Class 12 NCERT Solutions Indian Economic Development (Economics) Chapter 4 – Poverty – Free PDF Download
NCERT Textbook Solutions are considered extremely helpful when preparing for your CBSE Class 12 Indian Economic Development (Economics) exams. CoolGyan study resources infuse profound knowledge, and our Textbook Solutions compiled by our subject experts are no different. Here you will find all the answers to the NCERT textbook questions of Chapter 4 – Poverty.
All our solutions for Chapter 4 – Poverty are prepared considering the latest CBSE syllabus, and they are amended from time to time. Our free NCERT Textbook Solutions for CBSE Class 12 Economics will strengthen your fundamentals in this chapter and can help you to score more marks in the examination. Refer to our Textbook Solutions any time, while doing your homework or while preparing for the exam.
Revision Notes Class 12 Economics
NCERT Solutions Class 12 Economics
Questions for NCERT Economics Solutions Class 12 Chapter 4 – Poverty
The calorie based norm is not adequate due to these reasons:
1. It does not make differentiation between types of poor. It categorises all as “poor”. It indicates all as poor while missing out on the most poor among the lot. Someone who is most needy.
2. It does not consider factor such as health care, proper sanitation, clean water for drinking and basic education. Only identifying the calorie intake is not a proper parameter to determine the economic condition of any individual.
3. This calculation also does not take into account social factors that affect poverty in a major way like health conditions, lack of resources, civil and political freedom.
4. The expenditure on food and some selective items are considered as alternative for income without a proper measurement for poverty.
Food for Work Programme was started in the year 1977 by the government formed by Janata Party, that time it generated employment for unskilled labourers to help create roads and other useful assets in exchange for providing food grains as wages. The same programme was revived in the year 2004 and was named as NFFWP (National Food for Work Programme). This program was launched in 150 of the most backward districts of the country with an aim to provide employment and also provide food security to the unskilled labourers of these areas.
Employment generation programmes help in poverty alleviation in following ways:
1. When new employment schemes are generated, it results in employment opportunity for people and similarly they will be above the poverty.
2. The poor people can get a chance to live a better life by getting access to healthcare facilities, proper nutrition, education and hygienic conditions.
3. Employment generation schemes help in developing skills in the previously unskilled workers which will help in increasing employment prospect later on.
4. There is a problem of disguised unemployment in agricultural sector, and employment programmes help in reducing the disguised unemployment by engaging those labourers into some other activities.
5. The three dimensional attack on poverty adopted by the government has not succeeded in poverty alleviation in India. Comment.
The three dimensional approach adopted by government targeted the following factors: 1) economic growth, 2) employment generation and 3) alleviating poverty. Although this approach has resulted in reduction of poverty to some extent, but it has not been successful in alleviating poverty in India as many people still lack nourishment, literacy and access to basic amenities which is due to :
1. Improper distribution of land and other assets among rich and the poor.
2. Unorganised implementation of various reform programs and lack of proper trained policy makers lead to the failure of the policies.
3. Corruption prevalent in all levels prevented proper implementation.
6. What programmes has the government adopted to help the elderly people and poor and destitute women?
The central government has implemented many programs for taking care of elderly people, poor and destitute. The most famous of the schemes is National Social Assistance Programme. It is a social security and welfare programme that provides support to aged persons, widows, disabled persons and bereaved families on death of primary bread winner for those belonging to below poverty line households.
7. Is there any relationship between unemployment and poverty? Explain.
Employment and poverty are directly related to each other as an unemployed person has no source to earn money with which basic needs can be fulfilled for self as well as others. It results in negative impact on other aspects of life such as healthcare, education. An unemployed person is unable to generate income earning assets.
8. Suppose you are from a poor family and you wish to get help from the government to set up a petty shop. Under which scheme will you apply for assistance and why?
For setting up a petty shop financial assistance can be obtained under Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY). This programme started in the year 1993 which helps educated unemployed youths to start a business and generate employment for self and others.
9. Illustrate the difference between rural and urban poverty. Is it correct to say that poverty has shifted from rural to urban areas? Use the trends in poverty ratio to support your answer.
The difference between urban and rural poverty depends on the nature of poverty. In urban areas the people who are poor are those that are unemployed, employed with very low wages or is underemployed whereas the poverty in rural areas is due to the people being agricultural labourers, small farmers or seasonal workers. The quality of life is different in urban and rural areas. People have access to better healthcare, education facilities in urban areas whereas there is lack of such a setup in a rural area.
| Year | Poverty Ratio | ||
| Rural (%) | Urban (%) | Total (%) | |
| 1973-74 | 56.4 | 49.0 | 54.9 |
| 1977-78 | 53.1 | 45.2 | 51.3 |
| 1983 | 45.6 | 40.8 | 44.5 |
| 1987-88 | 39.1 | 38.2 | 38.9 |
| 1993-94 | 37.3 | 32.4 | 36.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 27.1 | 23.6 | 26.1 |
| 2004-05 comparable with 1993-94 | 28.3 | 25.7 | 27.5 |
| Estimates Source: Planning Commission Estimates (Uniform Reference Period) | |||
Yes, it will be correct if it is said that poverty has shifted from rural to urban areas. It can be explained in this manner:
For seeking employment many people come to urban areas from the rural areas, and as a result the number of people that are unemployed in urban areas increases over time. As they lack proper education and skills to become employed in any company. This contributes to the decline in poverty in rural areas and as a result the poverty is on rise in urban areas. From the above table we see that there is a decline in poverty ratio in rural areas.
10. Suppose you are a resident of a village, suggest a few measures to tackle the problem of poverty.
Some measures that can be suggested are:
1. Identifying the poor and segregating them into proper classification
2. Encourage people to get educated so as to be better equipped for employment.
3. Imparting vocational training to help unskilled labourers gain job ready skills
4. Informing people about various schemes run by government that are helpful for poor people.
5. Educating people about population control.
6. Providing access to free healthcare facilities
7. Establishing small scale industries for generating employment
Concepts covered in this chapter –
- Introduction and meaning of poverty
- Who are the poor?
- What is poverty?
- How are the poor people identified?
- Categorising poverty
- The poverty line
- The number of poor in India
- What causes poverty?
- Policies and programmes towards poverty alleviation