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.
I. Choose the correct answer.
1. Which of the following states has the highest number of people living below the poverty line?
Answer: (b) Uttar Pradesh
2. When was the National Food Security Act enforced?
Answer: (c) 2013
3. Daily minimum nutritional requirement for a person in rural areas has been fixed at
Answer: (a) 2400 calories
4. The food is distributed at subsidized prices through
(b) PDS
5. Which of the following is not one of the causes of poverty?
Answer: (d) Low population
6. Which of the following states has the least percentage of people below the poverty line?
Answer: (a) Punjab
II. 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. Name two methods of measuring poverty.
Answer: Expenditure Method and Income Method are the two methods of measuring poverty.
5. 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.
III. 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.
IV. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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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