POVERTY AS A CHALLENGE-CLASS-9-SST (EXERCISE QUESTION)

CHAPTER-POVERTY AS A CHALLENGE CLASS-9 SUBJECT-SOCIAL STUDIES

*************************************

 1. How is the poverty line estimated in India?

1. Poverty is measured by income or consumption levels.
   
   

2. A person is considered poor if their income is below the minimum level needed for basic needs.
   
   

3. Earlier, poverty was measured by calorie intake: 2400 calories in rural areas and 2100 in urban areas.
   
   

4. Today, poverty is also measured using the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which includes education, health, and living standards.
   
   

5. Poverty line is updated over time to reflect price changes and living conditions.
   
   

 2. Do you think that the present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate?

1. The old method focused mainly on food and basic needs using calorie intake.
   
   

2. It does not reflect modern needs like education, health care, and clean water.
   
   

3. Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is more complete as it includes 12 indicators.
   
   

4. It helps in better planning and targeting of welfare programmes.
   
   

5. So, the MPI is more appropriate in today’s time than just income-based methods.
   
   

 3. Describe poverty trends in India since 1993.

1. In 1993–94, 45% of people were poor (consumption-based).
   
   

2. By 2011–12, this came down to 22%.
   
   

3. Multidimensional poverty also fell from 25% (2015–16) to 15% (2019–21).
   
   

4. States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab showed major progress.
   
   

5. However, poverty still remains a challenge in many parts of the country.
   
   

 4. Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India.

1. Colonial rule destroyed traditional industries and reduced incomes.
   
   

2. Slow economic growth before the 1980s created few job opportunities.
   
   

3. Unequal land distribution and lack of assets among the poor.
   
   

4. High population growth and low education levels.
   
   

5. Social factors like caste system, child marriage, and indebtedness increase poverty.
   
   

5. Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India.

1. Scheduled Tribes (STs) – About 43% of STs are poor.
   
   

2. Scheduled Castes (SCs) – Around 29% live below the poverty line.
   
   

3. Rural landless labourers and urban casual workers are also highly affected.
   
   

4. Women, elderly, and children often suffer more within poor families.
   
   

5. These groups have less access to education, jobs, and healthcare.
   
   

 6. Give an account of interstate disparities of poverty in India.

1. Poverty levels vary from state to state.
   
   

2. States with low poverty (<10%): Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra.
   
   

3. High-poverty states: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha.
   
   

4. States use different methods – Kerala focuses on education, West Bengal on land reforms.
   
   

5. Public food distribution and welfare schemes helped reduce poverty in some states.
   
   

 7. Describe global poverty trends.

1. Global poverty has declined sharply in the last two decades.
   
   

2. China and East Asia have reduced poverty due to fast economic growth.
   
   

3. South Asia (including India) has also shown a good decline.
   
   

4. Sub-Saharan Africa still has the highest number of poor people.
   
   

5. The World Bank uses $2.15 per day as the poverty line to compare across countries.
   
   

 8. Describe the role of the government in reducing poverty in India.

1. Government promotes economic growth to create jobs.
   
   

2. Runs targeted schemes like MGNREGA to provide employment.
   
   

3. Midday Meal Scheme (PM Poshan) improves child nutrition and school attendance.
   
   

4. Ujjwala Yojana provides LPG to poor families to improve health.
   
   

5. Various programmes help empower women, provide education, and reduce income inequality.
   
   

9. What do you understand by human poverty?

1. Human poverty means lack of basic human needs, not just low income.
   
   

2. It includes lack of education, healthcare, clean water, and housing.
   
   

3. It also means lack of dignity, job security, and self-respect.
   
   

4. Discrimination based on caste or gender increases human poverty.
   
   

5. It is broader and more serious than just income poverty.
   
   

 10. Who are the poorest of the poor?

1. Women, elderly people, and girl children in poor families suffer the most.
   
   

2. They often eat last, get less education, and poor medical care.
   
   

3. They are more exploited and ignored in decision-making.
   
   

4. Widows, disabled, and landless people are also extremely poor.
   
   

5. They face multiple layers of deprivation and helplessness.
   
   

11. What are the main features of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005?

1. MGNREGA was launched in 2005 to provide guaranteed wage employment in rural areas.
   
   

2. It promises 100 days of work in a year to every rural household willing to do unskilled manual work.
   
   

3. One-third of the jobs are reserved for women, promoting gender equality.
   
   

4. It aims to create durable rural assets like roads, ponds, and canals while reducing poverty.
   
   

5. The Act also helps in fighting drought, deforestation, and soil erosion, ensuring sustainable development.
   
   

12. Differentiate between consumption-based poverty line and National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) based poverty estimates.

Consumption-based Poverty Line	National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI)
Based on income or spending on basic needs like food, clothes, shelter.	Based on 12 indicators covering health, education, and living standards.
Calculates how much money is needed to meet calorie intake and basic needs.	Checks if people are deprived of nutrition, schooling, sanitation, housing, etc.
Used in India for a long time.	Introduced recently by NITI Aayog, in line with global standards.
Focuses only on the economic aspect of poverty.	Measures real-life deprivations people face daily.
Example: Rs. X per person per day.	Example: No electricity, no clean water, poor health, etc.

13. List the indicators used to estimate multidimensional poverty in India.

India’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) uses the following 12 indicators:

1. Nutrition – Undernourished child, woman, or man in the family.
   
   

2. Child-Adolescent Mortality – If a child/adolescent has died in the last 5 years.
   
   

3. Maternal Health – If childbirth was without trained medical help.
   
   

4. Years of Schooling – No member completed 6 years of schooling.
   
   

5. School Attendance – Any school-aged child is not attending school.
   
   

6. Cooking Fuel – Uses unsafe fuels like wood, coal, or cow dung.
   
   

7. Sanitation – No toilet or shared toilet.
   
   

8. Drinking Water – No access to safe water or takes 30+ minutes to fetch.
   
   

9. Housing – Poor quality roof, floor, or wall.
   
   

10. Electricity – No electricity connection.
    
    

11. Assets – No basic items like phone, TV, bicycle, fridge, etc.
    
    

12. Bank Account – No one in the family has a bank/post office account.
    
    

**************************************