for leading a decent life. In the Indian context, poverty is marked by deprivation, malnutrition, illiteracy, poor health, and an overall substandard quality of life—a distressing portrayal by any measure of human existence.
WHO FALLS UNDER THE CATEGORY OF THE IMPOVERISHED?
Have you ever pondered the living conditions of individuals in your surroundings—such as cobblers, rag pickers, vendors, beggars, pushcart vendors, and servants? These individuals represent the impoverished in our country. What are the shared characteristics among them?
Common Traits of Impoverished Individuals include:
1. They lack the means for two meals a day.
2. Their possessions are limited, encompassing scant clothing, bedding, utensils, etc.
3. They dwell in makeshift dwellings with walls constructed from baked mud and roofs made of grass, thatch, bamboo, or wood.
4. Those in rural areas often lack land, and if they do possess any, it is typically arid or unproductive.
5. Basic literacy and skills are generally absent.
6. Poor health and physical frailty are prevalent.
7. Access to safe drinking water is unavailable.
8. Electricity remains beyond their reach.
9. Cooking is done using firewood and cow dung cakes as fuel.
10. They rely on loans for even minor necessities, struggling to repay them.
11. Exploitation by employers is a common experience.
12. Seeking medical attention when unwell is financially unfeasible.
13. Providing an education for their children is often impossible.
Objective Type Questions
1.What does the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) characterize as income poverty?
A. Lack of essential material well-being
B. Lack of basic literacy
C. Absence of safe drinking water
D. Ill health and physical weakness
Answer: A. Lack of essential material well-being
2.What is a common characteristic of impoverished individuals in terms of housing?
A. Brick and concrete houses
B. Kutcha hutments with baked mud walls
C. High-rise apartments
D. Wooden cottages with thatched roofs
Answer: B. Kutcha hutments with baked mud walls
3.What is a prevalent issue among the impoverished in rural areas?
A. Access to safe drinking water
B. Lack of basic literacy
C. Possession of productive land
D. Deprivation of two meals a day
Answer: C. Possession of productive land
4.What is a common cooking fuel used by impoverished individuals?
A. Natural gas
B. Electricity
C. Firewood and cow dung cakes
D. Kerosene
Answer: C. Firewood and cow dung cakes
5.What is a significant barrier to education for the children of impoverished individuals?
A. Access to safe drinking water
B. Lack of basic literacy
C. Unavailability of electricity
D. Financial inability to provide education
Answer: D. Financial inability to provide education