Poverty in India: Status, Issues and Government Initiatives

Abstract: The prevalence of poverty in India is an issue of critical concern for policy analysts and academic scholars both because of its magnitude and intensity. Poverty is one of the most serious challenges in India, a country with a wide and diversified socio-economic environment. Despite tremendous progress in several sectors, the persistence of poverty underlines the difficulties of tackling economic inequities. The Suresh Tendulkar Committee assessed about 430 million (37.2 per cent) below the poverty line based on a bundle of deprivations. With India’s impressive economic growth since liberalization, poverty declined rapidly. As of recent estimates, India’s poverty rate is approximately 22%, translating to around 310 million people living below the poverty line. The rural poverty rate is higher than urban poverty. Economic inequality, educational disparities, employment and labour market issues, lack of access to healthcare facilities, poor housing and living conditions, social inequality and discriminatione are some contributiory factors to poverty in India. India’s remarkable economic growth has contributed to poverty reduction, but growth has been uneven. While certain sectors have flourished, others, especially agriculture, have lagged behind, affecting the rural poor. Despite considerable progress in reducing poverty rates, significant challenges remain, particularly in rural areas and among marginalized communities