Answer: 

Introduction:

According to the World Bank, Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being and comprises many dimensions. It includes low incomes and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for survival with dignity.

The incidence of poverty in India fell from 55.1% in 2005-06 to 16.4% in 2019-21 because of several government initiatives like MGNREGA, NFSA, NRLM, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, etc. But despite these initiatives, as per Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022, India has the largest number of poor people worldwide at 22.8 crore.

Body:

The main causes for persistence of poverty in India are:

• Lack of understanding of poverty: Poverty is still understood on the basis of consumption of food items. For instance, the Tendulkar Committee said an expenditure of about Rs. 500 per capita per month is necessary to fulfill basic needs. Any person earning more than that is above the poverty line.
  • But this understanding is far restricted than the idea of poverty as a failure to achieve certain minimum capabilities, given by Amartya Sen. The lack of these capabilities makes a person unable to sustain his basic needs in the society.
• Limited resources: Limited government resources when compared to population. India’s population has steadily increased through the years. This exerts tremendous demand on the government while it has limited resources.
• Lack of political will: Even these resources are not used optimally due to corruption, weak institutions, top-down approach and lack of political will for addressing poverty.
• Growing inequality: There is a large income disparity between the rich and poor in India. While a few people have access to vast resources, the majority of the population is left struggling to make ends meet.
• Inadequate investment in social sectors: The government has not invested enough in social sectors like education and healthcare. The poor are thus unable to escape the trap of poverty as all of their energy and expenses are spent on meeting basic needs.
• Structural issues: There are underlying structural issues in society such as caste and gender discrimination that make it difficult for certain groups to escape poverty.
• Unemployment: Unemployment is another factor causing poverty in India. The ever-increasing population has led to a higher number of job-seekers. However, there is not enough expansion in opportunities to match this demand for jobs.

Way Forward

• Rapid economic growth and the use of technology for social sector programs have helped make a significant dent in extreme poverty in the country.
• A more comprehensive and inclusive approach is required to eradicate poverty in India.
• Change the understanding of poverty: Indian political, policy and administrative systems have to adjust to the new realities of the transition to a middle- income country, in which poverty does not mean living at the edge of hunger but, rather, lack of income to take advantage of the opportunities thrown up by a growing economy.

Conclusion:

To effectively tackle poverty in India, it is important to address the issues and implement policies that promote equitable distribution of resources, invest in social sectors, and eliminate corruption in the distribution of benefits to the poor.