Eradicating poverty is an intricate challenge that necessitates a profound understanding of its root causes and a commitment to addressing them. The assertion that “an essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from the process of deprivation” encapsulates the idea that breaking the cycle of deprivation is crucial for sustainable poverty alleviation. Deprivation often manifests in various forms, such as lack of access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. To substantiate this statement, consider the scenario where marginalized communities lack educational resources. In such cases, liberating the poor from deprivation involves implementing policies that provide quality education, vocational training, and skill development programs. This not only empowers individuals to break free from the constraints of ignorance but also enhances their employability, contributing to economic upliftment.
Tag: Poverty and Developmental issues.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, try to define poverty and its material dimensions and non-material dimensions.
- In Body,
- Mention how the poor can be uplifted from poverty if basic deprivation like food, housing can be provided.
- Give various schemes and policies by the government in this direction.
- Conclude with India’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN’s 2030 agenda on this issue.
Answer:
Poverty is a situation of lacking material possessions or income for a person’s needs. It comprises many dimensions; encompasses the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for the survival with dignity, the low levels of health and education, poor access to clean water and sanitation, lack of voice, insufficient capacity and opportunities, and inadequate physical security to better one’s life. To eradicate poverty, both material as well as the non-material dimension of deprivation needs to be addressed..
- Access to Education: Providing quality education to the poor can liberate them from the constraints of poverty. Education equips individuals with knowledge and skills, enabling them to secure better job opportunities, earn higher incomes, and improve their overall standard of living. For example, initiatives like the Midday Meal Scheme in India have not only increased school enrollment but also improved the nutritional status and educational outcomes of children from impoverished backgrounds.
- Livelihood Opportunities: Creating sustainable livelihood opportunities is crucial for lifting the poor out of poverty. This can be achieved through skill development programs, vocational training, and entrepreneurship support. By empowering individuals with the means to generate income, they can become self-reliant and escape the cycle of poverty. The Self-Help Group (SHG) movement in India has been successful in empowering women from marginalized communities by providing them with access to credit, training, and business support.
- Social Protection: Implementing social protection programs can help alleviate poverty and deprivation. Safety nets, such as cash transfers, social insurance, and healthcare schemes, provide a buffer against shocks and enable individuals to meet their basic needs. For instance, Brazil’s Bolsa Família program has lifted millions of people out of poverty by providing targeted cash transfers to low-income families, coupled with conditions related to education and healthcare.
- Empowering Marginalized Groups: Overcoming discrimination and social exclusion is essential in eradicating poverty. Empowering marginalized groups, such as women, indigenous communities, and ethnic minorities, can break the cycle of deprivation they often face. Affirmative action policies, such as reservation of seats in educational institutions and government jobs, aim to create equal opportunities and promote social inclusion.
There have been programs and policies like:
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act — aims to enhance the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing a hundred days of wage-employment in a year to adult members of a rural household.
- Right to Education Act — to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years.
- Skill India Mission — to rapidly implement and scale up skill development efforts across India.
- National Health Mission — to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care service across rural and urban areas.
- Make in India initiative, attracting FDI, promoting entrepreneurship through start-up India to create jobs in the country.
- The use of the SECC 2011 data for beneficiary selection along with the use of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Aadhaar, geo-tagging, and other governance and financial reforms has transformed the delivery of benefits to the poor.
- The expansion of all- weather rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has strengthened the ability of deprived households to leverage markets to their advantage.
Out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to which India is committed, the first two are “ending poverty in all forms and hunger”. SDG-1 is, by 2030, to reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. India has not only committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but it is also a leading proponent of the first goal that addresses the issue of poverty. The steps taken by the government are in the right direction and will go a long way in ending the process of deprivation if implemented effectively.
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