UNDERSTANDING POVERTY IN INDIA

Abstract

Poverty is an ubiquitous predicament depriving an individual of the basic opportunities of material wellbeing and stunting the attainment of his/her inner potentialities. Such an injustice is the product of failure of a collective human responsibility, its most visible manifestation being starvation, malnutrition, disease and illiteracy. Poverty in our country is related to insufficient ownership of income earning assets compounded by the lack of access of the poorest households to basic social services. This has the deleterious effect on household welfare. The poor thus rely on other non-productive activities rather than being  engaged only in wage employment. Poverty conditions act as an insurmountable barrier to economic and cultural advancement and have immense damaging effect on the nation as a whole. Poverty infact is a condition of life in which an individual or person may not have adequate financial resources to fulfil his basic human needs. The level of income may be so low that a minimum standard of living may not accrue to such a person. In the process a poor individual in the absence of basic goods and services meant for survival is compelled to compromise with his dignity. Pathetic living conditions with no assured security and being deprived of any opportunity to improve one’s life are the associated attributes of our poverty. With the pace of India’s economic development incapacitated to match with the demands of a steadily rising population along with insufficient agricultural output, poverty conditions in our country are here to stay and has trapped our growth process