Get notes, questions, solutions, textual answers, pdf, and extras for Chapter 18: Poverty, which is a part of the social science class 9 syllabus for students studying under the Nagaland Board of School Education. However, these notes should be used only for references and additions/modifications should be made as per the requirements.
Introduction
The three major challenges that our economy is facing today ate Poverty, Unemployment and Price Rise. In our daily life, we come across many people who are poor. They could be landless labourers in villages or slum-dwellers in cities or daily wage earners and rickshaw pullers. They could also be beggars or child labourers. Roughly 27 crore people in India are poor.
Poverty is a situation in which a person is unable to get minimum basic necessities of life, i.e., food, clothing or shelter. In other words, it refers to inability to get the minimum consumption requirement of life, health and efficiency.
Video tutorial
Textual questions and answers
Choose the correct answer
1. Absolute poverty is typically defined as:
(a) Poverty relative to the living standards of the majority population
(b) Poverty that remains constant over time
(c) Poverty that is defined by a specific income threshold
(d) Poverty that occurs in urban areas
Answer: C. Poverty that is defined by a specific income threshold
2. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to poverty aims to:
(a) Completely eliminate poverty in all its forms by 2030
(b) Reduce the global poverty rate by half by 2030
(c) Ensure that everyone earns a minimum income by 2030
(d) Promote economic growth without addressing poverty
Answer: A. Completely eliminate poverty in all its forms by 2030
3. The NFSA is implemented through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). What is the purpose of targeting beneficiaries in TPDS?
(a) To exclude certain groups from receiving benefits
(b) To ensure benefits reach those who need them the most
(c) To simplify the distribution process
(d) To provide benefits uniformly to all citizens
Answer: B. To ensure benefits reach those who need them the most
4. Which of the following states has the least percentage of people below poverty line?
(a) Punjab (b) Kerala (c) Gujarat (d) West Bengal
Answer: B. Kerala
5. There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided below.
Assertion (A): The National Food Security Act was enforced in September, 2013.
Reason (R): This Act marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security from welfare approach to a right-based approach.
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(c) (A) is correct but (R) is wrong
(d) (A) is wrong but (R) is correct
Answer: A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
6. Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.
Statement I: The food procured by the FCI is distributed through government regulated ration shops among the poorer section of society.
Statement II: This is called the Public Distribution System (PDS).
(a) Statement I is correct and II is incorrect
(b) Statement I is incorrect and II is correct
(c) Both I & II are incorrect
(d) Both I & II are correct
Answer: D. Both I & II are correct
7. Identify the type of economy as per the characteristics given below.
I. Procurement of foodgrains from farmers at remunerative prices
II. Distribution of foodgrains to the vulnerable sections of the society at affordable prices
III. Maintenance of food buffers for food security and price stability
(a) Increasing food supplies
(b) Institutional measures
(c) Buffer stock
(d) Food Management
Answer: D. Food Management
Very short answer type questions
1. Define poverty.
Answer: Poverty is a situation in which a person is unable to get minimum basic necessities of life, i.e., food, clothing or shelter.
2. What is the poverty line?
Answer: It is a cut-off point on the line of distribution which divides the population as poor and rich.
3. What is meant by food security?
Answer: Food security can be defined as the ability to ensure, on long-term basis, access to enough food for an active and healthy life for the entire population.
Short answer type questions
1. Explain the vicious circle of poverty.
Answer: It is generally said that India is poor because it is poor. Due to poverty, the standard of living of people is low; because of the low standard of living, the level of efficiency is low; because of low efficiency, the level of productivity becomes low; low level of productivity brings the level of income down; and because of a low level of income, there is poverty in the country. Thus, it becomes a vicious circle.
2. Explain the main features of MGNREGA.
Answer: The main features of MGNREGA are:
i. This scheme guarantees 150 days of paid work to people in rural areas.
ii. This scheme has proved to be a major boost in the Indian rural population’s income.
iii. The Ministry of Rural Development is the nodal ministry for its implementation.
iv. Ministry of Rural Development is responsible for ensuring timely and adequate resource support to the states and to the central council.
3. Explain the four components of food security.
Answer: Food security has the following essential components :
(i) Food security involves the availability of sufficient quantities and good quality food.
(ii) People have enough purchasing power so that they can acquire the food they need.
(iii) Food security ensures a timely, reliable and nutritionally adequate supply of food on a long-term basis.
(iv) It also necessitates maintaining a buffer stock so as to take care of natural calamities resulting in temporary shortages.
Long answer type questions
1. Explain the different causes of poverty in India.
Answer: The different causes of poverty in India are:
i. Historical factors: Low level of economic development during the colonial period laid the foundation of poverty in India.
ii. Existence of semi-feudal relations in agriculture: Rural poverty in India emanates to a great extent from the semi-feudal relations of production in the agricultural sector.
iii. Inequality in the distribution of income and wealth: Although the national income of India has been increasing during the plan periods, it was not distributed properly among different sections of the people.
iv. Unemployment and underemployment: A considerable ‘ degree of unemployment and underemployment among both rural and urban workers is supposed to be the principal reasons behind poverty.
v. High rate of population growth: With a high rate of population growth in India, the dependency burden has increased, i.e., the dependence of non-working people on the workforce has increased.
vi. Labour market segmentation: This implies that only a small segment of the labour market is most favourably, placed whereas a large segment of the labour market is most unfavourably placed.
2. What steps have been taken for removing poverty?
Answer: The various steps taken for removing poverty are:
i. Development of Coffage and Small Scale Industries: The government has reserved some production activities solely for these industries. So the problem of unemployment could be tackled effectively.
ii. Income Redistribution: In order to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, the government made an attempt through income redistribution measures.
iii. Land Reform Measures: Several land reform measures such as the abolition of the Zamindari System, the security of tenant farmers against eviction etc. were undertaken by the government.
iv. Poverty Alleviation Programmes: The government adopted various policy measures and programmes to remove poverty and hence they were known as Poverty Alleviation Programmes.
v. Food Security: The government has taken various measures to make availability of sufficient foodgrains at affordable prices.
vi. Population Control: To eradicate poverty, population control is essential in India. For this, various family planning programmes have been rolled out.
3. Explain any three poverty removal methods started by Government.
Answer: Three poverty removal methods started by the Government are:
i. Poverty Alleviation Programmes: The government adopted various policy measures and programmes to eliminate poverty, and hence they were known as “Poverty Alleviation Programmes.” Most of them aim at providing employment or improving the assets of poverty-ridden families.
ii. Food Security: Food security can be defined as the ability to ensure, on a long-term basis, access to enough food for an active and healthy life for the entire population. The government has taken various measures to ensure the availability of sufficient food grains at affordable prices.
iii. National Food Security Act, 2013: The National Food Security Act, 2013 is an Act of the Parliament of India which aims to provide subsidised food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.
4. Explain the following food security measures taken up by the government in India:
(a) Food Management (b) Buffer Stock (c) Public Distribution System
Answer: (a) Food management in India has three basic objectives which are the procurement of foodgrains from farmers at remunerative prices, distribution of foodgrains to the consumers at affordable prices, and) maintenance of food buffers for food security and price stability. Thus, the food security system has two components: (a) buffer stock and (b) public distribution system.
(b) Buffer stock is the stock of foodgrains, namely wheat and rice, procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The FCI purchases wheat and rice from the farmers in states where there is surplus production. The farmers are paid a minimum support price pre-announced by the government every year before the sowing season. The procured stock is then used to resolve the problem of food shortage and to distribute food grains in the deficit areas and among the poorer strata of society at a price lower than the market price.
(c) The food procured by the FCI is distributed through government-regulated ration shops among the poorer section of the society. This is called the public distribution system (PDS). Ration shops, also known as Fair Price Shops keep stocks of foodgrains, sugar and kerosene oil for cooking. These items are sold to people at a price lower than the market price.
5. Explain the main features of the Food Security Act, 2013.
Answer: The main features of the Food Security Act, 2013 are:
i. The states are responsible for determining eligibility.
ii. Children from 6 months to 14 years of age are to receive free hot meals or “take home rations”.
iii. The central government will provide funds to states in case of short supplies of food grains.
iv. The current foodgrain allocation of the states will be protected by the central government for at least six months.
v. The public distribution system is to be reformed.
vi. There will be the state and district-level redress mechanisms.
6. What is meant by ‘vulnerability’ to poverty? Which economic categories are more vulnerable to poverty in India?
Answer: Vulnerability to poverty is the measure that describes the greater probability of certain communities or individuals becoming or remaining poor in the future.
The economic categories which are more vulnerable to poverty in India are scheduled tribes, urban casual labourers, rural agriculture labourers, scheduled castes etc.
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Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.
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