POVERTY AS A CHALLANGE

Food Security in India (Summary)

Poverty as a Challenge discusses the meaning of poverty in India, its main causes, how it is measured, and the major government programmes aimed at reducing it.

1. What is Food Security?
Food is necessary for living, just like air is for breathing. Food security is guaranteed only if it meets three main conditions for all people, at all times:
1. Availability: This means there must be enough food produced in the country, plus food
stocks that are stored in government granaries (godowns).
2. Accessibility: The food must be within the physical reach of every person.
3. Affordability: Every individual must have enough money (capacity) to buy sufficient,
safe, and nutritious food to meet their needs.

2. Why is Food Security Needed?
Food security is critical because it acts as a safety net, especially during hard times.
Protection Against Disasters: Even people who are normally financially stable (above the poverty line) can become food insecure when the country faces a national disaster like a drought, flood, earthquake, or widespread crop failure.
Preventing Starvation and Famine: If a natural calamity, such as a drought, hits, the total production of foodgrains decreases, causing a shortage. Due to the shortage, food prices rise. At these high prices, many people cannot afford to buy food.
Averted Famine: If this shortage and high price situation lasts for a long time or affects
a very wide area, it can cause starvation. A massive, widespread starvation situation
can turn into a famine.
Historical Warning: Famine is marked by widespread deaths due to starvation and subsequent epidemics (diseases). The most devastating famine in India was the Bengal Famine in 1943, which resulted in the death of thirty lakh (3 million) people.
Modern Threats: Food security is needed to ensure food supply even during modern challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic, which negatively impacted food security by restricting the movement of people and goods.
Starvation: Starvation is a severe condition that occurs when people do not get enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs over a long period, leading to weakness, illness, and even death.
Famine: Famine is a widespread shortage of food in a region, causing large numbers of people to suffer from hunger and starvation. It is usually caused by crop failure, drought, war, or poor distribution of food.

3. Who is Food Insecure?
The poorest sections of society are often food insecure most of the time.
Vulnerable Groups: The worst affected groups include landless people, traditional artisans, and casual laborers who work in ill-paid jobs.
Social and Regional Insecurity: Certain social groups like Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and some lower-caste sections of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) are more prone to food insecurity. Economically backward states with high poverty rates, like parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, have the
largest number of food insecure people.
Women and Children: Pregnant and nursing mothers and children under the age of 5 years suffer from high malnutrition rates and are highly vulnerable.
Two Types of Hunger:
Chronic Hunger: This is a persistent lack of adequate food (in both quantity and quality). Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because their low income means they cannot afford to buy food even for basic survival.
Seasonal Hunger: This happens during specific times of the year. In rural areas, it occurs because agricultural activities are seasonal, leaving laborers unemployed during non-busy periods. In urban areas, it affects casual laborers (like construction workers) when work is scarce, such as during the rainy season.

4. Government’s Role: Self-Sufficiency and Safety Nets
Since Independence, India has aimed for self-sufficiency in foodgrains.
The Green Revolution: India adopted a new strategy in agriculture, leading to the ‘Green Revolution’ in the early 1970s, mainly boosting the production of wheat and rice. This success has helped the country avoid famine even during adverse weather conditions.
The government uses a carefully designed food security system with two components:

A. Buffer Stock
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) procures (buys) surplus wheat and rice from farmers in states where production is high.
The government pays the farmers a guaranteed price called the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
This procured food is stored as a Buffer Stock.
Purpose: The stock is used to distribute foodgrains in areas facing shortages and among the poorer parts of society at a lower price, known as the Issue Price. It helps resolve shortages during calamities.

B. Public Distribution System (PDS)
The FCI distributes the food through government-regulated shops called Ration Shops or Fair Price Shops.
These 5.5 lakh shops across the country sell essential items like foodgrains, sugar, and kerosene at prices lower than the market price.
The PDS is the most important step taken by the government to ensure food security. It has been instrumental in stabilizing prices and preventing widespread hunger and famine.
Targeting the Poor: The policy has evolved from universal coverage to specific targets.
Today, there are three types of ration cards: Antyodaya cards (for the poorest of the poor), BPL cards (Below Poverty Line), and APL cards (Above Poverty Line).
Key Schemes: Schemes like the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) (started in 2000 for the poorest families) and the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, provide affordable and nutritional security.

5. Role of Cooperatives
Besides the government, cooperative societies also help ensure food security, especially in southern and western India.
Cooperatives set up shops to sell low-priced goods to poor people.
Examples include Mother Dairy in Delhi, which supplies milk and vegetables at government-controlled rates, and Amul in Gujarat, a success story that helped bring about the White Revolution.
In Maharashtra, groups like the Academy of Development Science (ADS) have helped set up Grain Banks to ensure local food security.

Extra Question Answers (Poverty as a Challenge)

Q 1: How is the poverty line estimated in India?
Ans. In India, poverty line is estimated in two ways:
1. Consumption/Income method – If a person’s monthly spending (on food, clothes, shelter, health, education, etc.) is below the minimum level needed to live, then he/she is considered poor. Earlier, this was based on minimum calorie needs – 2400 calories per day in rural areas and 2100 in urban areas.
2. Multidimensional method (MPI) – Now poverty is also measured using 12 indicators such as
nutrition, schooling, cooking fuel, sanitation, electricity, housing, assets, and bank account. If a
household lacks in many of these, it is considered poor.

Q 2: Do you think that present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate?
Answer: The present method of poverty estimation is partly appropriate but not fully. Earlier, poverty was measured only on the basis of income and calorie intake, which showed only one side of the problem.
Now, India also uses the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which considers health, education, housing,
sanitation, electricity, clean cooking fuel, etc. This gives a clearer and fairer picture of poverty. Still, poverty is
a complex issue, and no single method can capture it completely.

Q.3. Describe poverty trends in India since 1993.
Answer: 1. Poverty has declined steadily from about 45% in 1993–94 to 22% in 2011–12.
2. Rural poverty remains higher than urban poverty, though both have fallen.
3. Some states (Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu) reduced poverty faster, while states like Bihar and Odisha lagged behind.
4. Post-1991 reforms and rapid economic growth accelerated poverty reduction in the 2000s.
5. As per NITI Aayog (2021), about 25 crore people exited multidimensional poverty (2005-06 to 2019–21).

Q 4: Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India.
Answer: The major reasons for poverty in India are:
1. Colonial Rule – British policies destroyed traditional industries like handicrafts and discouraged growth of Indian industries, leading to low economic development.
2. Low Economic Growth and High Population Growth – Slow growth and rapid rise in population created pressure on resources and continued the cycle of poverty.
3. Rural Poverty – Agricultural and rural development was uneven; some regions progressed while others remained poor. Income inequalities and weak policy implementation worsened rural poverty.
4. Urban Poverty – Industries could not create enough jobs, so many people work as daily wage earners (rickshaw pullers, vendors, labourers) with low and irregular income, forcing them to live in slums.
5. Socio-Cultural Factors – Caste discrimination, gender inequality, and social exclusion have added to human poverty.

Q 5: Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India.
Answer: The groups most vulnerable to poverty in India are:
1. Social Groups – Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
2. Economic Groups – Rural agricultural labourers and urban casual labourers.
3. The poverty ratios of these groups are much higher than the national average.
4. Apart from these, women, elderly people, and female infants are considered the poorest of the poor.

Q 6: Give an account of interstate disparities in poverty in India.
Answer: 1. The proportion of poor people is not the same in every state of India.
2. Poverty has declined in all states since the early 1970s, but the rate of decline is different from state to state.
3. In about 20 states and union territories, the poverty ratio is less than the national average (26%).
4. Some states like Orissa (47%) and Bihar (43%) continue to have the highest poverty ratios, both in rural and urban areas.
5. States such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and West Bengal have shown a significant decline in poverty.
6. The reasons for decline in these states include:
– Effective public distribution of food grains
– Focus on human resource development
– High agricultural development
– Implementation of land reforms

Q.7.Describe global poverty trends.
Answer: Global poverty has fallen sharply from about 36% (1990) to around 8–9% (2019).
– East Asia (esp. China) and South Asia saw the fastest decline.
– Sub-Saharan Africa still has the highest poverty, with over 35% population poor.
– Main drivers: economic growth, trade, education, healthcare.
– Challenges: conflicts, inequality, and COVID-19, which pushed millions back into poverty.
– UN’s SDG-1 (end poverty by 2030) remains difficult to achieve at current pace.

Q 8: Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation.
Answer: 1. The government’s current strategy to reduce poverty has a two-pronged approach:
– Promotion of economic growth
– Targeted anti-poverty programmes
2. Economic growth creates more opportunities and provides resources for human development.
3. To ensure the poor also benefit from growth, the government has introduced several anti-poverty schemes, such as:
– Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY)
– Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP)
– Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
– Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY)
– Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
– National Food for Work Programme (NFFWP)
– National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)
4. Problem: Despite good intentions, the benefits of these schemes have not fully reached the deserving poor.
5. Therefore, in recent years, the focus has been on better monitoring and implementation of poverty alleviation programmes.

Q.9. What do you understand by human poverty?
Answer: 1. Human poverty goes beyond the narrow view of poverty as just lack of income.
2. It refers to the denial of political, social, and economic opportunities to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
3. Key components of human poverty include:
– Illiteracy
– Lack of job opportunities
– Lack of access to proper healthcare and sanitation
– Caste discrimination
– Gender discrimination

Q.10. Who are the poorest of the poor?
Answer:
1. The poorest of the poor are women, female infants, and elderly people.
2. Within a poor family, these individuals suffer more than others.
3. They are systematically denied equal access to family resources such as food, healthcare, and education.

Q.11.What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005?
Answer: 1. The Act assures 100 days of employment every year to every rural household.
2. It was initially implemented in 200 districts and later extended to cover 600 districts across India.
3. One-third of the jobs are reserved for women, ensuring gender inclusion in rural employment.

Q.12. List the indicators used to estimate multidimensional poor in India.
Answer: The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in India is based on three dimensions – Health, Education and Standard of Living – with 12 indicators.
1. Health
– Nutrition
– Child & Adolescent Mortality
– Maternal Health
2. Education
– Years of Schooling
– School Attendance
3. Standard of Living
– Cooking Fuel
– Sanitation
– Drinking Water
– Electricity
– Housing
– Assets
– Bank Accounts

NCERT Question and Answer (Poverty as a Challenge)

Q.1.How is food security ensured in India?
Food security means that everyone has enough food, can access it easily, and can afford it. India ensures food
security in the following ways:
1. Self-sufficiency in food grains:
India now produces enough rice, wheat, and other crops to feed the entire population. This has been achieved through better farming methods and growing many varieties of crops.
2. Food security system (Buffer stock + PDS):
The government stores large quantities of food grains (buffer stock) and distributes them to
poor families through the Public Distribution System (PDS) using ration shops.
3. Government programmes:
Schemes like Mid-Day Meal, Food-for-Work, and other poverty-alleviation programmes help
provide food to children and poor households.
4. Role of cooperatives and NGOs:
Cooperative groups like Amul and Mother Dairy, along with NGOs, help supply food at
reasonable prices and support food security in many areas.

Q.2. Which are the people more prone to food insecurity?
Ans. Certain groups in India face a higher risk of food insecurity. These include:
1. Landless farmers and poor rural families such as labourers, artisans, and beggars.
2. Urban poor people working in low-paid jobs or doing casual and seasonal work.
3. Socially backward groups like SCs, STs, and some OBCs.
4. People living in poor or disaster-prone areas, remote villages, and tribal regions.
5. Migrants who move from one place to another in search of work.
6. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children below 5 years, who need nutritious food.

Q.3. Which states are more food insecure in India?
Ans. States that are poor and have high poverty levels are more food insecure. These include:
Uttar Pradesh (especially eastern and south-eastern parts)
Bihar
Jharkhand
Odisha
West Bengal
Chhattisgarh
Parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
These regions have the largest number of people who face food insecurity.

Q.4. Do you believe that green revolution has made India self-sufficient in food grains? How?
Ans. Yes, the Green Revolution helped India become self-sufficient in food grains.
In the late 1960s, farmers started using high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, along with fertilisers, pesticides, and better irrigation. This increased the production of wheat and rice.
Because of this, India now grows enough food for its population and has avoided famines even during bad weather.

Q.5. A section of people in India are still without food. Explain?
Ans. Even today, many people in India do not get enough food or proper nutrition. These include:
Landless farmers and small farmers
Casual labourers in cities
People from SC, ST and some OBC communities
Migrants and people living in poor or remote regions
Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children under 5
The government has taken steps like the Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Food-for
Work and employment programmes to help such people.
However, due to problems like poor distribution, corruption, and lack of awareness, some people still remain
without enough food.

Q.6. What happens to the supply of food when there is a disaster or a calamity?
Ans. During a disaster or calamity, the production of food decreases in the affected area.
This creates a shortage of food, which leads to a rise in prices.
When food becomes expensive, many people cannot afford it.
If the disaster affects a large area or continues for a long time, it may lead to starvation, and in extreme
cases, a famine.

Q7: Differentiate between seasonal hunger and chronic hunger.
Ans. Seasonal hunger
Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting.
This is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities, and In urban areas because of the casual labour (e.g., there is less work for casual construction labour during the rainy season).
This type of hunger exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year.
Chronic hunger
Chronic hunger is a consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality.
Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their very low income and in turn, inability to buy food even for survival.

Q.8. What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government?
Ans. To provide food security to the poor, the government has created a food security system. It includes:
Buffer stock: Storing large amounts of food grains like wheat and rice.
Public Distribution System (PDS): Distributing food grains to poor families at low prices through ration shops.
Along with this, the government has launched many schemes to support the poor. Two important ones are:
1. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
Started in December 2000 for the poorest families below the poverty line (BPL).
Each selected family received 35 kg of food grains per month at very low prices (₹2/kg for wheat and ₹3/kg for rice).
Over time, the scheme was expanded to cover more families.

2. National Food for Work Programme
Started in November 2004 in the most backward districts of India.
Its aim was to provide wage employment to poor people willing to do unskilled manual work.
The Central Government funded the programme fully, and food grains were given free to states.

Q.9. Why is buffer stock created by the government?
Ans. The government creates a buffer stock to store food grains like wheat and rice for emergencies.
It helps supply food to areas facing shortages and provides grain to poor families at cheaper prices than the market. Buffer stock also ensures food availability during natural calamities, crop failure, or bad weather.

Q.10. Write notes on:

(a) Minimum support price
(b) Buffer stock
(c) Issue price
(d) Fair price shops

Ans. (a) Minimum Support Price (MSP)
MSP is the pre-decided price at which the government buys food grains from farmers.
It encourages farmers to grow more crops by guaranteeing them a minimum income and protects them
from price fluctuations in the market.

(b) Buffer Stock
Buffer stock is the reserve of food grains like wheat and rice procured by the government through FCI.
It is stored to ensure food supply in food-deficit areas and to provide grains to poor people during emergencies such as droughts, floods or crop failure.

(c) Issue Price
Issue price is the price at which stored buffer stock is sold to the public through ration shops.
It is lower than the market price so that poor families can afford essential food items.

(d) Fair-Price Shops
Fair-price shops (ration shops) are government-controlled outlets that distribute essential items like rice, wheat, sugar and kerosene at subsidised rates.
Families with ration cards can buy limited quantities each month under the Public Distribution System
(PDS).

Q.11. What are the problems of the functioning of ration shops?
Ans. The Public Distribution System (PDS) was introduced to ensure food security for the poor.
However, there are several challenges in its functioning:
1. Insufficient Supply: The food grains provided through ration shops are often not enough to meet the needs of poor households. As a result, people still depend on the open market to fulfill their requirements.
2. Poor Quality of Food Grains: Many ration shops supply inferior or spoiled grains, making the food unfit and undesirable for consumption.
3. Malpractices by Dealers: Some ration shop owners divert food grains to the open market to earn extra profit. They may also keep ration shops closed irregularly, causing inconvenience to beneficiaries.
4. Limited Benefits for APL Families: Under the targeted PDS, three types of ration cards exist—Antyodaya (poorest), BPL (Below Poverty Line), and APL (Above Poverty Line). The prices for APL card holders are almost equal to market prices, so they receive very little benefit and often ignore ration
shops.
5. Low Consumption of PDS Grains: Due to these issues, the average consumption of PDS food grains remains very low— only about 1 kg per person per month at the national level.

Q.12. Write a note on the role of cooperatives in providing food and related items.
Ans. Cooperatives play an important role in supporting food security in India, especially in states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. They help supply essential food items and daily necessities at affordable prices to the poor.
Key contributions of cooperatives include:
1. Running Fair-Price Shops: Cooperative societies manage a large number of ration shops. For example, about 94% of fair-price shops in Tamil Nadu are run by cooperatives, ensuring affordable access to food grains.
2. Supplying Milk and Vegetables: Organisations like Mother Dairy in Delhi provide milk and vegetables at controlled and reasonable prices, helping urban households meet their daily food needs.
3. Promoting Dairy Development: Amul, a successful cooperative, played a major role in the White Revolution, making India one of the largest producers of milk. It provides milk and dairy products at fair prices to consumers while ensuring good income for farmers.
4. Supporting Community Grain Banks: The Academy of Development Science (ADS) in Maharashtra has established Grain Banks and conducts training for NGOs. These Grain Banks help supply food to people during scarcity.
Through these initiatives, cooperatives help make food distribution more eAicient, reliable and
affordable, thereby strengthening food security in the country.