Poverty and Hunger in India : a Socio Economic Analysis of Policies of Government
“Poverty and hunger in India: A socio-economic analysis of policies of the government(s)”
Meril Mathew Joy
2009/BALLB/028
IIIrd Semester
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INTRODUCTION OF POVERTY AND HUNGER
“Poverty”has reduced but still remains a major concern for Nation. Poverty is not only the scarcity of resources, but is set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. “Hunger” and “Poverty” are powerful but familiar terms. Everyone knows what they mean, yet, they evoke different descriptions for everyone. Even major international organizations mandated to alleviate hunger and poverty use a variety of interpretations. The Hunger Project board member Mohini Giri said, “To me, hunger is rape, molestation, dowry, illiteracy, female foeticide, female infanticide, and above all, it is patriarchy. That is what hunger is all about to me.” Lack of access to resources or assetlessness is a unifying characteristic of poverty in all its manifestations. The poor lack ownership of or access to assets such as land, water, forest, dwelling units, credit, literacy, longevity, voice and capital-both physical and social. Those who are severely below the poverty line are largely involved in subsistence type activities for which they get exploitatively poor returns despite suffering extreme physical hardship and undertaking grave risks so as to earn a meagre income. It is also said that population root cause of the problems like poverty, hunger, ill-health and environmental degradation. A brief examination of the history of health would reveal how utterly erroneous a Malthusian understanding is, since it is indubitably true that over a long time span, expectation of life in societies is positively associated with population. Malthus argued against the possibility, indeed the desirability, of changing social and political institutions that bred want and hunger.
INTER-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POVERTY AND HUNGER AND THEIR GENERAL ASPECTS
Meril Mathew Joy
2009/BALLB/028
IIIrd Semester
____________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION OF POVERTY AND HUNGER
“Poverty”has reduced but still remains a major concern for Nation. Poverty is not only the scarcity of resources, but is set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. “Hunger” and “Poverty” are powerful but familiar terms. Everyone knows what they mean, yet, they evoke different descriptions for everyone. Even major international organizations mandated to alleviate hunger and poverty use a variety of interpretations. The Hunger Project board member Mohini Giri said, “To me, hunger is rape, molestation, dowry, illiteracy, female foeticide, female infanticide, and above all, it is patriarchy. That is what hunger is all about to me.” Lack of access to resources or assetlessness is a unifying characteristic of poverty in all its manifestations. The poor lack ownership of or access to assets such as land, water, forest, dwelling units, credit, literacy, longevity, voice and capital-both physical and social. Those who are severely below the poverty line are largely involved in subsistence type activities for which they get exploitatively poor returns despite suffering extreme physical hardship and undertaking grave risks so as to earn a meagre income. It is also said that population root cause of the problems like poverty, hunger, ill-health and environmental degradation. A brief examination of the history of health would reveal how utterly erroneous a Malthusian understanding is, since it is indubitably true that over a long time span, expectation of life in societies is positively associated with population. Malthus argued against the possibility, indeed the desirability, of changing social and political institutions that bred want and hunger.
INTER-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POVERTY AND HUNGER AND THEIR GENERAL ASPECTS
References: * Shah, Anup. (2010), “Poverty Facts and Stats”, http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats * Mehta, A.K and Shah, Amita, “Chronic Poverty in India: Overview Study”, http://cprc.abrc.co.uk/pubfiles/07Mehta_Shah.pdf * Economic Survey (2005-2006), “Poverty alleviation and employment generation programmes”, http://indiabudget.nic.in * Yesudian, C.A.K.( 2007), “Poverty alleviation programmes in India: A social audit”, http://icmr.nic.inijmr2007october1013.pdf [ 14 ]. Economic Survey (2005-2006), Poverty alleviation and employment generation programmes, http:/indiabudget.nic.in [ 15 ]